The K-12 Postsecondary Framework is a tool for district leaders who want to develop and ingrain a student-focused and data-driven postsecondary culture into their districts. The model builds on the work and best practices of districts that have adopted postsecondary success as a measure of their own success. 

The model will encourage innovative leaders to consider strategies to evaluate their current postsecondary support model, coalescing organizations and community leaders in support of the effort. Ultimately, the model serves as a blueprint to move the work forward in a thoughtful, student-centered, and data-driven way.  

For those who are working to increase the buy-in of their district leadership, there are opportunities to prepare for when the district leader is ready to engage. A proactive college access organization may begin work to build a coalition or support an evaluation of the current resources available. A university may take the lead on understanding the regional context, and a local chamber of commerce may research the workforce needs for the future of its community. 

With that said, district leaders should recognize that they are not in this work alone! Throughout the model, there are references to a number of potential partners to collaborate with and lean on for support. While developing the appropriate network of support is a step to building a coalition, it is the ongoing work to foster a sense of community within the coalition, bring in new voices and partners, and create real opportunities to allow for these individuals and groups to support the district in the work that solidifies it.

Each component is powerful independently, but put together, the steps allow a district to create a student-centered, equitable, data-driven postsecondary support model that fits the needs of their District, region, and — most importantly — their students. Additionally, once a district is at a point where they are setting goals and monitoring progress, the work isn’t complete; there should be ongoing evaluation of initiatives, projects, and efforts to determine if they are meeting the needs of students and continuously working to refine practice.