Most high schools offer some form of career development programming, including career and technical education, internships, job shadowing, counseling and career fairs.
With a new $3.1 million grant from the Institute of Education Sciences, a U-M researcher and his colleagues are exploring approaches to career development and the outcomes associated with the diverse opportunities available.
Together with co-investigators from Florida State University, Walter Ecton, assistant professor of higher education at the Marsal Family School of Education, is partnering with Leon County Schools in northern Florida.
The team is investigating many aspects of career development, including:
- How do schools and districts make decisions about their program offerings?
- How do students, teachers, and administrators consider the goals of career development opportunities?
- How are schools thinking about program quality and the experiences of students?
Outcomes to be evaluated will include high school graduation, absence and discipline records, receipt of an industry-recognized credential, postsecondary enrollment at two- and four-year institutions, postsecondary second-year retention, credit accumulation and postsecondary completion.
Throughout the four-year study, the research team will pay close attention to differences in access and outcomes for students of different populations across schools, race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, disability status and level of academic achievement.
Interest in career and technical education coursework has risen in recent years, with states increasing funding for secondary CTE and learners expressing enthusiasm for gaining real-world skills that will serve them in the workforce. Courses focus on subjects such as health care, design, construction, agriculture and information technology.
Ecton and his collaborators seek to understand participation and outcomes of CTE course-taking and dual enrollment. They are investigating student engagement when students are enrolled in CTE classes, and student participation in dual enrollment in technical college and other postsecondary institutions.
Additionally, after learning more about the needs of the district in this exploratory research, the team will identify a single career development opportunity that they will evaluate over three years, during which they will consider student outcomes, while also examining questions of equitable access and program quality.
“While career and technical education is extremely common in America’s public schools, CTE remains one of the most understudied topics in education today,” Ecton said. “By taking a mixed-methods, districtwide lens, this research will allow us to address important questions.
“Through this work, we’re excited about the insights we’ll be able to offer school and district leaders as they aim to provide CTE and career-focused programming that prepares students for high-earning jobs and a strong beginning to their career.”
Co-investigators from Florida State University include Christine Mokher, Stacey Rutledge and Erica Harbatkin.
