Date of Degree
2025
Degree Name
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Department
Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology, and Foundations (LEPF)
Director
Roberts, Patrick
Committee Members
Creed, Benjamin; Tonks, Stephen
Keywords
Career and Technical Education, CTE Enrollment Patterns, CTE Student Tracking, Middle Skill Jobs, Health Sciences Pathways, Information Technology Pathways, Manufacturing Pathways, Postsecondary Matriculation, Illinois high school CTE programs, CTE Participation
Abstract
This dissertation examined the relationship between high school career and technical education (CTE) program enrollment and postsecondary enrollments. It also examines current demographic enrollment trends within CTE programs. There were two objectives for this research. The first was to gather information that may be used to determine whether CTE programs are preparing students for careers in middle skill job areas like health sciences, information technology, and manufacturing. The other was to gain data to determine whether student tracking occurs for students enrolling in these programs.
This quantitative study examined CTE programs in traditional high schools in the state of Illinois by using publicly available data from the Illinois Report Card. The study identified which high schools offered CTE programs in health sciences, information technology, and manufacturing and gathered student demographic data for students enrolled in those programs.
The study revealed a strong relationship between CTE participation and enrollment in two-year postsecondary options. The study also showed that students from certain ethnic groups were over and underrepresented in these programs.
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses and dissertations are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors, unless otherwise indicated.
Recommended Citation
Butenhoff, Nikolas C., "SCHOOL LEVEL PATTERNS IN STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN ILLINOIS’ CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PATHWAYS: EXPLORING PATTERNS BETWEEN ENROLLMENT AND POSTSECONDARY MATRICULATION IN THREE PATHWAYS" (2025). Dissertations of Practice. 77.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-disspractice/77
