Blog

Due April 3, 2026: Sectoral Training Provider Applications for Blazing a Trail Initiative

Beginning this spring, and continuing through the end of 2027, America Forward is excited to partner with a pilot cohort of up to eight (8) leading high-impact sectoral training providers to shift public investment toward evidence-based programs and build providers’ capacity to navigate and participate in public funding systems. America Forward is grateful to Ascendium Education Group for their investment
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Measuring What Matters: How Complementary Growth Indicators Can Transform K-12 Education

By Jessica Paulsen, President, Innovation & Impact, LEAP Innovations As schools nationwide work to accelerate student learning and close persistent achievement gaps, policymakers are taking a closer look at how we measure student growth — and whether current approaches give educators and families the actionable information they need. When Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
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What It Actually Takes: Project QUEST on Workforce Development That Works

Photo: Francisco Martinez, President & CEO of Project QUEST, and Lelani Mercado, Chief Program Officer of Project QUEST with a December 2025 graduate. Across the United States, communities are searching for workforce solutions that deliver real, lasting economic mobility, not just short-term job placements. In San Antonio, Texas, one model has been proving what works for more than three decades:
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America Forward on New DOL Pay-for-Performance Apprenticeships Initiative

America Forward applauds the U.S. Department of Labor’s announcement of a new $145 million pay-for-performance apprenticeship incentives initiative. This initiative constitutes a significant investment aimed at expanding Registered Apprenticeship nationwide and paves the way for a more outcomes-oriented, formula-based approach to financing apprenticeships. Key provisions in the recently-released application materials closely align with America Forward and Apprenticeships for America’s recommendations
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