The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Research Network is dedicated to enhancing the understanding and effectiveness of CTE programs, particularly how they guide students in making informed career decisions. Now entering its third year, this initiative, spearheaded by the American Institutes for Research (AIR), continues to build a robust evidence base for CTE’s impact on student outcomes through rigorous causal research methods. This network serves as a vital resource for identifying and developing effective sites or programs that facilitate career decisions for students.
Groundbreaking Research in CTE and Career Pathways
In June 2020, the CTE Research Network took a significant step forward by releasing a preliminary report identifying CTE sites primed for causal evaluation. This report is an invaluable tool for researchers aiming to study the impact of CTE on student success. It offers detailed insights into the history, theory of change, student demographics, and operational details of four carefully selected CTE sites across the nation. By providing this comprehensive background, the Network encourages researchers to leverage this data to design impactful evaluation studies focused on these programs and their effectiveness in guiding career decisions.
Further expanding its research portfolio, in July 2020, the Network welcomed a fifth research project focusing directly on technology’s role in career advising. A team from MDRC, under the leadership of Rachel Rosen, secured IES funding to investigate the “Impact of Technology-Based Career Advising Tools on High School Students’ CTE Choices and Academic Performance.” This project is particularly relevant to identifying effective sites or programs that facilitate career decisions. Partnering with Communities in Schools (CIS), the study employs a rigorous three-arm, school-level randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of Naviance and YouScience. These platforms are designed to support students in exploring career pathways and making informed educational choices. The study will assess the influence of these advising tools on students’ career interests, CTE course selection, overall academic engagement, and progress toward graduation, providing critical insights into how technology can enhance career decision-making processes for students.
Recognizing the complexities of evaluating CTE programs, a collaborative effort within the Network produced a technical working paper addressing the crucial issue of “counterfactuals in CTE evaluation.” Given that CTE programs are often elective, creating appropriate comparison groups for students can be challenging. This paper offers a range of robust methodologies for comparing CTE students with suitable counterparts. It includes illustrative case studies demonstrating the practical application of these methods, thereby strengthening the rigor of CTE research and providing better tools for evaluating programs designed to facilitate career decisions.
Training and Capacity Building for Effective Career Guidance
A core mission of the CTE Research Network is to expand the cadre of researchers equipped to study CTE with causal research methods. Understanding the unique challenges in isolating the specific effects of CTE on student outcomes, the Network is committed to providing advanced training opportunities. In August 2020, the Network hosted a week-long virtual summer training institute, gathering 18 researchers to delve into the design of causal studies for examining CTE’s impact. The institute provided hands-on training in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), regression discontinuity designs (RDDs), and comparative interrupted time series (CITS) within the CTE context. Participants gained practical experience by applying these methods to real-world data in small group sessions, guided by expert instructors. The overwhelmingly positive feedback underscores the value of this training. The lecture components of this institute will soon be accessible on the Network’s website training page, further extending the reach of this valuable resource and supporting the development of expertise in evaluating sites or programs that facilitate career decisions. Another intensive training institute is planned for the summer of 2021, with hopes for an in-person format.
Furthermore, the Network is actively developing online modules tailored for CTE practitioners and state agency staff. These modules aim to build capacity in accessing, conducting, interpreting, and utilizing CTE research. These resources are crucial for practitioners and administrators seeking to implement and improve sites or programs that facilitate career decisions. A preview of these modules was presented at the Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Best Practices and Innovations Conference in October 2020, with a more comprehensive session scheduled for ACTE’s Career Tech VISION conference in December. These practitioner-focused training modules will be freely available on the Network’s website in late Fall 2020, providing widespread access to resources that support evidence-based improvements in career guidance and CTE program design.
Leadership and Resource Dissemination for Informed Career Pathways
The CTE Research Network serves as a central hub for resources relevant to the CTE research field, regularly updating its resources page with pertinent publications. A recent addition is a report on findings from MDRC’s study of P-Tech high schools, offering insights into innovative models for bridging the school-to-work transition and informing the design of sites or programs that facilitate career decisions. The Network’s equity workgroup also contributed a widely read blog post this summer on “applying an equity lens to CTE research,” emphasizing the importance of equitable access and outcomes in CTE programs and career pathways. Beyond its own publications, the Network also curates external resources, such as a REL self-study tool on career readiness and evaluation reports from other researchers, creating a comprehensive collection of materials to support the field.
To stay informed about the CTE Research Network’s ongoing work and new resources related to sites or programs that facilitate career decisions, individuals can subscribe to the Network’s quarterly newsletter via their website’s home page and follow them on Twitter (@CTEResNetwork) and LinkedIn. For those interested in delving deeper into the CTE Research Network, Kathy Hughes, the Director, can be contacted directly. For inquiries regarding CTE research opportunities at IES, Corinne Alfeld is the designated contact.
