If Part 1 made the case for rebooting Career and Technical Education (CTE), and Part 2 showed how the Advance CTE Career Cluster Framework transforms theory into thriving ecosystems, this final post focuses on what matters most: Making it stick by improving students' career readiness.

If readiness lives only in a program, it dies when the champion leaves. If it is built into culture, it endures.

At Tacoma Public Schools, our goal is not just to offer great programs; it is to become a district where every student is known, seen, and supported through personalized pathways—rooted in purpose and ready for what’s next.

That requires more than alignment. It requires systemwide design. It demands a cross-cutting commitment to skills, mindsets, and practices that sustain, not just launch, readiness.

It requires a mindset fueled by possibility, built through MAP(s)—mindsets, assets, practices, and systems—to ensure innovation is not just implemented but embedded.

Culture = What We Normalize

Culture is defined by what we normalize, celebrate, and hold ourselves accountable to. The real shift happens when Career and College Readiness is no longer something we do—it becomes something we are. Here is how we have embedded cluster-aligned, pathway-driven design into the DNA of our district:

Leadership Infrastructure That Scales Vision

We redesigned our internal leadership model to move beyond program oversight toward system coherence in improving students' career readiness.

  • A dedicated CCR/CTE advisory team aligns talent, funding, and innovation.
  • Pathway leads are empowered with cross-school authority and shared accountability.
  • Secondary school principals and partner school leaders anchor pathway expansion in instructional leadership.
  • Career Clusters frame how departments from equity to communications integrate CCR into daily work.

Using the MAP(s) framework, we intentionally design leadership around mindsets that fuel better, assets that scale impact, practices that sustain the work, and systems that make it durable.

Data Systems That Drive Strategy

We believe data should tell the story of improving students' career readiness, not just remediation.

We maximize SchooLinks and YouScience to track real readiness indicators:

  • Student enrollment and engagement mapped by Career Cluster
  • Internship hours, credential attainment, and social capital development
  • Postsecondary outcomes beyond diploma rates
  • Teacher capacity and schedule models tied to pathway health

Read the full article about improving career readiness by Adam Kulaas at Getting Smart.