In this article, researchers Shaun Dougherty and Dara Zeehandelaar describe results from their study showing positive outcomes for students who participated in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. They note that CTE programs may increase student engagement by connecting learning at school with real world use. The article outlines some of the failures of older approaches to CTE and highlights improvements in current CTE programs. The authors go on to describe their research which combined secondary, postsecondary and labor market data from the Arkansas Research Center. They found that students who participated in CTE courses were more likely to graduate, enroll in a two-year college, be employed, and have higher wages. The students were also just as likely to pursue a four-year degree as their peers.
The article ends with recommendations to policy makers and education leaders to support more CTE courses and program offerings and encourage all types of students to participate in them.
Source Organization: ASCD