Vocational education has historically been viewed as a mechanism for reinforcing social stratification by channeling underrepresented students into pathways with limited educational and economic benefits. However, vocational education has evolved significantly over time, most notably with the shift to career and technical education (CTE) in the…

Over the past two decades, the role of career and technical education has shifted from one preparing students directly for employment, to one that offers vocational training as well as college preparatory academics. To support this effort, the federal government enacted the "Tech Prep Act" Title II under the larger "1990 Carl D.…

This study examined the academic performance of Tech Prep students (referred to as participants) in comparison to non-Tech Prep students (referred to as non-participants) entering a two-year community college from sixteen different high schools in Stark County, Ohio. This study provided a quantitative analysis of students' academic experiences to…

This paper presents an argument supported by evidence that the positive effects of education reform legislation take time to accumulate, and, given time, have the power to bring about improvement. Specifically, the course-taking patterns in mathematics of CTE students in the years following the 1990 Perkins II Act and 1994 School-to- Work…

Since 1982, studies have shown statistical evidence that career and technical education (CTE) can play a role in reducing the number of high school dropouts, especially among students who are at high risk of dropping out. Case studies at several High Schools That Work sites showed improvements in retention and graduation at the same time that…