There is no conflict of interest.
Highlights
- The study's objective was to examine the impact of career and technical education (CTE) programs on education outcomes.
- The study used a nonexperimental design to compare the outcomes of students who participated in a CTE program to a matched comparison group of students who did not. The authors used state administrative data, National Student Clearinghouse data, and statistical models to compare the differences in outcomes between the groups.
- The study found that a significantly higher portion of students who participated in CTE graduated high school on time, enrolled in postsecondary education and obtained an award within five years post-graduation.
- This study receives a moderate evidence rating. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to career and technical education (CTE) programs, but other factors might also have contributed.
Intervention Examined
Features of the Study
Career and technical education (CTE) programs provide skills and training for specific career fields to high school students. The study used a nonexperimental design to examine the impact of CTE programs on postsecondary education outcomes for high school students. The study sample included high school students in Nebraska and South Dakota with expected graduation dates between 2012 and 2017. The authors matched treatment and comparison students on demographic characteristics, educational information, and location. The treatment and comparison groups each had 56,382 students after matching. The treatment group participated in CTE programs in high school, whereas the comparison group did not participate in CTE programs. The authors used administrative data collected by the Nebraska and South Dakota Departments of Education and data from the National Student Clearinghouse. Outcomes included on-time high school graduation, postsecondary enrollment, and credential or degree completion. The authors conducted statistical models to compare the differences in outcomes between the treatment and comparison group members, at two- and five-years post-graduation.
Findings
Education and skills gains
- The study found that students who participated in a CTE program were significantly more likely to graduate high school on time (98%) than students in the comparison group (85.3%).
- At two-years post-graduation, a significantly higher proportion of CTE students were enrolled in postsecondary education (74.1%) and obtained a postsecondary award (6.0%) than students in the comparison group (64.6% and 2.9%, respectively).
- At five-years post-graduation, a significantly higher proportion of CTE students were enrolled in postsecondary education (77.1%) and obtained a postsecondary award (38.3%) than students in the comparison group (69.7% and 36%, respectively).
- While a significantly higher proportion of CTE students earned a professional certificate, diploma, or associate’s degree (11.3% vs. 6.4%) five years after graduation, a significantly higher proportion of comparison students earned a bachelor's degree or higher (29.6% vs. 27%).
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The analysis sample for outcomes at two-years post-graduation was 112,764. However, the analysis sample for the outcomes at five-years post-graduation was 42,398.
Causal Evidence Rating
Additional Sources
Research Guidelines
Review Protocol: Living Systematic Annual Search and Review Protocol
Review Guidelines: Causal Evidence Guidelines