CTE's Role in Achievement, Engagement and Transition

Dr. John Mulcahy

Dr. John Mulcahy, West-MEC’s administrator of Adult Education and Professional Development and president of the Association for Career Technical Education of Arizona presented data and led discussion in a highly interactive session, asking participants to think about the outcomes they wanted for all students.  However he stressed the caveat that “Statistics mean never having to say you’re certain.”

Ninety-seven percent of U.S. high school students take at least one CTE course, and studies show that CTE results in increased engagement, higher achievement and a positive transition to higher education.

There is good news regarding engagement:  high school completion is the highest in 40 years, and the racial/ethnic gap is closing.

The bad news is that there is variability among states, with Hispanics and Blacks trailing Whites in graduation rates by 12 and 14 points and boys dropping out more than girls.  Mulcahy presented statistics with state and national perspectives.

According to the ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy, CTE participation has a positive effect on students’ academic engagement as measured by the likelihood of dropping out and absenteeism.

Students that are immersed in CTE programs come to school regularly and graduate on time. A ratio of one academic to two CTE courses is optimal, and  97 percent of Arizona 2011-12 CTE concentrators completed high school vs. 76 percent of all other Arizona high school students.  Nationally, 90.18 percent of CTE concentrators graduate as opposed to 74.9 percent of all freshmen.

“According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the majority of CTE students in high school continue on to postsecondary education, and those who join the workforce outright or work to supplement their incomes as they pursue further education are often in a better financial situation than high school graduates who did not pursue CTE.” 

Work-based learning has positive correlations with graduation, academic achievement and career success, and CTE student organizations have also been shown to increase academic achievement, career self efficacy and employability skills.

Paula S. Wirth, APR
Education Consultant