Racial/Ethnic and Gender Equity Patterns in Illinois High School Career and Technical Education Coursework

Racial/Ethnic and Gender Equity Patterns in Illinois High School Career and Technical Education Coursework Asia Fuller Hamilton University of Illinois Joel Malin Miami University Donald Hackmann University of Illinois ABSTRACT This study analyzed high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) enrollments in Illinois, with comparisons to national data when possible, by career cluster and pathway and with respect to gender and racial/ethnic makeup of students. Enrollment patterns in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) CTE programming were emphasized. Gender and ethnicitybased inequities were found in certain areas and more equitable patterns were apparent in others. Of concern, student enrollment in courses fitting within STEM pathways included substantially greater male than female participation (64.1% male vs. 35.9% female), whereas other pathways showed the reverse enrollment pattern (45.0% male and 55.0% female). With respect to ethnicity, all subgroups except White students were underrepresented in CTE programming in general. The underrepresentation was exacerbated for all but Asian students when concerning STEM CTE programming. Considering implications, we recommend heightened focus, support, and goal setting concerning equity of CTE programming. Introduction Attaining equitable career pathways for high school students requires educators to engage in honest, reflective discourse concerning data, construct an understanding of the term “equity,” and determine how underlying assumptions may influence a school’s progress toward providing a rigorous curriculum that prepares every student for college and careers (Welton & LaLonde, 2013). Racial/ethnic and gender inequities existing within Career and Technical Education (CTE) course enrollments restrict students’ access to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, not only as they attempt to transition to postsecondary educational experiences but also as they matriculate into STEM occupations (Fletcher, 2012). As the knowledge-based economy has grown in the U.S., jobs in high-technology fields are expanding but postsecondary institutions are producing insufficient numbers of graduates in these fields (Fletcher, 2012). To maintain our nation’s global competitiveness, a focus on equity is critical as all high school graduates strive to gain access to postsecondary career and ©2015 - Journal of Career and Technical Education, Vol. 30, No.1, 2015 – Page 29 educational opportunities. Amid reports that women, non-Hispanic Blacks, and Hispanics have been consistently underrepresented in STEM occupations (Beede, Julian, Khan et al., 2011; Beede, Julian, Langdon et al., 2011), racial and gender compositions within high school CTE STEM programs of study, in particular, require closer examination. Racial and ethnic inequities existing within CTE course enrollments restrict students’ access to STEM fields, not only as they attempt to transition to postsecondary educational experiences but also as they matriculate into STEM occupations (Fletcher, 2012). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine participation patterns of historically underrepresented students within high school CTE courses in STEM fields. This article begins with an overview of research on participation in career fields by gender and race/ethnicity, with a focus on STEM, and then presents findings from an analysis of public high school CTE enrollments in the state of Illinois. In the discussion and implications section, we integrate our findings with existing literature. We conclude with recommendations for educational leaders and policymakers. Review of Literature Career and technical education has evolved in the past two decades from its initial mission to integrate manual vocational training into the secondary curriculum to meet the industrial needs of the nation (Fletcher, 2012). As our knowledge-based economy has shifted, so too have expectations for students’ academic preparation. High school practices historically steered students into either academic tracks for college-bound students or vocational tracks for students who were perceived as being more inclined to enter the workforce after high school (Hess, 2010). Vocational coursework has been perceived as being less rigorous and associated with low prestige and low-wage occupations (Fletcher, 2012). Hess (2010) claimed that “vocational education has reinforced social divisions along racial lines, as black students have been far more likely to be enrolled in vocational education than are white students” (p. 119). One consequence of lowered academic expectations for students is the skills gap in the U.S. workforce, with many young adults lacking essential knowledge and skills to be productive workers in our knowledge-based economy (Symonds, Schwartz, & Ferguson, 2011). This gap is particularly challenging in the state of Illinois, where 80% of jobs within the state require some form of postsecondary training but only 41% of adults have attained industry credentials or earned postsecondary degrees (Advance Illinois, 2012). In recent years, policymakers and educators across the U.S. have acknowledged this gap in expectations. Thirty-five states have joined the American Diploma Project (2004), with a goal of improving secondary preparation so that students are ready for college and work (Achieve, 2014), and college and career readiness standards have been formulated as a result of this project. According to Achieve (2014), college and career readiness means that a high school graduate has the knowledge and skills necessary to qualify for and succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing postsecondary coursework without the need for remediation—or to qualify for and succeed in the postsecondary job training and/or education necessary for his or her chosen career. (p. 6) ©2015 - Journal of Career and Technical Education, Vol. 30, No.1, 2015 – Page 30 Achieve further notes: “To be college and career ready, high school graduates must have studied a rigorous and broad curriculum that is grounded in the core academic disciplines but also consists of other subjects that are part of a well-rounded education” (p. 6). The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV) provides funds to each state for CTE programming and has been influential in expanding definitions of CTE beyond traditional concepts of vocational education. Perkins IV requires programs of study to include rigorous academic and career/technical content, with courses sequenced in a coordinated, non-duplicative manner and containing both secondary and postsecondary elements. In addition, programs should lead to an industry-recognized credential, postsecondary certificate, and/or degree and include opportunities for students to earn dual credit or dual enrollment. CTE coursework has the potential not only to prepare students for college and careers but also to disrupt race and gender inequi (...truncated)