Evaluation of Postsecondary Readiness Performance Outcomes in Career and Technical Education High Schools in New York City
Abstract
An estimated two-thirds of job openings require postsecondary education. Unfortunately, the national three-year graduation rate for associate degrees at public institutions is 25%; the six-year graduation rate for bachelor’s degrees is 60%. With roughly 450 high schools serving 320,000 students, NYC public high schools play a pivotal role in student preparation, especially students from low-income households. This mixed method Improvement Science study conducted in two New York City (NYC) Career and Technical (CTE) high schools explored the potential relationship between Program of Study (POS) implementation and high performance in student outcomes across key metrics including four-year graduation rate, six- and 18-month enrollment rate, and college readiness rate. The study identified three themes of effective NYC CTE high schools related to these key factors: instructional focus and coherence (i.e., systems alignment), college and career support (i.e., engagement), and professional development through mentoring (i.e., high-quality teachers). Furthermore, better alignment between the POS and NYS CTE framework components yielded better performance metrics. The POS increased coherence by encouraging a culture of improvement to produce stronger student outcomes. A culture of intensive support for students reinforced the emphasis on college and career readiness through core academic skills, employability skills, and technical skills.
Subject Area
Educational evaluation|Education
Recommended Citation
Yu, Seung Chang, "Evaluation of Postsecondary Readiness Performance Outcomes in Career and Technical Education High Schools in New York City" (2022). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI29258585.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI29258585
