Resources and Publications

Our resources and publications are developed to document and share promising practices and outcomes, practitioner-facing curriculum guides and toolkits, and professional development materials. This page is not exhaustive, if you are looking for a resource that you don’t see here, please reach out to us at nctn.worlded.org.

Postsecondary Redesign

Ability to Benefit Resource Page

This resource page is for states and institutions looking to learn more about the Ability to Benefit (ATB) provision of the Higher Education Act. Explore what ATB is, federal guidance, and practitioner-informed resources among other materials.

Transforming Data into Action: Supporting Parenting Students

Transforming Data into Action highlights how eight colleges enhanced data collection to identify and support student parents, especially single mothers. The report shares insights on successful strategies, sustainable system improvements, and practical guidance for colleges to improve outcomes for parenting students.

Career and Technical Education CoLab Toolbox

The CTE CoLab advances opportunities in online career and technical education by building knowledge on what works for non-traditional students. Through a practitioner-driven community of practice, it identifies and shares strategies to close gaps to improve outcomes for all CTE students.

Effective Prior Learning Assessment Policies and Practices

This report outlines the policies and procedures in place needed to validate college-level knowledge acquired through experiential learning that are aligned with state policy and the accreditation standards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Career Pathways

Inspiring Career Development and Action: A Curriculum Guide for Adult Educators

This curriculum guide provides tools to support career awareness, exploration, and planning. Integrating CCRSAE, ELPS, and workplace skills, these lessons can be used in classrooms, workforce training, career workshops, or one-on-one coaching by instructors, career coaches, and advisors.

Navigator and Coach Training Information

NCTN’s Navigating Pathways training series equips college and career navigators, coaches, and advisors with essential skills to support adult learners. The self-paced Finding True North course and facilitated Navigating Pathways to Opportunity course provide practical strategies to enhance student success in education and careers.

ADVANCE IET Resource Page

The ADVANCE IET project offers training and resources to enhance Integrated Education and Training (IET) programs. It includes self-paced online courses, briefs on promising practices, and an IET resource repository to support adult education providers.

IET in Varied Contexts

This guide highlights how eight organizations designed IET programs suited to their local context and program setting. While some adapt to WIOA requirements and others use it to build new workforce collaborations, these program profiles showcase the importance of local context, offering inspiration and models for adult educators to develop or enhance their own IET programs.

WIOA Reauthorization Policy Levers

This brief series analyzes WIOA data (2016–2019) and offers recommendations for reauthorization on five key areas: co-enrollment, co-investment, career pathways, performance accountability, and system integration. The goal of the series is to inform policy makers and other key stakeholders on WIOA outcomes to date and present options for increasing the efficacy of the WIOA legislation.

Learner Success

Navigator and Coach Training Information

Personal & Workplace Success Skills Library

This curated collection of resources guide the integration of personal and workplace success skills into curriculum and instruction, advising and coaching, assessment, and program design in adult education, higher education, workforce development, and career and technical education programs.

Advising Students with Foreign Degrees and Credentials

This guide helps instructors, advisors, and career coaches ask the right questions when working with students whose goals relate to employment, education or entering a licensed profession. Once the student’s goals are established, this guide helps determine what kind of degree or credential evaluation process is appropriate.

Mentoring Toolkit

The Mentoring Toolkit provides resources to establish a peer mentoring program. Designed as a coordinated network, it offers adaptable tools for adult education programs, incorporating feedback to refine mentoring processes and training materials for staff, mentors, and mentees.