This article in the May 2023 issue of Journal of Research in Technical Careers outlines how earning an industry certification was associated with postsecondary enrollment and degree attainment, and whether the timing of the certification influenced that relationship. Report findings indicate that for early earners (grades 9 or 10), the certification was more closely associated with enrollment and attainment at 4-year colleges. For later earners (grades 11 or 12), the certification was closely associated with enrollment and attainment at 2-year colleges.
This study examined how high school course-taking patterns (characterized by CTE concentration, academic concentration, or no concentration), personal characteristics embedded in a social cognitive theory framework, and contextual variables interact in the prediction of students' income and job satisfaction eight years after high school graduation.
This report highlights findings from a cross-Network study examining differences in the number and type of CTE programs that high school students in Connecticut and New York school systems had access to based on students' race/ethnicity or socioeconomic background.
This report uses a mixed-methods approach to examine potential barriers to equity in stackable credential pipelines in Colorado and Ohio. The authors analyzed administrative and interview data to describe patterns in credential-stacking and in earnings for low-income individuals relative to middle- and high-income individuals. The study found that low-income certificate-earners earned stacked credentials and went on to earn longer term credentials at higher rates than middle- and high-income certificate earners.
This SAT® validity study focuses on SAT scores' relationships with student outcomes in CTE programs at 2-year postsecondary institutions. SAT scores are useful for understanding students' academic performance in CTE programs, as well as their persistence to the second year and degree/certificate completion within three years. This study provides evidence that the SAT can be a useful tool for understanding and evaluating student readiness for CTE programs and students' subsequent success in these programs.
This archived webinar introduces the Equity Framework for CTE Research, which provides guidance for researchers on infusing an intentional focus on equity into CTE research from start to finish. The webinar provides a high-level overview of the framework, including examples from the six research stages covered, and concludes with a brief Q&A.
This article from Network Co-Principal Investigator Shaun M. Dougherty presents evidence on the kinds of CTE programs that produce the most promising outcomes for students. A growing research base shows that CTE programs linked to workforce needs can improve high school graduation rates and workforce earnings and serve as a bridge to postsecondary education.
This policy brief details the different ways that students in Michigan can access career and technical education (CTE) programs and assesses the extent to which CTE availability influences enrollment and program completion.