Research & Information
Looking for more information on Career Technical Education? This page contains CTE-related national reports, state reports, and data tables from outside sources. If you would like to submit a recently-published report to be posted on this page, or if you have any questions or comments, please contact our research staff at resources@careertech.org.
CTE Reports
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The Progress of Education Reform: Career/Technical Education: Not Your Father’s Vocational Education
(February 2013) Education Commission of the States
This issue brief describes factors that have increased state policymakers’ interest in CTE, and presents diverse incentives used by states to promote CTE.
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(February 2013) National Center for Education Statistics
This report provides a look at national data from the Fast Response Survey System on dual credit courses, eligibility requirements for enrolling in dual credit courses, the types of instructors in dual credit courses, and expenses paid by students and their parents.
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(October 2012) Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce
This report finds that there are 29 million jobs that pay middle-class wages and don’t require a four-year degree. The authors also suggest five CTE options that lead to these jobs: employer-based training, industry-based certifications, apprenticeships, postsecondary certificates, and associate degrees.
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(August 2012) Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
CAEL created this guide to help state leaders develop state policies in support of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). The guide includes areas of consideration for state leaders, current strategies used by states to promote PLA, case studies from four states, and a sample state policy.
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(July 2012) National Research Center for Career and Technical Education
This impact report highlights the work of the NRCCTE over the past five years including summaries of studies on CTE and information on technical assistance and professional development provided by the Center.
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(June 2012) Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce
With certificate attainment at an all time high, this report from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce examines who earns certificates, where they are earning them, and the earnings return of certificates.
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(May 2012) Achieve with NASDCTEc and ACTE
Implementation of the Common Core State Standards presents an opportunity for education leaders to "bridge the divide" across disciplines, such as academic and CTE areas, and provide a more rigorous and relevant learning experience for students.
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(January 2012) U.S. Department of Education
This set of Web Tables presents descriptive statistics on the spring 2009 labor market experiences of subbaccalaureate students who first entered postsecondary education in 2003-2004.
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(January 2012) U.S. Department of Education
This summary reports provides comments and suggestions from attendees of the regional Community College Summits in 2011.
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(December 2011) National Association of Workforce Boards, Association for Career and Technical Education, and McGraw-Hill Education
The report underscores the value of CTE in today’s market and the need to create quality programs by connecting educational institutions with businesses and industry. A well-fused program would poise students of all ages to qualify and compete for high-demand jobs, the report suggests.
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(November 2011) Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce / National Research Center for Career and Technical Education / National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium
NASDCTEc Executive Director Kimberly Green co-authored this report with colleagues from Georgetown's CEW and the NRCCTE. The report, based on a previous report by CEW ("Help Wanted: Projecting Jobs and Education Requirements through 2018"), analyzes how labor market needs relate to the sixteen Career Clusters and discusses implications for Career Technical Education (CTE).
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(November 2011) Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce / National Research Center for Career and Technical Education / National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium
This report provides state by state analysis of labor market needs related to the sixteen Career Clusters and discusses implications for Career Technical Education (CTE).
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Slides and Video from the Release of Career Clusters ®: Forecasting Demand for High School through College Jobs 2008-2018
(November 2011) American Youth Policy Forum
View video of the release event on November 14, 2011.
Speaker Powerpoint Slides:
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(October 2011) Manufacturing Institute / Deloitte
This report describes the talent needed in the manufacturing industry to maintain and accelerate performance in the global marketplace. The skills gap, however, continues to be a problem. This study describes the impact of the skills gap on company performance, the evolution of the skills gap problem, and upcoming trends.
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(September 2011) Pradeep Kotamraju, Techniques Magazine
In this article from Techniques magazine, Dr. Pradeep Kotamraju discusses the terminology behind return on investment, how to conduct an analysis, and the three techniques for calculating return on investment.
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(July 2011) McKinsey
McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), the business and economics research arm of McKinsey & Company, studied the period of slow job growth before the economic recession and its impact on future job creation. The report shows projections for high-demand industries in the next decade, and creates three scenarios for job growth based on analysis of sector trends.
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(February 2011) Harvard Graduate School of Education
Pathways to Prosperity analyzes the reasons that America has failed to prepare so many of its youth, and suggests a national strategy that focuses on approaches beyond our current academic, classroom-based education system. The report suggests supporting high-quality, comprehensive pathways, such as those used in Career Technical Education (CTE), that will lead students to a certificate or a postsecondary credential (including Associate’s degrees).
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(January 2011) Kevin M. Hollenbeck, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the estimation approach to return on investment and to present estimates for secondary and postsecondary Career Technical Education from a recent study.
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(June 2010) Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce
This report, led by renowned education expert Anthony Carnevale, addresses the mismatch between skills that students are attaining and the skills needed for careers. The report states that education and training, whether through postsecondary education, on-the-job training, apprenticeships, or other alternatives, is crucial for workers in today’s economy.
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(July 2009) Executive Office of the President of the United States - Council of Economic Advisers
The President’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) projects changes in the labor market over the next decade and discusses how workers will need to be prepared for this shift. The report highlights skills necessary for high-demand occupations, the pros and cons of our current postsecondary education and training systems, and what a stronger education and training system would look like.
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(June 2008) MDRC
Career Academies, schools designed to provide academic and technical training around a career theme, are a widely-used approach for high school reform. This study evaluates Career Academies, describing how the schools influenced students’ labor market prospects and postsecondary education attainment.
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(April 2007) National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, University of Minnesota
This study was designed to test a model for enhancing mathematics instruction in high school CTE courses. After one year with specially-trained CTE teachers, students performed much better on two of three tests on math ability.
State-Specific CTE Reports
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(October 2012) Jobs for the Future
This study follows 30,000 Texas high school graduates from the class of 2004. Over six years, JFF followed the students' academic progress. Among other compelling findings, the study finds substantially higher college-going, college persistence, and college graduation rates for dual enrollment participants.
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(October 2011) Career Academy Support Network at University of California, Berkeley / California Department of Education
California Partnership Academies (CPAs) are excelling, as shown through high graduation rates and completion of "a-g" courses required for admission to the University of California and the California State University system. New findings from this report confirm that CPAs are showing promising results across the state.
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(May 2010) Vermont Department of Education
This Executive Summary shows Vermont's strategies for CTE programs to better support and meet the needs of emerging sustainable food systems and natural resources.
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(October 2008) Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research
This report highlights Massachusetts’ successful “vocational-technical education” system. By integrating academic and technical knowledge with extracurricular activity and educators’ high expectations, Massachusetts’ programs experience lower dropout rates and higher academic and technical student success rates.
Tables
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(September 2012) Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development
Education at a Glance addresses the needs of a range of users, from governments seeking to learn policy lessons to academics requiring data for further analysis to the general public wanting to monitor how its nation's schools are progressing in producing world-class students. The publication examines the quality of learning outcomes, the policy levers and contextual factors that shape these outcomes, and the broader private and social returns that accrue to investments in education.
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(June 2012) U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
This guide provides many links to state and local employment and economic data from government and private sector sources.
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(May 2012) National Center for Education Statistics
This year's report examines trends in education with a specific focus on high schools in the United States over the last 20 years.
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(September 2011) Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development
Education at a Glance addresses the needs of a range of users, from governments seeking to learn policy lessons to academics requiring data for further analysis to the general public wanting to monitor how its nation's schools are progressing in producing world-class students. The publication examines the quality of learning outcomes, the policy levers and contextual factors that shape these outcomes, and the broader private and social returns that accrue to investments in education.
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(May 2011) U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics
This year's report features 50 indicators of important developments and trends in U.S. education.
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(April 2011) U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics
The primary purpose of this compilation is to provide statistical information covering the broad field of American education from pre-kindergarten through graduate school. The Digest includes data from both public and private sources and draws mostly from surveys and activities carried out by the National Center for Education Statistics.
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(January 2011) U.S. Department of Education
This set of Issue Tables from the U.S. Department of Education provides information on the transition of CTE participants into postsecondary education and the labor market during the first 2 years after their high school graduation.
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(2010) Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)
The OECD is a unique forum where governments work together to address the economic, social and environmental challenges of globalization. Governments are paying increasing attention to international comparisons as they search for effective policies that enhance individuals’ social and economic prospects, provide incentives for greater efficiency in schooling, and help to mobilize resources to meet rising demands. As part of its response, the OECD Directorate for Education devotes a major effort to the development and analysis of the quantitative, internationally comparable indicators that it publishes annually in Education at a Glance.
