This report is the second in a series from the Network research team led by the Research Alliance for New York City Schools, which is examining career and technical education (CTE) in New York City (NYC). The first report focused on CTE-dedicated high schools in which all enrolled students participate in a CTE program. This second report focuses on 51 comprehensive NYC high schools that offer CTE alongside other educational options. In this context, students are assigned to CTE programs as part of their high school applications but may opt in and out of CTE learning opportunities at any point during their high school years.

The study used an especially rigorous approach to compare the experiences and outcomes of more than 26,000 students who were assigned to CTE programs in comprehensive high schools with those of similar students who applied to the same programs but were assigned to another option not offering CTE. The study found that CTE students earned similar numbers of academic credits, including in advanced coursework, as students in the non-CTE control group and had similar graduation and college enrollment rates. The findings also highlight considerable variation in both programming and impacts, providing useful insights about the conditions under which CTE might be more or less effective at accomplishing the central goals of college and career readiness.

• View the report and a one-page summary.
• View a flyer about the reports in this series.