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This brief reports on the first year of a promising effort in Texas to deepen the postsecondary preparation that schools and programs offer. With support from the Greater Texas Foundation (GTF) and coaching and technical assistance from Jobs for the Future (JFF), five sites have begun using JFF's Back on Track: Postsecondary Success model and JFF's Common Instructional Framework (CIF) to assess and improve upon the strategies they use to prepare participants for a successful transition to postsecondary education, training, and good jobs.

Almost 7 million young Americans (age 16-24) are insufficiently attached to school or work. Based on conservative estimates, we can generate over $1 billion just by helping a mere 0.1 percent earn a high school credential and complete their first year of college through Back on Track Designs. This brief lays out the cost of setting up these GED- and diploma-granting schools and programs, and how districts, colleges, and community-based organizations can partner to sustain them. Appended are: (1) Programs Consulted; and (2) Methodology.