Marisa Castellano, University of Louisville

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Reinvigorating Career and Technical Education in
Urban Settings

• Marisa Castellano, University of Louisville
• James R. Stone III, National Research Center for
  Career and Technical Education
• Samuel Stringfield, University of Louisville

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Why College for All

• Education Matters in the Labor Market

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(No Transcript)
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National Graduation Rates1998 and 2001
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The Problem Math PerformanceOf American Youth
NAEP Scores for 17 Year olds
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"The number of 17-year-old students taking
advanced math classes has also increased -- with
17 percent studying calculus and 53 percent
studying second-year algebra --  it is unclear
why that trend has not resulted in higher average
math scores over all. "

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http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ltt/results20
04/
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Carnegie Grows!
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College for all For every 100 9th graders
31 Leave with 0 Credits
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68 Graduate HS in 4 Years
100 Start 9th Grade
40 Start College
18 GraduateCollege in 4 Years
27 Start Sophomore Year
Source Education Weekly March 2005
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The Study

• Background and Context

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Purpose of the Larger Study

• Identify CTE-infused reform practices that help
  at-risk students
• get engaged in school
• achieve academically
• graduate prepared to succeed at postsecondary or
  work

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CTE-Based High School Organizational Structures

• Integrated vocational/academic curriculum
• Strong business partnerships
• Career academies
• school within school
• Career pathways
• replaces tracks with occupational clusters
• High Schools That Work
• rigorous academics to CTE concentrators

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Conceptual Model
Student Demographics
Student Intentions
Student Outcomes
School Structure
Student Behaviors
Academies Pathways HSTW
School and District Characteristics
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Academy High School

• Structure
• K-12 in one complex (Urban Learning Center
  design)
• wall to wall high school career academies
• articulated communities across grades
• Focus - College as goal for all students
• Career Academies
• Finance
• Technology
• Health Careers

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Pathways High School

• Structure - Career Pathways
• re-organizes high school around clusters of
  occupations that require similar skills and
  knowledge but differing lengths of education and
  training
• i.e., engineer and machinist
• replaces traditional tracking based on prior
  student academic achievement
• Focus - Getting students to think about and act
  responsibly on their options for the future

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Vocational High School

• Structure - High Schools That Work
• rigorous academic standards for CTE concentrators
• high expectations plus support
• curriculum integration
• teacher common planning time
• Focus - Getting students on grade level
• CTE programs
• over 12 mostly traditional voc programs

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School SampleStudy Schools Comparison
Schools

• Control-A in-district comprehensive HS
• Control-A1 subset that attended Academy MS
• Control-C nearby comprehensive HS
• Control-B in-district comprehensive HS

• Academy HS
• Pathways HS
• Vocational HS

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In School Sample

• 3 cohorts in 2000 7th, 9th, 11th grades
• 4 years systems-level data
• demographics
• course transcripts
• state achievement tests
• 1 year systems-level community college data
• demographics
• course transcripts
• 2002 and 2004 senior surveys

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Qualitative Data Collection

• Interviews
• Students, teachers, administrators
• Classroom observations
• Documents
• SIPs, syllabi, etc.
• Student transition data
• State- or industry-recognized credentials
• Tech Prep/dual enrollment credits

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What We Found

• Large Study with much data
• Highlight a few key findings from all sites but
  emphasize AHS today
• Full report will be available later this fall
• Focus on math and science course taking staying
  in school graduation and going to college

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Course Taking Comparison
Average difference in number of credits earned
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Course Taking Comparison
Average difference in number of credits earned
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Staying in School

• Independent of school CTE Effect
• AHS Strong CTE effect on reducing dropouts
• PHS Strong CTE effect on reducing dropouts
• VHS Strong CTE effect on reducing dropouts

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Graduating From School

• School Effect
• AHS students more likely to graduate than non-AHS
  MS control students
• PHS students less likely to graduate than
  students at control school
• VHS students graduate at the same rate as control
  school

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Moving on to College AHS
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College Success
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Tentative ConclusionsGraduation

• CTE course taking provides protection against
  dropping out of high school
• Academy school structure in this study provides
  protection against dropping out of high school
• Pathways and Vocational HS do not

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Tentative ConclusionsMath Science Course Taking

• Academy school in this study increases math and
  science course taking
• Pathway school has no effect Vocational school
  has a negative effect

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What We Learned

• Successful Implementation of CTE-Based High
  School Reforms Implications for Policy and
  Practice

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The Stakes

• Today, just over 68 of U.S. 9th graders actually
  graduate from H.S. in 4-5 years
• In many Schools serving high poverty and
  high-minority communities, the rate is under 50.
  
• Dropouts are less likely to actively participate
  in our democracy, and are increasingly likely to
  not make a living wage.

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(No Transcript)
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The Chaos of the Urban HS
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What We Learned

• Middle school can matter a lot.
• Students are vulnerable during transitions, and
  systems usually handle student transitions
  poorly.
• Selective and choice high schools select
  twice. They select in their students, and de
  facto select out the students for the other high
  schools.

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What We Learned

• The principal matters a lot. All of our
  experimental H.S.s experienced principal
  transitions during the study. All new principals
  worked to modify, or eliminate, the reforms.
  Route to succession matters.
• A program coordinator, focused on the CTE-related
  themes, can matter, too.

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What We Learned

• 6. Students options before, during, and after
  H.S. are complex, more so for At Risk students.
• Most students, especially non-college-prep., are
  strikingly under-advised. Academies, Career
  Pathways, and technical concentration options
  often provide some focus/concreteness to options.
  

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What We Learned

• 7. Putting abstract topics (ex. geometry,
  chemistry) into concrete contexts (ex.,
  carpentry, cosmetology) seemed to help many
  students.
• 8. The blending of CTE and academic courses
  seemed to consistently work.

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Questions?