The Role of Partner Organizations in a Career and Technical Education School
Abstract
School leaders are faced with several challenges in administering programs that incorporate college and career readiness into the academic curriculum. Bridwell-Mitchell (2017) noted challenges faced by urban districts when career and technical education (CTE) programs are implemented, including the ability to staff high-level CTE course offerings, the lack of access to industry partners who can provide support in aligning curriculum to industry needs, and the scarcity of partners willing to provide mentorship to students. This can result in incomplete CTE programs that are not supported by partners and industry, which can negatively affect students by limiting their exposure to and ability to gain career and technical skills. The original intent of vocational schools was to give students who were not perceived to be strong academically an outlet to prepare to enter the workforce. Today the goal of CTE programs is to provide multiple pathways for students to reach their full potential. For students who do not plan on attending college, CTE offers hands-on training that prepares them for careers upon graduation. For college-bound students, CTE develops skills that they need as they begin their post-secondary education journey. This study investigated (a) how members of partner organizations describe the factors that contribute to partnerships in a CTE high school, (b) how partner organizations provide opportunities for schools to merge academic and career/technical skills, and (c) how the opportunities presented by partner organizations prepare students to be successful in their secondary settings. The researcher used the case-study approach, defined as “studying of a case (or cases) within a real-life, contemporary context or setting. This case may be a concrete entity, such as an individual, a small group, an organization, or a partnership” (Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 96). Studies of successful CTE school–industry partnerships, such as the ones in this study, can provide educators with important information to implement similar programs.
Subject Area
Educational leadership|Educational administration|Organizational behavior|Vocational education
Recommended Citation
D'Amato, Giovanni, "The Role of Partner Organizations in a Career and Technical Education School" (2021). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI28647507.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI28647507
