CTES Update Newsletter

Vol. 10, No. 2 April 2008

Program Updates
In preparation for this summer’s Technical Review Panel (TRP) Meeting, the CTES team decided to devote this newsletter to updates on the various CTES activities.

Publications
There are currently six publications under preparation:

1. Science Achievement and CTE Course-taking in High School: The Class of 2005. This Statistics in Brief examines the science coursetaking and science achievement of high school students who (1) concentrated in 13 different CTE program areas and (2) did not concentrate in CTE. The brief compares the science achievement of concentrators and nonconcentrators, with and without controls for the number of science credits earned. It is about to enter NCES review.
2. Postsecondary CTE: Changes in the Number of Offering Institutions and Awarded Credentials from 1996–97 to 2005–06. This Issue Brief examines changes in the delivery of CTE among less-than-4-year Title IV postsecondary institutions. Specifically, it looks at changes in the number of institutions that offer CTE and in the number of subbaccalaureate CTE credentials (certificates and associate's degrees) that these institutions award. It is currently in NCES review.
3. A New Look at CTE High School Coursetaking. This Statistics in Brief examines student coursetaking patterns in CTE in new ways. It uses the newly revised Secondary School Taxonomy, which provides a classification of occupational areas that more closely link to the Career Clusters. It also uses a new definition of "concentrator", which requires that students earn 2 or more (rather than 3 or more) credits in one of 11 (rather than 18) occupational areas. Finally, it presents new indicators of coursetaking, focusing on the breadth and depth of participation in various sections of the CTE curriculum. This brief is currently being written.
4. State Graduation Requirements and CTE Coursetaking: 1990–2005. This Issue Brief, in the beginning stage of analysis, will examine the relationship between changes in CTE coursetaking and changes in state graduation requirements and exit exam requirements between 1990 and 2005.
5. Transition into Postsecondary Education and the Labor Market. This Statistics in Brief, also in the beginning analysis stage, will describe the various paths that CTE participants take after high school and their initial experiences in postsecondary education and work, using the ELS High School Transcript Study of 2004 and Second Follow-up (2006).
6. Career and Technical Education in the United States: 1990 to 2005. The fourth volume of this periodic report uses data from 11 NCES surveys to address key questions related to CTE such as What institutions provide CTE? What is offered? Who participates and what do they take? Who teaches CTE? and What is accomplished? The report is in the final NCES review stage, and should be ready for release in the next few months.

Tables on the Web
Be sure to check out the CTES web site over the next few months for new CTE Tables on the Web:

1. Secondary/High School Tables—New tables looking at student CTE participation within public high schools should be posted within the next few months.
2. Postsecondary Tables—New tables looking at postsecondary education outcomes, trends in student participation, and trends in institutions and awarded credentials are in production. They will be posted on the web after NCES review.
3. Adult Education Tables—Four new tables on adults’ participation in apprenticeship programs using the NHES:2005 are now posted. They show: extent of participation; trade or craft studied; providers of instruction; and length of programs, use of classroom instruction, and costs to participants.

2008 TRP Meeting August 14–15—Hold the Dates!

The 2008 CTES Technical Review Panel Meeting will be held on August 14 and 15 in Washington, DC. We will send out more information about the location and agenda as soon as it is available. Please hold these dates and plan to join us.

Questions or comments about this publication? Contact Lisa Hudson at 202.502.7358 or Karen Levesque at 510.849.4942.