Can Applied STEM Coursework Improve Attendance for Low-Income Students?

• In Event: Understanding the Possibilities of STEM Initiatives to Support Minoritized Populations

Abstract

Considering the push to promote college and career readiness amongst all high school students and the growth of career and technical education (CTE), exploring ways in which CTE may be beneficial to students beyond labor market outcomes is becoming more important than ever before. We explore one of these benefits: attendance. More specifically, we examine how participation in a specific set of CTE courses – computer science and engineering technology (AS-STEM) – may be particularly beneficial to low-income students, who are at particular risk of not showing up to school. Using an instrumental variable estimation approach, we find that AS-CTE participation by low-income students is linked to fewer days absent and a decreased likelihood of chronic absence. Implications are discussed.

Authors

• Jay Plasman, The Ohio State University

• Michael A. Gottfried, University of Pennsylvania

• Daniel Klasik, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill