Book Description
This qualitative study explored the perceptions of twelve New York City Department of Education leaders in Career and Technical Education (CTE) regarding programming, organizational structures and supports that impact college and career readiness of overage Black and Latino students. A grounded theory approach was used to define themes within the responses of CTE leaders that depict leadership practices to support the ability for overage students to graduate from high school and be able to complete a postsecondary college or skilled trade education. Findings concluded that CTE leaders perceived the greatest impact on postsecondary achievement for overage Black and Latino students to be curricula designed to ensure that students meet college readiness benchmarks before moving into CTE pathways, support structures and services that provide for the unique needs of overage high school students, and the use of human and capital resources in creative ways to provide for at-risk student support. A review of NYCDOE achievement data on CTE schools concluded that school leaders' perceptions of impact on achievement for Black and Latino students is reflected in four-year graduation rates for this population but are not necessarily reflected in college readiness index rates. Conclusions informed the researcher's recommendations for increasing the number of CTE schools with a narrow focus and enacting hiring practices and training for CTE leaders with the objective of improving the disproportionately low outcomes for Black and Latino high school student and reducing the number of Black and Latino students who become overage. Recommendations for further study specify a longitudinal study to determine the postsecondary career paths of Black and Latino students who graduate overage from NYCDOE CTE high schools as well as a study of the CTE interests of middle school students identified as at-risk in order to inform further improvements in CTE offerings.
