Lim, Owen, Nordin
Graduation Rates and Contributing Factors in CTE Students Versus Traditional Academic Students Young Bin Lim Mississippi State University Sean Owen, Ph.D. Mississippi State University Alexis Nordin Mississippi State University
This study examined the impact of various career and technical education (CTE) programs and student demographics on the four-year graduation rate for a cohort of 15470 students entering secondary public school programs in Mississippi in the 2007-2008 academic year. Participation in one or more CTE classes increased the likelihood of on-time graduation, and a student’s choice of College & Career Readiness Career ClusterTM affected graduation rate. Sex had a statistically significant impact on graduation rate overall, but when examined by Cluster, sex was only significant in the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Cluster (where females outperformed males). Race proved statistically significant overall to graduation rate as well, and in cases where socioeconomic status and family situation were controlled, Black students outperformed White students in select Career Pathways. KEYWORDS: career and technical education, Career Clusters, dropout rate, graduation rate, student demographics Introduction and Background Like many other states, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) is exploring students’ increasing interest in career and technical education (CTE) as a potentially powerful tool in reducing the state’s high-school dropout rate, which the Mississippi Board of Education aims to 1