ERIC Number: ED672234
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Oct
Pages: 47
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
The Opportunity Costs of Career and Technical Education: Coursetaking Tradeoffs for High School CTE Students. EdWorkingPaper No. 23-870
Walter G. Ecton
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Career and Technical Education (CTE) has long played a substantial, though controversial, role within America's public schools. While supporters argue that CTE may increase student engagement and prepare students for success in the workforce, detractors caution that CTE may inhibit students' access to the rigorous academic coursework needed for college and high-status careers. As students' time in high school is a relatively fixed resource, this paper seeks to better understand the extent to which CTE is associated with trade-offs within students' high school curricula. Using a robust statewide longitudinal data system, this study explores the extent to which CTE may limit course taking in a wide range of subjects (including core academic subjects, electives, and Advanced Placement courses). Special attention is paid to how curricular trade-offs may occur differently among different student populations, keeping in mind the legacy of tracking as a long-employed mechanism for reducing opportunity. On average, results indicate that CTE courses do crowd out students' enrollment in non-CTE elective areas, but that CTE does not lead to large declines in college preparatory coursetaking, though there are nuances for certain student populations. Overall, these findings counter longstanding narratives that CTE participation limits student access to college preparatory coursework.
Descriptors: Career and Technical Education Schools, High Schools, High School Students, Course Selection (Students), Elective Courses, Advanced Placement Programs, Decision Making, Enrollment, College Preparation, Access to Education, Core Curriculum, Gender Differences, Racial Differences, Disabilities, English Learners, Socioeconomic Status, Academic Achievement
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Identifiers - Location: Massachusetts
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A