ERIC Number: ED596458
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Jul
Pages: 8
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Practitioner Perspectives on Equity in Career and Technical Education
Rosen, Rachel; Molina, Frieda
MDRC
Currently, one of the foremost questions many in the career and technical education (CTE) field are asking is: How can the design and delivery of CTE programs promote equity? CTE is currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity with policymakers and practitioners, and its proponents want to avoid repeating the history of vocational education, which was too often used to "track" low-income and minority students away from college and into low-paying jobs that did not offer clear opportunities for career advancement. In contrast, many of today's CTE initiatives attempt to offer access to middle-skill jobs in high-wage, high-demand fields. The most promising programs provide clearly articulated pathways from high school through postsecondary education, stackable credentials that pave the way for career advancement, and work-based learning experiences. In the spring of 2019, MDRC invited practitioners from innovative CTE programs to discuss questions of equity. MDRC wanted to bring these people together so that they could share their knowledge about the barriers they must overcome to achieve their equity goals and their approaches to those barriers. While many of these programs serve different populations and have different aims, the conversation revealed that they share challenges. Topics of common concern included how to define "equity" and how to increase equity in both access and outcomes. This policy brief summarizes the most common equity challenges that were raised in the discussion, along with ideas that emerged for how to address them. While the bulk of the brief comes directly from this conversation, several examples also come from MDRC's other research activities. The brief begins with a short overview of how the group defined equity and the main causes of inequity. It continues with discussions of inequity in access and outcomes, covering the challenges identified in both areas and some proposed solutions. It concludes with a discussion of how research can help practitioners address equity, and how policymakers can support equitable delivery and outcomes. [This brief was prepared by MDRC Center for Effective Career and Technical Education.]
Descriptors: Vocational Education, Equal Education, Barriers, Access to Education, Student Diversity, Academic Advising, Career Exploration, Maps, Access to Information, Peer Influence, Social Bias, Parent Attitudes, Enrollment, Transitional Programs, Skill Development, Job Skills, Communication Skills, Teamwork, Cooperation, Problem Solving, Mentors, Employers
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Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Practitioners; Policymakers
Language: English
Sponsor: Carnegie Corporation of New York
Authoring Institution: MDRC
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A