Are Stereotypes About Career And Technical Education Crumbling?
The stereotypes, bias, and misunderstanding that have for many decades surrounded and isolated Career and Technical Education (CTE) may slowly be crumbling. A recent report by the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education (NRCCTE) argues that traditional CTE typology — the way in which CTE students are identified and classified — is obsolete. The distinctions between “CTE” students and “academic” students are no longer useful. Today, nearly all high school students, including the highest achieving academic-track students, enroll in some CTE courses.
Moreover, a significant number of students complete “high intensity” CTE courses as well as academic courses, in patterns that cross SES lines. In order to understand the contemporary high school experience, these researchers argue, we need a new typology based on the reality of today’s classroom, students, and curricula.
The October 2012 study, “A Typology for Understanding the Career and Technical Education Credit-taking Experience of High School Students,” proposes a new, more nuanced classification system — one the authors believe would more accurately capture the high school experience and needs of today’s students. The
Moreover, a significant number of students complete “high intensity” CTE courses as well as academic courses, in patterns that cross SES lines. In order to understand the contemporary high school experience, these researchers argue, we need a new typology based on the reality of today’s classroom, students, and curricula.
The October 2012 study, “A Typology for Understanding the Career and Technical Education Credit-taking Experience of High School Students,” proposes a new, more nuanced classification system — one the authors believe would more accurately capture the high school experience and needs of today’s students. The