ERIC Number: EJ1175151
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 30
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1557-3060
EISSN: EISSN-1557-3079
The Effect of Career and Technical Education on Human Capital Accumulation: Causal Evidence from Massachusetts
Shaun M. Dougherty
Education Finance and Policy, v13 n2 p119-148 Spr 2018
Earlier work demonstrates that career and technical education (CTE) can provide long-term financial benefits to participants, yet few have explored potential academic impacts, with none in the era of high-stakes accountability. This paper investigates the causal impact of participating in a specialized high school-based CTE delivery system on high school persistence, completion, earning professional certifications, and standardized test scores, with a focus on individuals from low-income families, a group that is overrepresented in CTE and high school noncompleters. Using administrative data from Massachusetts, I combine ordinary least squares with a regression discontinuity design that capitalizes on admissions data at three schools that are oversubscribed. All estimates suggest that participation in a high-quality CTE program boosts the probability of on-time graduation from high school by 7 to 10 percentage points for higher income students, and suggestively larger effects for their lower-income peers and students on the margin of being admitted to oversubscribed schools. This work informs an understanding of the potential impact of specific CTE program participation on the accumulation of human capital even in a high-stakes policy environment. This evidence of a productive CTE model in Massachusetts may inform the current policy dialog related to improving career pathways and readiness.
Descriptors: Vocational Education, Human Capital, Evidence, Outcomes of Education, Vocational High Schools, High School Students, Academic Persistence, Delivery Systems, Student Certification, Standardized Tests, Scores, Low Income Students, Least Squares Statistics, Regression (Statistics), Educational Quality, Probability, Academic Achievement, Graduation, High Stakes Tests, Accountability, Educational Policy, Career Development, Career Readiness, Program Effectiveness, Statistical Analysis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Massachusetts
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
What Works Clearinghouse Reviewed: Does Not Meet Evidence Standards
WWC Study Page: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/WWC/Study/92530