Wenatchee School District expands accelerated pathways to boost postsecondary access
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Summary
Jake Buchholz, the district director of CTE, told the school board the district is building accelerated pathways — including college-credit maps, industry certifications and direct-transfer agreements — to shorten time to postsecondary credentials and retain more graduates in postsecondary study or workforce training.
Jake Buchholz, director of CTE for Wenatchee School District, outlined the district's expanding accelerated pathways during a school board meeting, saying the initiative is designed to give high school students earlier access to college credits, industry certifications and career-focused training.
The pathways are intended to shorten time-to-completion and make postsecondary education or credentialing more attainable for students who face family or financial pressures. "When we looked at our data ... 59 % of our students were not going on to postsecondary," Buchholz said, adding that the district's most recent estimate is closer to 57 percent. "So we were like, what is the barrier?" He said the district is building multiple program types so families can choose whether a student pursues an AA transfer degree, a technical certificate (for example CNA or CompTIA certifications), or college-credit courses offered at the high school that transfer to regional colleges.
Why this matters: Board members and staff said the effort seeks to move students toward a "tipping point" where postsecondary training becomes a realistic choice. Buchholz told the board that shortening the pathway's time horizon (for example, to two quarters or a year) can make continuing education more palatable for students who need to earn money for their families.
What the program includes: Buchholz described several specific elements: - College-credit maps tied to local transfer partners and the state's general education requirements (GERs). The district has aligned courses to Wenatchee Valley College and to Central's GERs; 106 students have expressed interest in working toward the GERs at the high school next year. Buchholz said 24 students are pursuing the direct transfer agreement (DTA) option through Wenatchee High School rather than Running Start. - Career and technical education (CTE) pathways that can include multi-course packages (for example, industrial tech/electronics and engineering technology) so a student can complete the first college year while in high school and finish at Wenatchee Valley College. - Industry-recognized certifications and curriculum such as NextGen Personal Finance, EverFi and YouScience. Buchholz noted the district has developed a financial-literacy graduation requirement and said about 300 students took the financial literacy course this year.
Enrollment and participation figures discussed: Buchholz and the board reviewed current participation counts the CTE team collected during a recent onboarding period: 715 students have entered the on-ramp process this spring; 79 students had signed up for a program of study at the time of the meeting; 1,362 students indicated they intend to pursue only a high school diploma without a pathway; Running Start participation figures were discussed (current eleventh-grade Running Start numbers cited at roughly 384, with a projected increase to 431 when accounting for next-year enrollment), and the district reported a roughly 12 percent projected bump in students served by the new model.
Counseling and family engagement: To reduce the risk that complexity will deter families, Buchholz said the district will start pathway conversations in seventh grade and meet with seventh- and eighth-graders quarterly so families have an 18-month window to consider options before high school scheduling decisions. He said CTE funding is covering additional staff: an extra high-school counselor has been hired and CTE funds support additional mentor-type staff to help families and students navigate options. "We want it to become a year-round relationship," Buchholz said of the family outreach plan.
Board concerns and operational issues: Board members raised several concerns during the discussion: - Early preparation: multiple members pressed whether students who are far behind academically in middle school will be able to access more advanced pathways, and Buchholz acknowledged the district needs stronger early interventions and a "strengths-based" counseling approach rather than relying solely on a single state assessment score. - Equity and representation: a board member asked the district to monitor demographic representation in pathway enrollment, noting the district's student body is majority Latino and raising concern that pathway participation could skew toward more advantaged groups. Buchholz said the district will produce demographic participation breakdowns as soon as course-selection data stabilizes and will develop recruitment and engagement plans based on that analysis. - Scheduling and course stability: board members asked how the district will decide which courses to run each year when student sign-ups vary. Buchholz described the master-schedule process: student requests drive offerings, and some low-enrolled classes may not run; the district is trying to stabilize course offerings so families can rely on predictable sequences. - Space and facilities: board members asked whether CTE programs require dedicated facilities. Buchholz said many CTE offerings can be designed modularly (for example, sinks and power can be provided in flexible rooms) while acknowledging that some programs (welding, fabrication) require specially equipped spaces.
Academic and financial trade-offs: Board members discussed how GER and DTA options compare with Running Start, and Buchholz warned that completing large numbers of college credits in high school can have downstream effects: credits transfer but do not guarantee admission to selective universities, and students who accumulate many credits may later encounter financial-aid limits if their course choices do not align with their eventual major.
No formal board action was taken during the presentation; the item was a briefing and question-and-answer session. Buchholz and staff described next steps as continuing outreach, finalizing course selections based on student sign-ups, and producing demographic participation reports for board review.
Quotations (selected): "When we looked at our data ... 59 % of our students were not going on to postsecondary," said Jake Buchholz, director of CTE, describing the rationale for accelerated pathways. "So we were like, what is the barrier?" He added, "This is going to occur year round. These meetings, these conversations, this is a year round relationship."
Ending: The board thanked Buchholz and staff for the work. Board members were reminded of a ribbon-cutting event at Triangle Park and learning walks at the high school the following day and Thursday, respectively. No votes or formal motions were recorded during the item.
