This research study focused on the potential factors impacting students with disabilities (SWDs) course placement and graduation rates at Simmons High School (SHS), a large urban school in Massachusetts. Preliminary research found that approximately 50% of SWDs graduate each school year at SHS and are historically marginalized compared to their…

In the United States, high school career and technical education (CTE) is the primary source of vocational training at the secondary level, and is similar in goal if not form to vocational education and training (VET) worldwide. CTE has evolved in the past decade to place greater emphasis on programmes in Science, Technology, Engineering, and…

School closings in response to COVID-19 reduced the opportunity for students to engage in all learning including career and technical education (CTE). As a result of the COVID-19 disruption student opportunities for work-based learning and completion of hours required for professional certification was severely reduced. The absence of these…

The purpose of this case study was to describe the processes used by a high school vocational program to provide vocational training and preparation for postsecondary employment to students with disabilities. This research addresses the deficient circulation of qualitative research regarding vocational training practices used by functioning…

Providing appropriate reading interventions for older, adolescent students is a complex and multifaceted process. There are a multitude of factors that influence student reading outcomes and the researcher aimed to explore how awareness of morphological structures can facilitate reading growth in high school students who have reading disabilities…

High school Career and Technical Education (CTE) has received an increase in attention from both policymakers and researchers in recent years. This study fills a needed gap in the growing research base by examining heterogeneity "within" the wide range of programs falling under the broader CTE umbrella, and highlights the need for…

Since 2011, Bridgewater State University (BSU) has received funds through the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative (MAICEI) to support students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to attend college. This BSU-MAICEI partnership, named EXCEL (Extraordinary Expectations for Career, Education and Life), offers up…

Between 2015 and 2019, Holyoke Public Schools in Massachusetts cut its dropout rate nearly in half and increased its graduation rate by 10 percentage points, with notable gains among historically marginalized student groups. The district cites Opportunity Academy (OA), an alternative education program within the district's high school, as a key…

Charter school Alternative Education Campuses (AECs) leverage the nimbleness of the charter school model to create unique learning opportunities nationwide for students who experience challenges that make it difficult to excel academically. Some of the challenges include homelessness, pregnancy, parenting while in school, or interaction with the…

This report is an evaluation of the i3 development grant Think College Transition (TCT), an inclusive dual enrollment transition model to improve achievement and post-school outcomes for students with intellectual disabilities or autism (ID/A). The model offers an innovative approach to transition services for students with intellectual…

In many high-wage industries, a high school degree no longer prepares students to enter the workforce. By 2020, labor market analysts predict that 65 percent of all jobs will require postsecondary education or training. Though high schools across the Commonwealth seek to prepare students for both higher education and the workforce, too many…