This working paper seeks to better understand the extent to which CTE is associated with trade-offs within students’ high school curricula, such as electives and Advanced Placement courses. Special attention is paid to how curricular trade-offs may occur differently among different student populations. Overall, the findings counter longstanding narratives that CTE participation limits student access to college preparatory coursework.
This MDRC report highlights new findings from a random assignment evaluation of the first seven P-TECH Grades 9–14 schools in New York City. Conducted by a Network research team at MDRC, the study is the first rigorous evaluation of the P-TECH 9–14 model and provides findings related to impact, implementation, and costs.
This working paper from MDRC and co-authored by CTE Research Network member Rachel Rosen provides current evidence on the effectiveness of CTE at different educational levels and for specific subgroups, including students with disabilities and by gender. This paper identifies areas where there is more CTE evidence as well as areas where gaps still exist.
In recent years, policymakers and researchers have paid renewed attention to career and technical education (CTE), but public attitudes—especially those of parents—toward CTE remain relatively understudied. This paper, featured in the peer-reviewed journal Education Policy Analysis Archives, draws on the history of CTE and more contemporary policy discourse to propose a new organizing framework for conceptualizing how CTE might be discussed in the public sphere. In addition, the article draws on a survey-based experiment to examine how the ways in which policymakers talk about CTE may impact parents’ support for CTE-related policies.
An estimated 5 million students enroll in noncredit courses and programs at community and technical colleges each year. This Rutgers Education and Employment Research Center report, co-authored by the CTE Research Network director and principal investigator, examines how colleges and their programs define and promote quality in their noncredit offerings across various potential elements of quality design.
This Rutgers Education and Employment Research Center report, co-authored by the CTE Research Network director and principal investigator, presents an analysis of noncredit programming at two community colleges. The report draws on student survey data and institutional data on program offerings.
For most states, federal funding alone cannot meet the costs of providing secondary career and technical education (CTE) or the demand for CTE from learners. This Advance CTE microsite, including a report, resources, and state comparison mapping tool, presents an overview of state secondary CTE funding models across all states and the District of Columbia. The resources are based on research conducted in 2022 and early 2023, including a survey of state CTE directors and in-depth interviews with state CTE leaders.
North Carolina’s statewide Career and College Promise offers eligible students three tuition-free pathways to earn college credit while in high school. This brief from the Early College Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro reports on why students participated, or did not participate, in two of these dual enrollment pathways: Career and Technical Education (CTE) and College Transfer.