Webcast on Improving Secondary and Postsecondary Career and Technical Education Transition October 20, 2005 Debra Bragg & Jane Loeb University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Lisa Pletcher Clark College, Vancouver, WA

Key Components Formal partnership structure Common career pathways Articulation agreements, competency based Annual meetings of HS and college faculty Annual faculty sharing sessions Joint marketing and promotion

Key Components (cont.) College follow-up Annual teacher verification forms Interaction between college and HS advisors supporting Running Start Regular reporting of student participation

Purpose of the Study The CTE Transition Programs study examined policies, practices, and student outcomes associated with two selected career pathway programs: Information Technology/Computer Information Sciences Health Alliances

Research Goals Understand and assess the relationships that exist among secondary, postsecondary, and relevant community institutions that partner to deliver CTE transition programming Identify and examine practices implemented to support student transition from high school to college and from college to career Document the impact of CTE transition programming through a quantitative examination of student outcomes.

Qualitative Research Questions The central research questions of this qualitative study: How do selected postsecondary institutions and partners implement CTE transition pathway programs? What core practices are associated with the implementation of CTE transition pathway programs by the selected postsecondary institutions and partners? How are CTE transition pathway programs and related practices thought to influence student outcomes?

Quantitative Research Questions The central research questions of this quantitative study: 1.How does the college performance of participants in the CTE pathway programs compare to that of students in other high school programs? 2.Are there differences in the postsecondary academic performance of students who participated in highly engaged secondary programs compared to those who participated in less engaged secondary programs?

Qualitative Findings Wide range of AAS degree majors: application programming, database developer, web developer, digital media, and network administrator. Dual enrollment BS, based on degree agreements PCCC - creates “a culture of confidence”, “cog in the wheel” Pierce College - standards and expectations for college-level learning

Qualitative Findings (cont.) Accountability mechanisms associated with articulation agreements Strong interpersonal relationships among faculty and administrators Other noteworthy practices: Running Start CTE dual credit / Tech Prep Placement testing of high school juniors and seniors Work-based learning First-year programming for women and students of color.

Quantitative Research – College Participation and Readiness Of CIS DC students who attended PC after high school, 55% continued in their CIS pathway by taking at least one CIS course. With other factors controlled, the CIS DC students were more likely to be college ready than the non-participants in communication but not in math or in general.

Quantitative Research – College Participation and Readiness (cont.) CIS DC students started at a higher level, on the average, in mathematics than did the non- participant group.

Quantitative Research – Academic Performance, Persistence and Credential Attainment In terms of GPAs, IT/CIS DC students did as well as the more select group of RS students, who, unlike the CTE DC participants, had to pass placement tests before enrolling in DC courses. Both DC groups earned substantially more college credit than did non-participants—36 credit hours for the RS group, and 22 for the CIS DC group. Both DC programs appeared to offer opportunities for students to amass substantial credit and accelerate toward a degree.

Quantitative Research – Academic Performance, Persistence and Credential Attainment (cont.) The comparison of number of post high school terms to a transfer associate degree showed the RS group was substantially faster than the CIS DC or non-participant group. Both DC groups were more likely to earn a degree or certificate than non-participants. Engagement of the high school in the CIS DC program had very little effect on college outcomes.

Contact information— Dr. Debra Bragg, University of Illinois, Professor, Dr. Jane Loeb, University of Illinois, Professor, Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) – ,