The Big Blur

The Problem

It’s time to give up tinkering and instead take on a radical rethinking and restructuring of grades 11 through 14—the last two years of high school and the first two years of college—in order to increase success for all. The biggest structural barrier to increasing college completion rates and career success is the enduring and seemingly intractable disconnect between high school, higher education, and our workforce systems. They can be difficult to navigate and are misaligned, with incompatible curricula, instruction, expectations, and support services. They work better for those who are financially secure and well-connected, but not well enough for the vast majority of young people across the country.

The Solution

We believe a system that would more effectively support older adolescents’ success in college and careers and eliminates many transition barriers is feasible and has the following features:

The Outcome

The Big Blur erases the arbitrary dividing line between high school and college and opens the opportunity for all 16-year-olds to start on a path toward a postsecondary credential and preparation for a career. Two years of college are free to everyone, just like the 10 years of primary and secondary school that came before. Some may want to think of it as two years of college included in high school or two years of high school included in college. But this vision is far more revolutionary. Read more here.

Big Blur Policy

We are elevating system changes made in a handful of leading-edge states across the political spectrum. We are accelerating their impact, drawing from those experiences to map the road toward the Big Blur, and encouraging and supporting other states to do the same.

We are currently convening nine advocacy organizations in a Big Blur Policy and Advocacy Action Lab to support leading states as they work to create the policy conditions necessary to support implementation of the Big Blur and contribute to the development of a state policy framework to guide next steps in the field.

Big Blur State Policy Framework

In version 3.0 of the Big Blur State Policy Framework —which is a living document—JFF outlines the steps states can take toward fully adopting each of the Blur’s four key components and creating a more effective system for grades 11-14.

The framework provides examples of how each of the key components of the Big Blur (incentives, alignment, governance, and staffing) evolves from a fragmented to a fully transformed state policy environment. It describes a continuum of four types of state policy environments that states currently have or will experience on the road toward a fully reimagined system of education-to-career pathways that work for all students.

As states seek to make key transformations, they move toward creating a policy environment that entirely erases the boundaries between high school, college, and careers, ultimately creating a revamped and new education system that works for all students. Readers can use the framework to assess their state and understand areas in the early stages of blurring and those that are further along.

JFF makes periodic updates to the framework to account for new insights and exemplars in policy and practice gathered from the field. We are always looking for strong examples of blurring in states and local areas. Please contact us to share your feedback and examples by emailing blurinfo@jff.org and including “Big Blur” in the subject line.

Big Blur in the Media

The ideas presented in the Big Blur continue to gain interest in the field. Learn more about what others are saying and join the conversation:

Speaking Engagements

Since the publication of The Big Blur paper, we have participated in speaking engagements, presentations, and keynotes for audiences of educators, employers, philanthropy, policymakers, and community-based organizations, including:

Related Content

We are excited to develop and share publications that will shape an ongoing narrative about the rationale for the Big Blur and highlight the vision through case studies, policy issue briefs, and a blog series.