Senior Research Scientist
Community College Research Center, Columbia University
About
About the Career and Technical Education Research Network 1.0
The first CTE Research Network was funded in 2018 and ended in 2024. The CTE Research Network 2.0 builds on that work with six new teams and a refreshed focus. Approximately 7.5 million secondary and 3.5 million postsecondary students are enrolled in career and technical education (CTE), which is supported by roughly $1.3 billion in federal and state investments. CTE prepares students with academic knowledge and technical and employability skills for credentials and careers. CTE also serves as an opportunity to strengthen the connection and coherence among K–12 education, postsecondary education, and workforce development efforts. However, more rigorous research—studies designed to show a causal impact—is needed to understand the effects of CTE programming on student outcomes. To expand the evidence base, the CTE Research Network 1.0 worked to conduct and promote the use of high‑quality studies examining the impact of CTE.
Our Primary Areas of Focus
Research
Increase the number of studies examining the impact of CTE policies, programs, and practices on student outcomes
Training
Strengthen the capacity of researchers and practitioners to conduct, use, and share rigorous and causal CTE research
Coordination
Improve coherence among CTE research projects, identify new research priorities, and share strategies to address research challenges
Dissemination
Engage stakeholders in network activities and share findings to inform efforts to improve CTE programs and student outcomes
Network Lead
The American Institutes for Research® (AIR®) and its partners—the Association for Career and Technical Education® (ACTE®), JFF, and Boston College—serve as the CTE Research Network Lead. The Network Lead provides network administration and coordination as well as research, training, and dissemination to increase the number and quality of CTE impact evaluations and strengthen the field’s research capacity.
American Institutes for Research
Established in 1946, with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to solve some of the most urgent challenges in the U.S. and around the world. Learn more
Association for Career and Technical Education
ACTE is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association empowering educators to deliver high-quality CTE programs that ensure all students are positioned for career success. For more than 90 years, ACTE has provided CTE professionals with advocacy, public awareness, and access to resources, professional development, and leadership opportunities. Learn more
JFF
JFF is a national nonprofit that drives change in the American workforce and education systems to create access to economic advancement for all. For 35 years, JFF has led the way in designing innovative and scalable solutions that create access to economic advancement for all. JFF is building a future that works. Learn more
Boston College
Boston College, founded in 1863 and the first institution of higher education to operate in the city of Boston, is today among the nation’s foremost universities, a leader in the liberal arts, scientific inquiry, and student formation. Learn more
Network Lead Team
Network Members
The CTE Research Network brings together IES-funded research teams focused on measuring the impact of CTE programs on student outcomes. As network members, the research teams participate in collaborative activities to share findings, strengthen their research, and learn from one another. The network consists of six research teams.
Advisory Board
An Advisory Board provides the CTE Research Network Lead team with strategic guidance on achieving the network goals as well as with input on network priorities and research activities. Board members represent a range of roles, organizations, and areas of expertise, including state CTE directors, district CTE administrators and teachers, university researchers and professors, and workforce development and industry leaders. The Board meets as a whole twice a year. In between meetings, board members participate in network workgroups, provide timely feedback on network plans, and support network dissemination efforts.Associate Professor
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Senior Research Associate
WestEd
College of Education and Human Ecology Distinguished Associate Professor / Center on Education and Training for Employment Faculty Fellow
Workforce Development and Education, Ohio State University
Senior Executive Director of College and Career Pathways
Maryland State Department of Education
Director, Center for Adult Learning and Career Development
Education Northwest
Deputy Director, Research, Policy, and Legislation
California Workforce Development Board
Assistant Professor of Economics
Georgia State University
Executive Director
National Council for Workforce Education
Deputy Executive Director
Advance CTE
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Career, Technical & Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education / Formerly Director, Career and Technical Education and STEM Initiatives, Delaware Department of Education /
Emeritus Board Member
ACTE 2018 National Teacher of the Year
Newburgh Free Academy, New York
Research Associate Professor & Technical Assistance Provider / Associate Professor
National Technical Assistance Center on Transition / East Tennessee State University
Research Scientist
Education Development Center
Emeritus Professor of Education
University of California, Berkeley