WASHINGTON — While career and technical education, or CTE, may have historically been maligned as a “dead end,” a new study based on students in Arkansas shows students who took more CTE classes were slightly more likely to finish high school, attend a two-year college and earn a little more money than those who don’t.
“I think there’s sufficient evidence to suggest Arkansas should continue doing what they’re doing now,” said Shaun M. Dougherty, an assistant professor of educational policy and leadership at the University of Connecticut.
“Students are benefiting from this,” he said, although he acknowledged the need for research on the longer-term impact of CTE.
Dougherty made his remarks Thursday at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a policy research organization that focuses on education reform. He spoke in reference to the findings of a new study titled, “Career and Technical Education in High School: Does it Improve Student Outcomes?”
Among other things, the study found that most students in Arkansas — 89 percent — take at least one CTE class, but those who took more CTE or concentrated in certain areas enjoyed better educational and employment outcomes.
More specifically, the study found that:
