Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 10

40 | JADE ARTICLE #2 | 41 RONA WALKER & AAREK FARMER Conclusion The best career and technical education program is one that gives all students tools to shape the future. Consistence with other findings, this research found several benefits to high-quality CTE programs such as enabling students to earn dual enrollment credits, industry- endorsed certificates, and technical endorsements while earning high school diplomas (Plank, DeLuca, & Estacion, 2005). Additionally, Dougherty (2016) argues that CTE concentrators are 21% more likely to graduate than non-concentrators. Finally, more students have gone on to post-secondary education and attend postsecondary training and professional development associated with their careers (Fraser, 2013). By the time students enter high school, many are already discouraged by academics and choose employment to make money. Over time, this eventually leads to dropouts. To directly address the college- and career-readiness needs of all students, including disadvantaged or at-risk students, decrease the dropout rate, increase student engagement and address the nationwide skills gap, schools should consider expanding opportunities for students to gain knowledge directly related to their career interests and strengths. CTE can be a significant component of high school education and is connected to measurable success for students of all backgrounds. References Balingit. M. (2017). U.S. high school graduation rates rise to new high. [online] The Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ education/wp/2017/12/04/u-s-high-school-graduation-rates-rise-to-new- high/?utm_term=.8bc453609e79. Bradley, S. (2016). The role of career and technical education in college and career readiness. [online] Alliance for Excellent Education. Available at: https:// all4ed.org/the-role-of-career-and-technical-education-in-college-and-career- readiness/ [accessed 05/06/2017]. Kearney, M., and Levine, P. (2016). Income inequality, social mobility, and the decision to drop out of high school. [online] Brookings. Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/KearneyLevine_ IncomeInequalityUpwardMobility_ConferenceDraft-1.pdf [accessed 04/12/2018]. Layton, L. (2014). National high school graduation rates at historic high, but disparities still exist. [online] The Washington Post. Available at: https:// www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/high-school-graduation-rates-at- historic-high/2014/04/28/84eb0122-cee0-11e3-937f-. Lewis, T., and Cheng, S.-Y., (2006). Tracking, expectations, and the transformation of vocational education. American Journal of Education, 113, pp. 67-99. THE IMPACT OF A CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ON THE GRADUATION RATES AND COLLEGE ENROLLMENT OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS Loschert, K. (2016). High school poverty rate may predict a student’s likelihood of attending, and completing, college. [online] Alliance for Excellent Education. Available at: https://all4ed.org/high-school-poverty-rate-may-predict- a-students-likelihood-of-attending-and-completing-college/ [accessed 12/04/2016]. Lynch, M. (2016). High school dropout rate: Causes and cost. [online] The Edvocate. Available at: http://www.theedadvocate.org/ high-school-dropout-rate-causes-and-costs/. National Center for Education Statistics. (2017). Common core of data: America’s public schools. [online] National Center for Education Statistics. Available at: https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/tables/ACGR_RE_and_characteristics_2015-16.asp [accessed 12/21/2017]. National Center for Education Statistics. (n.d.). Career and technical education statistics. [online] National Center for Education Statistics. Available at: https:// nces.ed.gov/surveys/ctes/about.asp#a. Petrilli, M. J., and Shaw, D. Z. (2016). How career and technical education in high school improves student outcomes. [online] Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Available at: https://edexcellence.net/articles/how-career-and-technical- education-in-high-school-improves-student-outcomes. Plank, S., DeLuca, S., and Estacion, A. (2005). Dropping out of high school and the place of career and technical education: A survival analysis of surviving high school. St. Paul, MN: National Research Center for Career and Technical Education. Semuels, A. (2016). Good school, rich school; Bad School, poor School. [online]. The Atlantic. Available at https://www.theatlantic.com/business/ archive/2016/08/property-taxes-and-unequal-schools/497333/. Visher, M. G., and Stern, D. (2015). New pathways to careers and college: Examples, evidence and prospects. [online] MDRC. Available at: http://files. eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED558505.pdf [accessed 010/30/2016]. The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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