States and districts are expanding career‑connected pathways to link high school coursework with postsecondary credentials and employer internships — with Delaware and Indiana frequently cited as models. Districts report rising student uptake in work‑based learning, and some pathways now guarantee college credit or direct apprenticeship pipelines. At the same time, dual‑enrollment expansion is constrained by college credentialing rules for instructors. Wisconsin officials and local colleges say teacher qualification requirements are leaving many schools without enough instructors who meet community‑college standards to teach for credit, limiting access for lower‑income and rural students. Policymakers and postsecondary leaders must reconcile academic credential requirements with teacher preparation pathways to scale dual‑credit equitably and preserve the college pipeline for career‑bound students.