New Indicators of Career/Technical Education Coursetaking: Class of 2005

The National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences has released the report "New Indicators of Career/Technical Education Coursetaking: Class of 2005."

This Statistics in Brief uses data from the 2005 High School Transcript Study (HSTS) to examine the career/technical education (CTE) coursetaking of public high school graduates using new indicators of participation. These indicators examine the extent to which students participate in CTE and in specific occupational areas (such as agriculture and business) broadly (many students earning credits) versus deeply (many credits earned by participating students).

First, the brief looks at student participation across the three main CTE curriculum areas (family and consumer sciences education, general labor market preparation, and occupational education). Second, the brief looks at coursetaking within occupational areas, including occupational concentration. Finally, the brief examines coursetaking across occupational areas, including the areas that students tend to combine.

Findings indicate that high school graduates' use of the CTE curriculum is generally broad rather than narrow in the sense that most (70 percent) earn credits in both occupational education and either general labor market preparation or family and consumer sciences education, and most (58 percent) earn credits in more than one occupational area. Five occupational areas had the broadest participation (i.e., had the greatest number of graduates earning credits in the area): business; communications and design; manufacturing, repair, and transportation; consumer and culinary services; and computer and information sciences). The occupational areas with the deepest levels of participation were manufacturing, repair, and transportation; agriculture and natural resources; health sciences; and construction and architecture. Finally, some occupational areas were more likely than others to be taken together. For example, marketing coursetakers were more likely than other occupational coursetakers to earn credits in business.

To view, download and print the report as a PDF file, please visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2009038

Issue Tables: A Profile of Military Servicemembers and Veterans Enrolled in Postsecondary Education in 2007-08

This set of Issue Tables describes military servicemembers and veterans in undergraduate education at institutions eligible for Title IV federal funding for financial aid. The data come from 2007-08, just prior to the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act's implementation. The purpose is to provide baseline data with which to compare undergraduate enrollment and student characteristics of current military undergraduates with their future counterparts who will enroll in postsecondary education under the New GI Bill.

To view, download and print the report as a PDF file, please visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2009182.pdf