Trends in career and technical education (CTE)

Overall coursetaking in Career and Technical Education (CTE) has declined. From 1990 to 2009, the average number of CTE credits earned by U.S. public high school graduates declined, from 4.2 to 3.6, while the average number of credits earned in other subject areas increased.

* Coursetaking in occupational areas, such as agriculture and natural resources or business, dropped from 2.7 to 2.5 credit.

* In nonoccupational areas (i.e., general labor market preparation and consumer and family studies), CTE coursetaking dropped from 1.5 to 1.1 credits.

* In contrast, average credits earned in core academic fields (i.e., English, mathematics, science, and social studies) rose between 1990 and 2009.

The percentage of graduates who earned credit in any occupational CTE area declined from 88 percent in 1990 to 85 percent in 2009. However, within occupational CTE, the direction and magnitude of change differed by specific occupational area

* Occupational areas with declining participation were business, manufacturing, computer and information sciences, engineering technologies, and repair and transportation, with business being the area of largest decline.

* Occupational areas with increasing participation were communications and design, health care, public services, and consumer and culinary services, with communications and design being the area of largest increase.