This project began with a comprehensive examination of a midsize public school district's (Leon County Schools in Tallahassee, FL) approach to career preparation. Researchers conducted a deep exploration of career development opportunities at the district level, undertaking mixed methods research to examine how schools and district leaders make decisions about their program offerings, and how key stakeholders (students, parents, teachers, counselors, school leaders, and community and workforce leaders) consider the goals of career development opportunities along with their strengths and weaknesses. The team also examined participation and outcomes in specific career development programs, including career and technical education (CTE) course taking and dual enrollment.
During the exploratory study, one of the biggest identified gaps (from students, school staff, and especially local employers) was in what is sometimes referred to as "soft skills" (also referred to as durable skills, work ready skills, or professionalism skills, among other related terms). Building on what was learned about the district's needs, the project is now focused on an impact study of an online, interactive "soft skills" curriculum and credential program currently in use across Leon County Schools. Using a randomized controlled trial supplemented by qualitative methods, the research team is examining the program's effect on students' soft skills, workforce readiness, and post-high school outcomes, with the goal of generating rigorous evidence to guide districts, policymakers, and practitioners nationwide as they consider how to develop students' soft skills, which emerging evidence suggests may become even more crucial as AI advances.
Study period: 4 years [09/01/2024–08/31/2028]
This project is supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305N240056 to the University of Michigan.
There are so many unanswered questions about CTE and career development opportunities, particularly questions of equity, access, program quality, and the how and why of what works and what doesn’t. Through this work, we’re excited about the insights we’ll be able to offer school and district leaders as they aim to provide CTE and career-focused programming that prepares students for high-earning jobs and a strong beginning to their career.
Walter Ecton, PhDThe research team brings expertise in CTE alongside deep backgrounds in relevant fields including high schools, transitions to college, school leadership, and program evaluation. The team is a partnership between Walter Ecton at the University of Michigan’s Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education and Christine Mokher, Stacey Rutledge, and Erica Harbatkin at Florida State University’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.
