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New Albany-Plain Local to launch two-phase career pathways audit with ESC of Central Ohio
Summary
The district will partner with the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio to audit high-school and middle-school career pathways, with a desktop review, focus groups and staged recommendations to guide course and staffing decisions for 2026–27.
Superintendent Sawyer said the district will partner with the Educational Service Center (ESC) of Central Ohio to conduct a two-phase career pathways audit covering the 2025–26 school year.
The audit will review the high school first (August–December 2025) and the middle school next (January–April 2026). Superintendent Sawyer said the ESC will perform a desktop review of New Albany’s website, program of studies and master schedule; convene focus groups of teachers, students and families; and assess learning spaces and equipment. The audit report will provide three tiers of recommendations: changes requiring no new funding, changes needing some funding, and fully funded options that would include added staff or equipment.
The district cited existing career-pathway activity: a Career Connections semester course in middle school that exposes students to 16 industry sectors, added allied health exploratory classes, and recent student completions of industry-recognized credentials and pre-apprenticeships. The presentation noted that roughly 80% of New Albany graduates enroll in a postsecondary institution in the fall and that retention into a second college year is about 93%, with a 66% six-year graduation rate noted from National Student Clearinghouse data.
Jess, a district presenter on career pathways, described recent local partnerships and program outcomes: "we've had 10 students complete an STNA/CNA cohort," she said, and cited multiple pre-apprenticeship completions in construction and plumbing as well as six students earning Lean Six Sigma credentials. The district has also sent students to the Junior Achievement career fair and a healthcare summit.
Board members asked about scale and parent engagement. Jess said she did not have exact counts for students pursuing trade or apprenticeship pathways but said counselors and assistant principals are conducting one-on-one conversations with families to expand participation. Superintendent Sawyer added the district will use the audit’s findings to determine if new courses or staffing are necessary for the 2026–27 school year.
Why it matters: the audit is intended to align New Albany’s programming with workforce trends and state accountability measures for college, career, workforce and military readiness, and to provide an evidence-backed plan to expand pathways without immediate new funding where possible.
Next steps: ESC will deliver the high-school phase report by December 2025; the board and staff will use the findings to inform course offerings and staffing decisions for 2026–27.
