Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Over the past decade, there has been a renewed focus on career and technical education (CTE) as a strategy for preparing students for postsecondary education and career readiness. Between 1982 and 2005, participation in CTE in the U.S. dropped, and currently approximately 39% of American students have taken at least three credits of CTE courses during high school compared to 50% of upper secondary students in European Union countries and approximately 35% in Spain. With encouragement from the U.S. federal government, a growing number of states and school districts have invested in new and existing CTE programs that combine high academic standards with work-based learning and standardized assessment of career skills, bringing the American context closer to counterparts in the EU. New York City (NYC), the largest school district in the country, has overseen a significant expansion of CTE. In this study, we examine how the demand for CTE programs has changed and how the composition of applicants and choices toward specific CTE programs or career clusters has evolved over time. Given the socioeconomic, racial, linguistic, and cultural diversity of NYC, our analysis of student preferences and participation will help policymakers as they seek to increase applications to successful CTE schools and programs from an increasingly diverse student population and may have implications for both the US and EU contexts.