High schoolers who participated in high-demand career programs were more likely to graduate and attend college, according to a joint study of students in Nebraska and South Dakota.
The new report from a research group funded by the U.S. Department of Education showed that Nebraska high schoolers who enrolled in career and technical education programs, which offer high-demand career courses in fields such as finance and health sciences, had a graduation rate of 99.2%.
That's compared with just 85.4% for those who did not participate in such courses.
The study from the Regional Education Laboratory, which is paid for through the federal educational department's Institute of Education Sciences, looked at more than 110,000 students in Nebraska and South Dakota who were expected to graduate between the 2012-13 and 2016-17 academic years.
The report also examined postsecondary success among students. In Nebraska, 75.6% of career and technical education students were enrolled in college two years after graduation, and 78.7% were enrolled five years later.
About 65% of students who did not participate in those programs were in college two years after graduation, while that number climbs to more than 70% when five years have passed.Â
Career and technical education students in the two states also were more likely to earn up to an associate's degree, but were slightly less likely to earn a bachelor's degree or higher within five years, the study showed.Â
About 50% of students in the two states participate in career programs.Â
At Lincoln Public Schools, students generally earn career and technical education concentration status by taking three courses in a career field area at their high school or The Career Academy.
"(Career and technical education) has always been an important part of education in Nebraska and has provided students with necessary academic, technical and career readiness skills for postsecondary education and employment," said Nebraska Commissioner of Education Matthew Blomstedt.