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June 2009

CTE - - Don't Go To College Without It!

High-quality career and technical education (CTE) provides the education and training to prepare today's students for the fastest growing occupations, including such high-wage, high-skilled, and high-demand career fields as nursing, allied health, information technology, construction, and energy.

Just as important, CTE increases student engagement in school, integrates math, science, literacy skills and meets the needs of both employers and the economy as a whole. Consider:

• CTE lowers the dropout rate. Eighty percent of high school dropouts say that more real-world learning would have influenced them to stay in school. CTE increases academic motivation and engagement, improves grades, and inspires students to focus on careers and college - all factors linked to high schools graduation.
  
  (Bridgeland et al, The Silent Epidemic, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 2005.) (Alfield et al, "Looking Inside the Black Box: The Value Added by Career and Technical Student Organizations to Students' High School Experience," National Research Center for CTE, 2007.)
  
• CTE students exceed non-CTE students in developing problem-solving, project completion, research, math, communication, time management, and critical thinking skills. CTE students also are more likely to attend college and have test scores that equal or exceed those of college prep students.
  
  (Lekes et al, "Career and Technical Education Pathway Programs, Academic Performance, and the Transition to College and Career," National Research Center for CTE, 2007.)
  
• CTE students can realize increased earnings. Students earning a CTE-related associate’s degree or certificate can make an average of $2,400-$19,100 more annually than an individual with a humanities or social sciences associate’s degree.
  
  (Kemple and Willner, “Career Academies: Long-Term Impacts on Labor Market Outcomes, Educational Attainment, and Transitions to Adulthood,” MDRC, 2008.)

What Parents Can Do

Here are some suggestions for ways to help your child:

If you are the parent of a high school student:

• Make sure your child becomes a Maryland Scholar, www.mbrt.org/scholars.
  
• Encourage your child to take a CTE program that allows them to explore their interest in areas such as engineering, computer networking, or automotive repair.
  
• Let your child know that CTE courses improve his/her chances for succeeding (and making more money) whether they go to college or directly into the workforce.
  
• Suggest your child join national student organizations such as Health Occupations Students of America or Future Business Leaders of America
  
• Visit BeWhatIWantToBe.com
  

If you are the parent of a middle school student:

• Encourage your child to pursue his/her emerging interests in areas such as engineering, cars, carpentry, computers, etc.
  
• Expose your child to a variety of careers through neighbors, family, friends or possibly through BeWhatIWantToBe.com, a unique student-focused website.
  
• Meet often with your child’s teacher and discuss how he/she is doing particularly in science and math courses.
  
• Plan for high school program solutions.

If you are the parent of an elementary school student:

• Let your child help you cook dinner, work on the car, play on the computer, etc. and assess where his/her interests lie.
  
• Make sure your child gets the basics in reading, math and science.
  

To learn more, visit MSDE Career and Technology Education >

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