Where Are They Now? A Look at CTE Student Enrollment Outcomes

Background: Career and Technical Education programs (CTE), known for much of the 20th century as vocational education programs, were designed to prepare high school students for work. CTE programs are now designed to prepare high school students with skills that lead to a career or to postsecondary programs. While the literature is generally positive with respect to student participation in CTE, this study examined performance indicators of career and technical education in the state of Texas for 2021 and 2022. Purpose: This study presented an analysis of CTE program outcomes to expand the sphere of evaluation regarding the efficacy of CTE in preparing students with career ready skills. Questions addressed were related to placement, graduation, credential earned, academic proficiency attained, intention post-secondary, and completion status of graduates. Methods: This quantitative descriptive research study utilized a descriptive design to determine the status of student outcomes at various points in their CTE enrollment. This was done through the examination of 2021 and 2022 archival data to answer research questions that targeted the research question outcomes of placement, graduation, credential earned, academic proficiency attained, intention postsecondary, and completion status. These questions inquired about the proportion of CTE Concentrators who met the various program outcomes. Results: The proportion of CTE students who meet the State performance level outcomes expectations in the various criteria are as follows for 2021 and 2022 respectively: Placement (79%; 82%); Graduation (97%; 97%); Credential (52%; 49%); Academic Proficiency (English/language arts STAAR EOC – 65%; 69%; Mathematics STAAR EOC (70%; 66%)); Postsecondary Intention (40%; 42%); Completers (22%; 23%). Conclusion: The findings showed CTE Concentrators met or exceeded the performance level for four of the six standards included in the study; post-secondary intentions and completers' performance levels were not met. These outcomes demonstrate that CTE in Texas effectively prepares high school graduates in the requisite academic skills for entry into postsecondary education and to a career, and to earn industry-recognized credentials.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Professional Leadership, Education

Grantor

University of Houston

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Harris, Lisa Smith

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Klussmann, Duncan
• Hawkins, Jacqueline

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Hale, Margaret
• Rigby-Wills, Hope
• Davis, Tabitha

• Educational leadership

Language dc:language.iso

English

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10657/19588

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/19588