New Directions for CTE Research: Opportunities and Priorities

Abstract

Evidence that high school career and technical education (CTE) can smooth the transition to college and the workforce has grown in the early 21st century. This growth in evidence has occurred alongside a resurgence of interest and recognition in the reality that less than half of new high school graduates ever complete a postsecondary degree or certificate, and that not all employment requires a bachelor's degree. This paper contextualizes the evidence on impacts of CTE in high school, related literature for CTE in community college, and consider the areas of critical future needs for research. It does this by placing the early 21st century growth in CTE evidence in context with changes in federal and state policies, highlighting where innovation and change has outpaced the research evidence and created new opportunities to learn.