NYC as a Laboratory for Learning About Career and Technical Education: Lessons from CTE-Dedicated High Schools is the first in a series of reports from our ongoing study aimed at informing local and national CTE policy and practice. This new report focuses on 37 CTE-Dedicated high schools, which are structured to ensure that all enrolled students participate in a CTE Program of Study from 9th through 12th grade.
The key findings show that CTE-Dedicated high schools increased students’ engagement in 9th through 12th grade, with modest improvements in attendance, credit accumulation, and staying on track for a New York State Regents diploma. Overall, CTE students graduated from high school and enrolled in college at rates that were similar, on average, to their non-CTE counterparts. However, we found that smaller, nonselective CTE-Dedicated schools focused on occupations that typically require a Bachelor’s degree produced meaningful improvements in high school graduation and college enrollment. The report also highlights the need for more work-based learning opportunities for students and better tracking of these experiences. These and other findings are highly relevant to the NYC Department of Education’s new investments to strengthen career-connected learning.
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