Examining High School Career and Technical Education Programs and the Postsecondary Outcomes of Career and Technical Education Students in the Round Rock Independent School District

This REL Southwest report examines the alignment of high school career and technical education (CTE) programs in Central Texas with high‑wage, in‑demand careers in the region. In addition, the report describes CTE participation and outcomes for the Round Rock Independent School District.

The report covers the 2012/13–2017/18 academic school years, a time when the Austin metropolitan area in Central Texas was ranked as the nation’s strongest economy. As Central Texas works to rebuild its economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings can inform recommendations for strengthening CTE and its alignment with the local labor market.

Key findings include:

• Of 32 Central Texas school districts that offered CTE programs of study during the time examined, five districts offered more than five CTE programs aligned with the region’s high‑wage, in‑demand career pathways, and seven districts offered one program.
• Leading the region, Round Rock ISD offered 13 CTE programs of study aligned with high‑wage, in‑demand careers in Central Texas.
• The percentage of Round Rock ISD high school graduates who completed one or more CTE programs of study (known as CTE graduates) increased substantially across the six graduating cohorts examined, rising to 47 percent in 2017/18.
• Of the Round Rock CTE graduates, 76 percent completed one or more CTE programs of study aligned with high‑wage, in‑demand careers in the Central Texas labor market.
• More than 80 percent of Round Rock CTE graduates in each year were either employed or enrolled in college within one year of high school graduation.

Read and download the report: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?projectID=6700

Related resources:

• Blog post: Aligning high school career and technical education programs with top career pathways (February 17, 2021)
• Video: Partnering to Examine Career and Technical Education Outcomes in Round Rock, Texas (January 19, 2021)
• Webinar: Informing Improvements to Career and Technical Education (December 1, 2020)