Project Activities
During the exploratory phase of the project, the researchers will document and examine student access to and participation in a range of CDOs, with an explicit focus on racial and geographic equity. During the second phase of the project, the researchers will use findings from these activities to inform the selection of a particular CDO around which to plan a causal study. The research team will collaborate with IES and the lead for the Extending the Reach of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Research Network to identify the most suitable CDO as the focus of the impact study.
Structured Abstract
Setting
The Chicago Public School (CPS) system is a large, diverse, urban district and is the fourth largest school district in the U.S., serving over 300,000 prekindergarten through grade 12 students. The district includes a wide range of schools, from very low-performing schools serving communities with very high rates of poverty to elite selective schools that are consistently rated as some of the top-achieving schools in the state, and schools at many different levels in between.
Sample
The population under study in this project includes approximately 218,000 students from 11 cohorts in district-run schools. These cohorts include students who entered grade 9 in 2016-17 through 2023-24 or grade 6 in 2021-22 through 2023-24. Across all cohorts, 36 percent of students are Black, 48 percent are Latinx, 77 percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, 16 percent are in special education, and 17 percent are English learners.
In CPS, there are two main types of career development opportunities (CDOs) initiated by the district: high school CTE coursework (organized into sequences called "CTE Pathways") and WBL, which encompasses a continuum of experiences (CTE summer camps, career days, site visits, informational interviews, guest speakers, and job shadowing and internships).
Research design and methods
The researchers will conduct a two-phase mixed-methods project, the first phase being an exploratory study and the second an impact study. The researchers will first conduct a mixed-methods exploratory study of CTE and WBL in CPS using exploratory quantitative analyses of secondary data and a qualitative field scan. The researchers will also analyze secondary data descriptively and with multilevel regression models, conduct interviews with district and school leaders, and analyze CDO documentation and related materials. Using information from this first phase, the researchers will identify the factor(s) that will be the focus of a causal impact study and will then design and implement the causal study.
Key measures
Key measures for the exploratory study include type and intensity of student CDO participation. Outcome measures for high school students include attendance rates; chronic absenteeism; survey measures of school connectedness, importance of high school for the future, and college aspirations; test scores; grade point average (GPA); high school credit accrual; early college course taking and credit accrual; high school graduation; earning an industry-recognized credential; postsecondary plans; college enrollment; and college persistence. Outcome measures for middle school students include attendance rates; chronic absenteeism; survey measure of school connectedness, importance of high school for the future, and college aspirations; test scores; GPA; course grades; and application and enrollment in high schools that offer CTE Pathways.
Data analytic strategy
The researchers will analyze quantitative data in the exploratory phase using descriptive methods, providing summary statistics and relative frequencies in tables and simple data displays, such as bar charts and line graphs. In addition, the researchers will analyze relationships between CDO participation and student outcomes, adjusting for student and school characteristics, using multilevel regression models. They will also conduct qualitative data analysis using iterative phases of coding, data reduction, and thematic interpretation for each of the qualitative data sources. They will triangulate the quantitative and qualitative analyses as part of the exploratory phase. The researchers will determine the analytic strategy for the causal impact study during the development of the study.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
The study team will generate two reports (one on the exploratory study and one on the causal impact study) documenting findings and publish those reports in peer-reviewed journal articles. They will create infographics, webinars, and presentations for education practitioners, policymakers, and organizations focused on CTE and workforce development. These products will be shared via conferences and social media. The research team will also present results to their partner agency, CPS, in regular briefings.
Publications:
ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.
Additional project information
This project serves as a network research team for the Extending the Reach of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Research Network, which conducts research, training, and dissemination to support CTE.
Supplemental information
Co-Principal Investigators: Cashdollar, Sarah; Davis, Laura
Partner District: Chicago Public Schools
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
