The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate the perspectives virtual high school graduates have about their self-regulation and college and career readiness by using an online survey and semi-structured interview. Of the 28 eligible participants who attended one virtual high school in the Midwest for at least two years and graduated…

This qualitative study investigated the perspectives of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and non-CTE high school graduates regarding CTE programs. Utilizing an anonymous online survey, data from 51 respondents were analyzed to explore viewpoints on valuable CTE programs, their influence on career trajectories and education, acquired skills,…

A committee comprised of the former state superintendent and educational leaders launched a unique high school program (pseudonym Connections) to support the delivery of a high school curriculum that would prepare students for college and careers. Students in Connections complete their 4 years of high school, supported by an Advocate who guides…

This statewide, multiyear study was an examination of industry-based certification attainment rates by the economic status of Texas public high school graduates. Data analyzed were provided by the Texas Education Agency via the Texas Academic Performance Reports for the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 school years. Inferential statistical…

Community colleges face enrollment declines, student performance, and accountability metrics, the need to support nontraditional students' career paths, and constraints imposed by limited resources. Community college leadership would benefit from empirical data on students with nontraditional GED credentials and the effects of remedial education…

How do some high schools produce graduates that consistently achieve at high levels? Would you believe there's a set of proven strategies that could help you deliver similar impressive results and better prepare students for the world after high school? High schools in the United States face a startling reality: many graduates are unprepared for…

In 2010 the American Management Association Critical Skills Survey found that three out of four (75.7 percent) executives believed 21st Century Skills would become more important to organizations as the economy grew toward a global marketplace. The problem to be addressed was how high school teachers in the Midwest were integrating 21st Century…

Professional school counselors are charged with preparing students to be college and career ready and students may depend on their school counselor to provide them with a comprehensive plan for post-secondary options. Unfortunately, even with adequate access to academic knowledge and skills, not all students may be career and college ready due to…

The National Center for Rural Education Research Networks (NCRERN) seeks to increase opportunity for rural students through the power of actionable data and evidence. NCRERN partners with networks of rural school districts to generate and evaluate strategies for improving student outcomes. For more background on NCRERN's work, see the Introduction…

The transition from high school into postsecondary education and a career has become particularly challenging given today's complex, fast-moving, and highly technological economy. To combat this problem, one approach widely adopted in the United States is the career academy model, which combines a college-preparatory and career and technical…

Policy makers have taken more interest in career and technical education (CTE) in recent years, but evidence regarding what kinds of programs produce the most important outcomes is still emerging. Shaun M. Dougherty summarizes what recent research tells us about the impact of these programs. Evidence has shown that CTE-dedicated schools, career…

This study aimed to investigate the relationships, if any, between Ready to Graduate indicator, average ACT scores, chronic absenteeism rates, and school counselor to student ratios in Tennessee's four urban counties surrounding Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville, Tennessee. Only eight of Tennessee's 95 counties have a population that…

A high school diploma should mean that all students are ready for college "and" a career, but in Rhode Island, it did not. According to a 2019 audit, just four in a hundred Rhode Island seniors were prepared for both college and a career, and more than half graduated without concrete career skills. When the author became commissioner of…

Recent updates to federal policy governing career and technical education (CTE) in the United States have emphasised the need to include work-based learning (WBL) experiences as central components of CTE programming. Many of these experiences showcase an informal learning component which has strong ties to early career success as suggested by the…

Although students have more opportunities than ever before to participate in advanced academic programs while in high school, it is unclear whether this has affected their ability to succeed in college. To determine what impact the students' experiences in Advanced Placement (AP) and dual credit coursework had on their level of college and career…