Perceptions about Career and Technical Education as a High School Educational Option for College and Career Readiness
Perceptions about Career and Technical Education as a High School Educational Option for College and Career Readiness

Author: Gwen T. Mosteller

Publisher:

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 131

ISBN-13:

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This qualitative study investigated the perception of career and technical education (CTE) held by teachers and parents/guardians of students in grades 5, 6, 7, and 8, and its influence on student enrollment in CTE. Data were collected from 66 participants, 44 teachers and 22 parents/guardians to examine perceptions. Data were obtained via a researcher created survey distributed through Survey Monkey, an electronic survey tool. The researcher analyzed the data from ratings given by parents/guardians and teachers of students in grades 5, 6, 7, and 8. In addition, data were collected from short answer responses as well as individual phone interviews conducted by the researcher with seven interviewees. Emergent themes from this study include (a) the evolution of vocational education to CTE reflects the changing nature of the programs to meet the needs of the 21st Century job market, (b) changes in present day mindset can only come to fruition through better community outreach of CTE programs, rigor of CTE programs, and clear career pathways, (c) perceptions of parents/guardians and teachers demonstrate a positive outlook with regards to well-paying career opportunities with a degree from CTE, (d) parents/guardians believe that CTE is a pathway into college and care prepare a student for both the job market and college entrance, (e) students are influenced by parents/guardians and other adults such as teachers when making decisions about college or career.

Student Perceptions of Career and Technical Education Programs and College Readiness in California, Illinois, and Texas
Student Perceptions of Career and Technical Education Programs and College Readiness in California, Illinois, and Texas

Author: Carrmila Faye Young

Publisher:

Published: 2022

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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As K-12 systems throughout the country work to create Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that will provide students with post-secondary skills and competencies to succeed in the workforce, many CTE students may be inadvertently denied the opportunity to also become college ready upon graduation. Focusing on high school CTE coursework deemed to be less academically rigorous, can limit the college readiness rates for CTE concentrators both in admittance and success thereafter. Utilizing Dewey and Prosser’s historical perspectives related to vocational education, current college and career readiness research, and nascent literature on college and career ready indicators, the purpose of this explanatory qualitative case study was to try to understand how adult aged students who graduated from the CTE course of study perceived their preparation for college and career readiness. This study had a sample size of three subjects per state (California, Illinois, and Texas) for a total of nine adult participants who graduated from high school and concentrated in CTE by completing two or more courses in a career or technical education pathway. Using surveys and interviews, the design of this study captured vivid details through the words and actions of the participants to explore and explain the relationship between aspects of their scholastic experiences and their perceived readiness. The findings revealed that that where participants went to school, the quality of the CTE program, and expertise of the adults involved made the greatest differences in participant perceptions of readiness-- superseding all other factors including geography, race, age, and gender. The findings from this study may have significant academic, social, and systemic implications as the belief that college and career readiness are one in the same prevails when driven by quantitative data points. The voices from the field are telling us otherwise.

The Value of Career and Technical Education in Addressing College and Career Readiness and the Ill-Prepared Workforce
The Value of Career and Technical Education in Addressing College and Career Readiness and the Ill-Prepared Workforce

Author: Kamina Fitzgerald

Publisher:

Published: 2018-11-12

Total Pages: 141

ISBN-13: 9781792173097

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Are we truly preparing high school students to be college and career ready? In this time when the graduation average has shown a significant increase, why are more students lacking the basic skills to be successful in the workforce than ever before? The problem studied in this book is that schools are not providing the necessary entry-level skills desired by industry, or that lead to successful employment in the 21st century. Furthermore, this study examined new entry-level employees to the workforce and the perception of employers, as to the skill level needed to be successful in 21st century industry. Today's economy demands a better educated workforce than ever before, and jobs in this new economy require more complex knowledge and skills than the jobs of the past. Research from the Center for Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University debunks the often-cited myth that the economy lacks jobs for young people to fill, finding instead that industries across the economy have created a wealth of new jobs that require workers with appropriate education and training (American Institutes for Research, 2013). The center also projects that nearly two thirds of jobs created in the United States by the year 2018 will require some form of postsecondary education (Carnevale et al., 2010).

College and Career Ready in the 21st Century
College and Career Ready in the 21st Century

Author: James R. Stone III

Publisher: Teachers College Press

Published: 2015-04-17

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 0807770930

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More than half of 9th graders in the United States will never complete a college degree. High schools must do more than prepare some students for college: They must prepare all American youth for productive lives as well as continued learning beyond high school. In this timely volume, two educational leaders advocate for a more meaningful high school experience. To accomplish this, the authors argue that we need to change the focus of our current high school reform efforts from "college for all" to "careers for all." This work shows how schools can prepare young people both for the emerging workplace and postsecondary education.

Career and Technical Education
Career and Technical Education

Author: Cynthia A. Bily

Publisher: Greenhaven Publishing LLC

Published: 2013-09-17

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13: 0737770449

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Editor Cynthia A. Bily has compiled sixteen compelling essays that explore the issues surrounding career and technical education. Readers will evaluate several issues, including whether low-income and minority students are being squeezed out of higher education and whether the government should increase support for community colleges. Essay sources include the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium, Barack Obama, and Dana Goldstein.

The Perceptions of High School Students Regarding the Effects of Career Technical Education
The Perceptions of High School Students Regarding the Effects of Career Technical Education

Author: Matt Bogard

Publisher:

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 36

ISBN-13:

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Exposing students to higher standards of rigor and relevance is a constant challenge for educators. Project based learning, behavioral interventions, and finding strategies to integrate technology into the classroom are now mandated by many school districts. The introduction and implementation of Career Technical Education coursework has become a high priority in education. The purpose of this study was to examine students' attitudes regarding the effects of Career Technical Education classes in preparation for college and career readiness. Participants completed an online survey consisting of ten statements distributed to 30 high school students in grades ten through twelve. The responses to each survey statement were analyzed using a Chi Square Goodness of Fit along with descriptive techniques. The analysis showed no statistically significant difference in the distribution of responses for nine of the ten survey statements which include communication, engagement, leadership, organization, problem-solving, social skills, teamwork, time management, and willingness to learn. The analysis did show a statistically significant difference in the distribution of responses for statement ten, work ethic (p

The Difference Career and Technical Education Dual Enrollment Courses Make on the College and Career Preparedness of High School Graduates
The Difference Career and Technical Education Dual Enrollment Courses Make on the College and Career Preparedness of High School Graduates

Author: Rolynda Potter

Publisher:

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13:

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The purpose of this study was to explore the difference participating in career and technical (CTE) dual enrollment courses made on the college and career readiness of recent high school graduates. The research also explored if CTE dual enrollment participation changed high school students’ perceptions about education. Participants in this quantitative study were students at a community college in Tennessee. Using survey data and student records, the researcher related participation in CTE dual enrollment to college readiness, career readiness, and educational perceptions. The study results did not indicate participation in CTE dual enrollment courses made a difference in college or career readiness. However, the results supported CTE dual enrollment's utilization to positively influence high school students’ educational perceptions

The History and Growth of Career and Technical Education in America
The History and Growth of Career and Technical Education in America

Author: Howard R. D. Gordon

Publisher: Waveland Press

Published: 2014-01-20

Total Pages: 511

ISBN-13: 1478615214

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Dr. Gordon was the first scholar/educator to publish a relevant, up-to-date synthesis of the history, philosophy, legislation, and organizational/curricular structure of career and technical education. The fourth edition features comprehensive background and research on such topics as evolving employer expectations, special-needs populations, land-grant institutions, teacher shortages and alternative certification, CTSOs, and an historical overview of influential leaders and their impact on CTE curriculum development. Pre-service teachers as well as experienced CTE teachers will appreciate this well-documented road map of CTE.

Technical College Graduate Perceptions of College and Career Readiness
Technical College Graduate Perceptions of College and Career Readiness

Author: Dale M. Hanson

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 252

ISBN-13:

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The United States workplace requires increased levels of postsecondary education to support workforce development for an economy driven by technology, automation and global competition. By 2018, 63% of new jobs created will require postsecondary education (Carnevale, Smith, & Strohl, 2010). Currently, one in four graduates earns a bachelor's degree in six years, and one in three earns an associate degree within three years (NCHEMS, 2012). To fill existing knowledge and skills gap, high school staff must encourage and prepare college/career ready students to enter postsecondary education. The purpose of this study was to describe the construct of college and career readiness from a perspective of technical college graduates. This study examined whether or not technical college graduates believed their personal high school experiences effectively prepared them for academic success and career focus upon entering technical college. College and career readiness is defined as desirable characteristics including knowledge, skills, abilities, academic outcomes, and personal resources possessed by graduating high school seniors that enable success in postsecondary and career pursuits (AYPF, 2009). This study described the impact of high school experiences such as academic and personal relationships with high school staff, personal disposition toward school, and value of dual enrollment coursework related to student perceptions of college and career readiness. This mixed method, convergent parallel design study, simultaneously collected quantitative and qualitative data. The population (N = 36) consisted of May 2012 technical college graduates who were alumni of a Midwestern Pre K-12 school district. Quantitative data were collected through document review and a student survey on perceptions of college and career readiness. A focus group, consisting of five technical college graduates selected from survey participants, provided insight into personal perceptions on college/career readiness. The findings suggested academic achievement by itself is not enough to qualify a student as college/career ready for postsecondary education. Participants identified support through positive staff relationships, but suggested further improvement by acquiring increased knowledge of multiple postsecondary pathways to student success. Finally, this study revealed dual enrollment courses were undervalued by students, and suggested ways to improve and promote dual enrollment programs.

Perspectives of Career and Technical Education Pathways and Linked Learning Outcomes for High School Graduates
Perspectives of Career and Technical Education Pathways and Linked Learning Outcomes for High School Graduates

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 128

ISBN-13:

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In large urban school districts such as Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and many others, as many as half of the students starting their first year of high school do not finish. The economic costs are over $150 billion annually without considering the incalculable personal and social costs. Now, more than ever, it is critical to find different pathways to connect to high school students and engage them as they prepare for postsecondary life. The specific objective of this research was to determine student perceptions of how core academic programs that are linked with core academic curriculum and real world experiences such as Linked Learning contributed to engagement in high school and readiness for postsecondary life. In addition, this study examined teachers' and administrators' perceptions of Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways and, more specifically, their views on the integration of CTE and core academics, as well as influences on student engagement and preparation for postsecondary education and career readiness. This study used a mixed methods approach, including a student survey, student and teacher focus groups, and interviews with administrators. This research paper found that students enroll in a CTE pathway more to prepare for a potential career than for any social reasons. Additionally, CTE pathways helped student engagement and comprehension of other core academic subjects, such as English and mathematics. The research also found that educators did not promote, request, nor demand the increased integration of CTE and core academics. More detailed longitudinal research on the impact of various CTE pathway approaches on high school graduate outcomes is needed to better understand whether change should be pursued.