Running a Business in High School: Student Selection into Virtual Enterprises

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 7:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Building Capacity in Career and Technical Education and Workplace Learning

Abstract

To prepare high school students for careers, many districts offer career and technical education (CTE) coursework that includes work-based learning opportunities. Drawing on survey, administrative, and qualitative data, we examine the selection and enrollment process for one such program in two school districts and discuss the implications of these processes for which students participate. While in the past CTE programs were often criticized for lower quality curricula and tracking of lower-income students, more recently CTE programs have become more rigorous, and part of intentional career pathways. We find that some schools have selective processes to determine which students participate, and we argue that selective processes may limit opportunities for students who could benefit from intensive work-based learning experiences.

Authors

• Tiffany Berglund, RAND Corporation

• Lindsay Daugherty, RAND Corporation

• Katherine Hughes, EdWordian, LLC

• Umut Ozek, RAND Corporation

• Nazia Wolters, RAND Corporation