Year-to-Year Variability in Engineering Enrollment Across Virginia's High Schools

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: High School to College and Beyond: Aspirations, Preparation, and Transitions

Abstract

There are substantial variations of four-year institution engineering enrollment rate across Virginia’s high schools in terms of geography and demographics, and this study continues the exploration in terms of year-to-year changes. Grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and utilizing cluster analysis, this quantitative, descriptive study finds that the high schools cluster into three distinct groups with clear separation in between, and there are rate variations from year to year among the schools. The cluster with relatively higher rate shows an increasing trend while the one with the lowest rate shows a decreasing trend. Contextual variables of each cluster show possible location-based disparities manifesting in Virginia’s high schools in the context of engineering education access.

Authors

• Kai Jun Chew, Virginia Tech

• David Knight, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• Jacob R Grohs, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• Holly Marie Matusovich, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University