Dear Friends,

This week’s evidence is about Career and Technical Education (CTE). It is often overlooked, as policymakers tend to focus only on state test scores. But on the metric that really has a life-long impact, CTE is an enormously important factor to consider.  

 Last week, I keynoted the Wyoming CTE conference, and it was thrilling to see their impact. Students in CTE had higher graduation rates, greater job prospects, and lower levels of dependency on state and federal aid. Moreover, they met the demands of legislators (often reluctant in red states to fund public education) to provide students who can contribute to the economy. Here is the national information, courtesy of my friend and occasional critic, Mike Petrelli, of the Fordham Institute:

• Students with greater exposure to CTE are more likely to graduate from high school, enroll in a two-year college, be employed, and earn higher wages.

• CTE is not a path away from college: Students taking more CTE classes are just as likely to pursue a four-year degree as their peers.

• Students who focus on their CTE coursework are more likely to graduate high school by twenty-one percentage points compared to otherwise similar students (and they see a positive impact on other outcomes as well).

• CTE provides the greatest boost to the kids who need it most—boys and students from low-income families.

CTE teachers are often overlooked in our emphasis on academic achievement, but if we want more students in ELA and math, the first thing we need to consider is to keep them in school. In any states, students do not start CTE classes until they are in 11th grade. In Wyoming, they start in middle school. The variety is impressive – welding, construction, computer programming, marketing, business management – and many of them go on to the university and ownership of their own companies. It’s a reality check for those of us who used to think everyone needs to get a 4-year degree. These students graduate debt-free and are ready for a successful middle-class job. So, let’s be sure that we not exclude CTE teachers from our professional learning efforts.