Content Details
ED465093 - The Role of Career and Technical Education in the American High School: A Student Centered Analysis
- Category
- Executive Agency Publications
- Collection
- Education Reports from ERIC
- SuDoc Class Number
- ED 1.615:
- Date Issued
- April 1, 2002
- Author
- Gray, Kenneth
- Sponsoring Agency
- Office of Vocational and Adult Education (ED), Washington, DC
- Publication Type
- Information Analyses - - Speeches/Meeting Papers
- Subject
- Academic Achievement, Academic Education, Articulation (Education), College Bound Students, Comparative Analysis, Dropouts, Educational Administration, Educational Needs, Educational Objectives, Educational Policy, Educational Research, Educational Trends, Equal Education, Federal Programs, High School Students, High Schools, Integrated Curriculum, Learning Theories, Longitudinal Studies, National Surveys, Policy Formation, Position Papers, Program Evaluation, Role of Education, Special Needs Students, State Programs, Student Characteristics, Student Needs, Trend Analysis, Vocational Education
- Identifiers
- Career and Technical Education, Contextual Learning, Contextualized Instruction
- Abstract
- Historically, the role of career and technical education (CTE) has been a subject of debate. The various viewpoints regarding the best role for high school CTE can be condensed into the following options: (1) to provide an occupational sequence of courses that is integrated with rigorous academic course work as preparation for postsecondary prebaccalaureate technical education or full-time employment; (2) to provide an occupational sequence of courses designed solely to prepare students for the transition from high school to full-time employment; (3) to retain CTE not as a sequential occupational program of study but as unique courses or a strategy providing an applied context for teaching academics; and (4) to eliminate high school CTE altogether in favor of a common academic program for all students. These four viewpoints/options were analyzed by using a student-centered analysis that included a review of available longitudinal and high school transcript data and focused on how to best meet the needs of individual students. The following topics were considered: CTEIs historical context; CTE's external/internal policy context; and characteristics and needs of CTE students. It was recommended that policymakers continue to support the model of integrated CTE. (Contains 20 references.).