Evaluation 2020

A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Advanced Careers: Rigorous Pathways in High School that Blend High-Quality Career and Technical Education Courses with a College-Ready Academic Core 

10-21-2020 11:47

Preparing students to transition into the evolving workplace has become a central challenge for educators. Labor market studies suggest that the economic consequences of not obtaining some type of postsecondary degree or credential can be harsh. Research from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce has shown that presently about two-thirds of all U.S. jobs require some postsecondary education. Conversely, opportunities for students with high school diplomas or less has steadily declined (Carnevale, Strohl, Cheah & Ridley, 2017). As technology takes over more of the actual work of producing goods and services, the demand has increased for individuals who can problem solve and be Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) literate (Greenfield, 2016; Mckinsey, 2017).

This poster presentation describes the structure, findings and recommendations of an internal evaluation of the Southern Regional Education Board’s Advanced Career (AC) pathway programs. The growing demand for a workforce prepared for the changes wrought by technology and the need for broad-based, higher-order thinking skills was an impetus for the design of these programs. Each AC career pathway program includes two components: 

1. A fully developed, coherent sequence of four non-duplicative courses that blend industry-validated technical content and 21st-century skills with a college-ready academic core. 
2. Professional development that helps teachers to facilitate students’ problem-solving abilities through project-based learning. In a PBL classroom, activities prompt students to make connection between academic, technical and workplace knowledge and skills and apply those skills to solve real-world problems. 

As with all educational interventions, context matters. AC is a complex program with many moving parts. Within these contextual variables, the extent to which programs are delivered with fidelity can impact student outcomes. The expectation is that a coherent, articulated sequence of four intellectually demanding courses can generate several proximal and distal student outcomes. Proximal student learning changes were measured by their performance on an end-of-course (EOC) assessment that is intended to develop and add value to students’ academic readiness for the workplace, advance their cognitive skills and help them acquire the understanding needed to apply technical concepts to solve workplace problems. Aside from the EOC assessments, the expectation is that AC courses can lead to distal outcomes such as recognized industry certifications, community and technical college certificates or credentials, or associate or bachelor’s degrees.

The evaluation team’s ability to measure distal student outcomes proved to be a challenge. The availability of certifications and dual credits is entirely dependent on whether the AC site has successfully negotiated with the district and its postsecondary partners to secure these options. The evaluation team was unable to obtain postsecondary information on AC participants, which limited their ability to provide insight into this important outcome. The presenters will use this poster presentation to discuss the challenges they faced in evaluating a program with distal student outcomes and limited data sources. Presenters will engage participants in discussion to create both a learning and sharing experience for presenters and participants alike.

References

Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Cheah, B., & Ridley, N. (2017). Good jobs that pay without a BA. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

Greenfield, R. (December 7, 2016). Forget robots: People skills are the future of American jobs. Bloomberg.

Mckinsey Global Institute (January 2017). A future that works: Automation, employment and productivity. New York, NY: McKinsey & Company.

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Research Poster