The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed into law in December 2015, affords states the opportunity to enhance their K-12 education systems and strengthen career readiness through a number of different strategies. One of those is the state accountability system. Under ESSA, states are required to collect and evaluate schools against at least five performance indicators, one of which is up to the state’s choosing. As states work to complete and implement their ESSA plans, many are considering including a measure of career readiness.
This policy brief from the National Association of State Boards of Education examines state approaches to measuring career technical education (CTE) in their accountability system. The report finds that, as of May 2017, 23 out of 42 state plans include some measure of CTE. The brief describes different state approaches, highlighting the pros and cons of each, and cautions states against measuring CTE completion without putting safeguards in place to ensure such programs are high quality and aligned to labor market needs.
