Project Activities
Researchers will conduct secondary data analysis with administrative data provided by the Washington State Education Research and Data Center (ERDC), and collect primary data from CTE teacher preparation programs in Washington State.
Structured Abstract
Setting
The Washington State ERDC data includes data on students and teachers from public high schools in Washington State, including teacher candidates and their student teaching experiences. This data is also linked to postsecondary outcomes for students from 2-year colleges, 4-year colleges, and workplaces in Washington State. Teachers in Washington State teacher preparation programs will participate in a survey of their practices for preparing CTE teachers to instruct SWD.
Sample
The primary sample consists of approximately 7,000 Washington State CTE teachers who serve students with disabilities in high school from 2010-11 through 2017-18, who serve approximately 40,000 students with disabilities.
Factors
The malleable factors under investigation include three measures of CTE teacher qualifications and training: 1) having a CTE license, 2) CTE pathway (e.g. traditional or alternative "Business and Industry" route) for those with a license, and 3) work experiences prior to program entry.
Research design and methods
The researchers will use administrative data from ERDC to explore correlations between characteristics of CTE teachers and outcomes of their students with disabilities. They will also implement a survey of CTE teacher education programs in Washington to assess the extent to which prospective CTE teachers are prepared to serve students with disabilities in their future classrooms.
Key measures
The research team will estimate several measures of CTE teacher effectiveness using high school outcomes: attendance, GPA, high school persistence, graduation probability. They will also consider longer-term outcomes, including college enrollment and employment probabilities. The team will focus on three measures of CTE teacher qualifications and training: 1) having a CTE license, 2) CTE pathway (e.g. traditional or alternative "Business and Industry" route) for those with a license, and 3) work experiences prior to program entry.
Data analytic strategy
The research team will estimate linear regression models and logit models that estimate a CTE teacher's contribution to student CTE learning in high school, and longer-term outcomes directly. Data include several control variables for students, such as prior student performance on standardized tests, student demographics, peer characteristics, and course taking patterns. The team will account for non-random selection of students across courses by considering within-CTE area performance.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
Products: The primary product of this project will be a set of data and published reports addressing CTE teacher effectiveness, as measured by non-test outcomes and long-term student outcomes, and (b) whether teacher effectiveness varies according to licensure, pathways (e.g. traditional vs alternative), and prior work experiences. The project will also result in peer-reviewed publications and presentations, and additional dissemination products that reach education stakeholders such as practitioners and policymakers.
Supplemental information
Co-Principal Investigator: Holden, Kristian; Theobald, Roddy
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
