Preparation for college and a career is important to economic prosperity. How college and career readiness in schools is defined varies across the state. The College/Career Indicator, adopted by the State Board of Education, integrates eight pathways that demonstrate a student’s preparedness for college and a career. College eligibility, such as SAT participation and A-G coursework performance, is used across California as a critical metric for defining college readiness. Other important measures of college preparedness include high school GPA and standardized assessments that predict college outcomes. According to many educators, college enrollment is a key measure of college readiness. Major reforms in California were implemented in the last decade to improve outcomes for all students. Policy Analysis for California Education’s primer on K-12 education details the curricular improvements made in 2010 when the Common Core State Standards were adopted and the Smarter Balanced Assessments were implemented in 2014-15. Earlier reform occurred in 2013-14 when the Local Control Funding Formula and Local Control Accountability Plans were implemented, aligning school funding and accountability mechanisms to local needs to support student educational outcomes. Opportunities for post-secondary education are diverse, whether it be trade school, community college  or university. Career technical education, such as offerings by the local Metropolitan Education District, exposes high school students to a variety of career pathways, many of which require a more nontraditional post-high school education, such as certificate programs.