Outcomes for Students Who Focused on Career and Technical Education in High School

Education policymakers in Indiana and Minnesota created career and technical education programs to improve high school students’ postsecondary and employment outcomes. This REL Midwest study examined whether high school graduates in each state who completed a large number of career and technical education courses in a single career-oriented program of study (concentrators) had different college and workforce outcomes from graduates who completed fewer (samplers) or no career and technical education courses (nonparticipants). Key findings include the following: In both states male graduates, graduates who were White, graduates who received special education services, and graduates who were not proficient in reading in grade 8 were more likely than their peers without those characteristics to be concentrators. The percentage of nonparticipants was higher in schools in urban and suburban areas than in schools in towns and rural areas. In both states concentrators were more likely than samplers and nonparticipants to enroll in a two-year college within one year of high school graduation and less likely to enroll in a four-year college. Concentrators also were less likely than samplers and nonparticipants to attain a bachelor’s degree within five years of high school graduation. In both states concentrators had higher employment rates and earnings during the first five years after high school graduation than similar samplers and nonparticipants. In Indiana and Minnesota the state education agency, state higher education agency, and the state workforce agency have collaborated to develop career and technical education courses intended to improve high school students' college and career readiness. These agencies partnered with the Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest to examine whether high school graduates in each state who completed a large number of career and technical education courses in a single career-oriented program of study (concentrators) had different college and workforce outcomes from graduates who completed fewer (samplers) or no career and technical education courses (nonparticipants).  The study found that in the 2012/13–2017/18 graduation cohorts, male graduates were more likely to be concentrators than female graduates, and graduates who received special education services were more likely to be concentrators than those who did not receive services. Graduates who were not proficient in reading in grade 8 also were more likely to become concentrators than those who were proficient. Graduates who attended urban and suburban schools were more likely than students who attended town and rural schools to be nonparticipants. Concentrators were less likely than samplers and nonparticipants with similar characteristics to enroll in college, but the differences reflect mainly enrollment in four-year colleges. Concentrators were more likely to enroll in two-year colleges. Concentrators also were less likely than similar samplers and nonparticipants to complete a bachelor's degree within four to six years. Finally, compared with similar samplers and nonparticipants, concentrators were employed at higher rates in the first five years after high school and had higher earnings.