Career Technical Students and Post-Secondary Education: A Hidden Population in the Massachusetts Education System
Document Type Thesis
Abstract
This research looks into Career-Technical Education in Massachusetts, and what makes these institutions successful. Five career-technical high schools in Massachusetts are highlighted in this capstone project, including Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Upton, MA, as well as all of the public high schools in the regions. By analyzing standardized test scores and demographics, this project seeks to understand the differences in the way each school is performing academically, and recognizes Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School as a positive outlier. The capstone concludes with recommendations of success factors other career-technical high schools can adopt in order to increase the academic performance of their students and their ability to move into postsecondary education and other career paths. Suggestions for additional research are also proposed.
