CTE Studies Boost High School Grad Rates in Oregon
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 02/20/20
Oregon's
statewide four-year high school graduation
rate
was the highest it's ever been. For the class of 2018-2019,
graduation hit 80 percent, up more than a percentage point over the
previous year. However, those students who took a career and
technical education course or enrolled in a CTE program did even
better (88.9 percent and 93.5 percent, respectively). The five-year
cohort graduation rate for CTE students was slightly higher: 90.4
percent and 94.4 percent.
The
four-year cohort consisted of data on students who first entered high
school in 2015-2016. The total number of students in the state was
46,162. The number of CTE "participants" was 31,832; and
19,458 students "concentrated" on CTE. Both groupings have
inched over the last four years, the length of time graduate rates
have been tracked for CTE-specific cohorts.
CTE
received a burst of support from state lawmakers when it committed
funding to the development and expansion of CTE programs across the
state through a CTE "revitalization
grant"
program. Funding allocations were based on how many students enrolled
in specific programs during the previous school year and earned three
or more credits. Programs received extra funding where students have
been historically under-served or where they've earned professional
credentials recognized by the industry in which they're educated. A
new funding schedule began in October 2019. For both rounds, the
activities covered by the grants need to have ties to local or
regional industry; map to a "high-wage/high-demand career area";
and involve a path "to career and/or postsecondary education and
training."
"Every
student in Oregon deserves to graduate prepared for lifelong success
and with a plan for their future," said Governor Kate Brown, in
a statement. "Working together over the last five years, through
a commitment to closing opportunity gaps for students in all our
communities, we have made steady progress increasing the number of
Oregon students completing high school. With the historic
reinvestment in education made possible by the Student Success Act,
our schools will be further empowered to engage and support Oregon's
students in reaching new levels of learning and achievement."
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.