In New Jersey, secondary Career Technical Education (CTE) is delivered through comprehensive high schools, which serve the majority of CTE students in the state, as well as county-level vocational high schools that exist outside of the school district, often have rigorous admissions requirements and are schools of choice. This structure has allowed these institutions to innovate and design programs and policies that meet the needs of their students and their communities, as well as set a high bar for rigor and high expectations for enrolled students.
This brief from the American Enterprise Institute examines the structure of New Jersey’s system of county-based vocational schools and draws forth relevant lessons. Specifically, the brief explores the governance and funding of the county vocational high school system and makes recommendations related to operations, choice, higher education partnerships, mission and system infrastructure.
