The education system has proven to be resilient despite the pandemic. It quickly adapted and promoted homeschooling as a quick yet effective alternative. However, this approach only constitutes teaching conducted in a lecture type of format. You might think that CTE programs took the hardest hit during the pandemic since it’s more hands-on and interactive. But in reality, even with restrictions such as social distancing in place, CTE program students still performed better!
Career and technical education offer an excellent opportunity for students to get back on track again, increasing their interest in learning and enhancing future employability.
How are school districts addressing high school graduation rates?
Despite creating state-level policies to lighten up the effects of the pandemic, some districts are still unable to improve graduation rates. A report cited by the Wall Street Journal shows that the projected graduates for Columbus City School in Ohio for 2021 are 8.97% less than the previous year. In Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky, only 72% of seniors will be graduating this year, compared to 83.7% in 2020.
The missing elements of interactive and hands-on learning negatively affect students’ participation and interest, which doubled their rate of absences. Learning from behind a computer screen all this time proved to be more of a burden. As a result, parents and students are now more interested in CTE programs offered by their local schools.
CTE Programs continue to offer solutions for many schools and their students.
Fortunately, school districts and education systems are aware of this need. The U.S. Education Department released a “data story” showing how high school CTE program students improve overall graduation rates despite its slight decline. Hence, the hands-on interactive training and capacity to earn an immediate certification with a diploma upon graduation were the most appealing solutions for many students and academic program directors.
The data revealed that almost every public school district provided CTE programs to high school students in every state. Around 75% of districts helped students earn high school and post-secondary credits by offering dual-credit CTE courses.
According to the same report, 83% of local high schools offered CTE courses to students, 43% through a CTE center, and 35% at two to four-year colleges or technical schools.
Healthcare CTEs are still in demand and will help fill the need for qualified technicians and staff.
Amid the continued concerns associated with COVID and the highly contagious Delta variant, the need for healthcare workers remains in high demand. Hospitals, urgent care facilities, convalescent and assisted living centers, and medical clinics still need qualified staff to care for patients.
Fortunately, high schools that provide CTE program training are helping to meet those healthcare demands within the community. This reality especially holds true for students successfully trained in pharmacy tech, medical assisting, patient care tech, and nursing assisting, to name a few.
To learn more about how Kaduceus can help your school improve its graduation rates, or if you’re interested in renewing your CTE programs offerings, we’re glad to help! Connect with us immediately by calling 877-523-8238 today!
