Indiana and Minnesota Students Who Focused on Career and Technical Education in High School: Who Are They, and What Are Their College and Employment Outcomes? REL 2021-090
Lindsay, Jim; Austin, Megan; Wan, Yinmei; Pan, Jingtong; Pardo, Max; Yang, Ji Hyun (2021). Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED613044
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examining306,868Students, grades9-PS
Single Study Review
Review Details
Reviewed: December 2021
- Single Study Review (findings for High school career and technical education course sequence)
- Quasi-Experimental Design
- Meets WWC standards with reservations because it uses a quasi-experimental design in which the analytic intervention and comparison groups satisfy the baseline equivalence requirement.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Attained an associate’s degree |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
3 Years |
Indiana Three-year sample (2013/14–2015/16 cohorts);
|
5.30 |
3.30 |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
Attained an associate’s degree |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
3 Years |
Minnesota Three-year sample (2012/13–2015/16 cohorts) ;
|
8.20 |
7.20 |
Yes |
|
|
|
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Attained a certificate |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Minnesota One-year sample (2012/13–2017/18 Cohorts);
|
3.70 |
2.00 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Attained a certificate |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Indiana One-year sample (2013/14–2017/18 cohorts);
|
0.04 |
0.04 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Attained a bachelor’s degree |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
4 Years |
Indiana Four-year sample (2013/14–2014/15 cohorts) ;
|
11.20 |
16.20 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Attained a bachelor’s degree |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
4 Years |
Minnesota Four-year sample (2012/13–2014/15 cohorts) ;
|
15.90 |
28.10 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Enrollment in a two-year college within one year |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Minnesota One-year sample (2012/13–2017/18 Cohorts);
|
23.20 |
16.40 |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
Enrollment in a two-year college within one year |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Indiana One-year sample (2013/14–2017/18 cohorts);
|
16.10 |
12.00 |
Yes |
|
|
|
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Enrollment in any type of college within one year |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Indiana One-year sample (2013/14–2017/18 cohorts);
|
51.80 |
56.10 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Enrollment in a four-year college within one year |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Indiana One-year sample (2013/14–2017/18 cohorts);
|
36.00 |
44.20 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Enrollment in any type of college within one year |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Minnesota One-year sample (2012/13–2017/18 Cohorts);
|
73.10 |
80.30 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Enrollment in a four-year college within one year |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Minnesota One-year sample (2012/13–2017/18 Cohorts);
|
44.80 |
61.40 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Annual earnings during year 2 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
2 Years |
Minnesota Two-year sample (2012/13–2016/17 cohorts);
|
8136.69 |
6319.63 |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
Annual earnings during year 2 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
2 Years |
Indiana Two-year sample (2013/14–2016/17 cohorts);
|
6212.01 |
4485.78 |
Yes |
-- |
|
|
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Annual earnings during year 4 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
4 Years |
Indiana Four-year sample (2013/14–2014/15 cohorts) ;
|
10776.39 |
7708.17 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Annual earnings during year 3 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
3 Years |
Minnesota Three-year sample (2012/13–2015/16 cohorts) ;
|
9847.55 |
7438.02 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Annual earnings during year 1 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Indiana One-year sample (2013/14–2017/18 cohorts);
|
3954.59 |
2812.94 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Annual earnings during year 3 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
3 Years |
Indiana Three-year sample (2013/14–2015/16 cohorts);
|
8474.30 |
6229.94 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Annual earnings during year 4 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
4 Years |
Minnesota Four-year sample (2012/13–2014/15 cohorts) ;
|
11204.86 |
8880.88 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Annual earnings during year 5 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
5 Years |
Indiana Five-year sample (2013/14 cohort);
|
13693.46 |
11062.80 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Annual earnings during year 5 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
5 Years |
Minnesota Five-year sample (2012/13–2013/14 cohorts);
|
14261.10 |
12724.68 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Annual earnings during year 1 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Minnesota One-year sample (2012/13–2017/18 Cohorts);
|
5651.31 |
4299.56 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Employment during year 2 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
2 Years |
Indiana Two-year sample (2013/14–2016/17 cohorts);
|
41.90 |
38.20 |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
Employment during year 2 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
2 Years |
Minnesota Two-year sample (2012/13–2016/17 cohorts);
|
84.00 |
81.90 |
Yes |
|
|
|
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Employment during year 4 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
4 Years |
Indiana Four-year sample (2013/14–2014/15 cohorts) ;
|
49.70 |
44.80 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Employment during year 3 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
3 Years |
Minnesota Three-year sample (2012/13–2015/16 cohorts) ;
|
80.70 |
76.90 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Employment during year 4 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
4 Years |
Minnesota Four-year sample (2012/13–2014/15 cohorts) ;
|
78.10 |
74.30 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Employment during year 5 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
5 Years |
Minnesota Five-year sample (2012/13–2013/14 cohorts);
|
77.20 |
73.10 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Employment during year 1 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Indiana One-year sample (2013/14–2017/18 cohorts);
|
36.70 |
32.60 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Employment during year 3 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
3 Years |
Indiana Three-year sample (2013/14–2015/16 cohorts);
|
46.40 |
42.30 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Employment during year 5 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
5 Years |
Indiana Five-year sample (2013/14 cohort);
|
50.90 |
47.70 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Employment during year 1 after high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Minnesota One-year sample (2012/13–2017/18 Cohorts);
|
84.10 |
82.30 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Credits earned within one year of high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Indiana One-year sample (2013/14–2017/18 cohorts);
|
9.84 |
10.89 |
Yes |
-- | ||
|
Credits earned within one year of high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Minnesota One-year sample (2012/13–2017/18 Cohorts);
|
9.50 |
10.89 |
Yes |
-- | ||
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Credits earned within three years of high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
3 Years |
Indiana Three-year sample (2013/14–2015/16 cohorts);
|
33.12 |
34.29 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Credits earned within three years of high school graduation |
High school career and technical education course sequence vs. Business as usual |
3 Years |
Minnesota Three-year sample (2012/13–2015/16 cohorts) ;
|
28.53 |
32.84 |
Yes |
-- | ||
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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4% English language learners -
Female: 47%
Male: 53% -
Rural, Suburban, Urban
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Indiana, Minnesota
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Race Other or unknown 18% White 82%
Study Details
Setting
The study was conducted in two states, Indiana and Minnesota, with students from the 2013-14 to 2017-18 cohorts of high school graduates in Indiana (135,090 graduates) and the 2012-13 to 2017-18 cohorts of high school graduates in Minnesota (171,778 graduates).
Study sample
The study sample is 82% white, 47% female, 27% eligible for the national school lunch program, 7% receiving special education services, and 4% English learners.
Intervention Group
In both state studies, the intervention condition included high school students who were concentrators, meaning they completed numerous courses in one career and technical education topic area. In Indiana, concentrators completed a minimum of 6 credit hours in these courses. In Minnesota, concentrators were defined as having completed a minimum of 150 hours of instruction.
Comparison Group
The comparison condition within each state included students who completed no career and technical education courses (non-participants) and students took no more than two such courses (samplers).
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
An outcome is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are attained as a result of an activity. An outcome measures is an instrument, device, or method that provides data on the outcome.
A finding that is included in the effectiveness rating. Excluded findings may include subgroups and subscales.
The sample on which the analysis was conducted.
The group to which the intervention group is compared, which may include a different intervention, business as usual, or no services.
The timing of the post-intervention outcome measure.
The number of students included in the analysis.
The mean score of students in the intervention group.
The mean score of students in the comparison group.
The WWC considers a finding to be statistically significant if the likelihood that the finding is due to chance alone, rather than a real difference, is less than five percent.
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A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
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non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).