CTE Research and Resources

Career and Technical Education programs are doing great things to bring the classroom into the 21st century and improve student outcomes. Today, more than 7.5 million high school students in the U.S. take at least one CTE course. Of those concentrating in CTE, 95 percent will graduate high school and 78 percent will go on to college full time after graduation.

New Hampshire has 28 CTE centers and engages more than 9,300 students in CTE programs designed to prepare young people for careers in some of the state’s fastest growing employment sectors. Region 16 is home to three CTE centers, in Hudson, Nashua and Milford, that engage more than 2,000 high school students from 19 area school districts.

To learn more about the impact of Career and Technical Education on student engagement and achievement, check out some of the research and resource links provided below.

CTE Research:

Learn what studies reveal about the impact of CTE on student outcomes (e.g., graduation rates, employment rates, and completion rates):

• The Regional Educational Laboratory Program compiled a list of research reports that explore this issue from several angles.
• The Career and Technical Education Research Network provides a list of research and informational sites that discuss the impact of CTE on secondary student outcomes.
• 5 Benefits of Career and Technical Education Programs for Schools and Districts
  • Comprehensive CTE programs are designed to equip students for either continued postsecondary learning or direct entry into high-demand careers. These programs are flexible, forward-thinking, student-centered, and well worth the investment to expand student options.
• U.S. Department of Education Releases Interactive Data Story on Career and Technical Education in High School
  • This 2019 U.S. Department of Education study illustrates outcomes for students who participate in Career and Technical Education programs. The data shows that CTE participation is positively correlated with both future employment and future earnings.
•  Study: Career and Technical Education Yields Not Just Higher Earnings but Higher Test Scores
  • New research focusing on Connecticut’s Career and Technical Education schools finds that enrollment in CTE improves test scores, high school graduation rates and early-career earnings for male students.

CTE Information Resources:

Association for Career and Technical Education

• ACTE is the largest national education association dedicated to the advancement of education that prepares students for career engagement and success. This site connects you to the latest CTE stats and information, and is an excellent place to learn more about how Career and Technical Education impacts student achievement and ignites their ambitions.

AdvanceCTE

• Advance CTE is the longest-standing national non-profit that represents state directors and state leaders responsible for secondary, postsecondary and adult Career and Technical Education (CTE) across all 50 states and U.S. territories. This is a great site to learn about the nuts and bolts of how CTE works to connect students to career pathways, and to realize the scope of Career and Technical Education in America today.