Geographic Access and Racial/Ethnic Representation in Chicago Public Schools CTE Pathways

• In Event: Career Development Opportunities Today and Tomorrow: Toward Equity and Opportunity

Abstract

Objectives
Our mixed-methods exploratory study documents the range of CTE coursework implemented by Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and examines how district decision-making shapes access to and participation in CTE, with an explicit focus on racial and geographic representation across Chicago.

Background
According to NCES (2024), White students are slightly overrepresented in CTE, while Black and Latinx students are slightly underrepresented. However, racial/ethnic representation varies by subject area, with White students especially overrepresented in subjects related to higher-earning industries including “engineering, design, and production” and “computer and information sciences.” The reasons for these patterns are not well understood, though they are driven both by differences in coursework offerings across schools with varied demographics as well as differences within schools in demographic participation patterns (Puckett & Gravel, 2020).

CPS, the fourth-largest school district in the U.S., offers a range of high school types that in turn offer a range of open-enrollment and magnet programs including CTE pathways. Schools also vary in racial/ethnic composition, with Black and Latinx students concentrated in schools on the South and West sides of the city.

Methods
We use district administrative data to describe demographic participation patterns in CTE coursework across CTE pathways, analyzing the extent to which racial/ethnic differences relate to differences across schools in coursework offerings. Through interviews with 40 CPS district officials, school administrators, and other CTE program staff, we investigate how district and school decisions have shaped career development offerings and the observed racial/ethnic participation trends.

Findings
Preliminary analysis has shown considerable variation in the demographics of CTE students across pathways. For example, Table 1 shows that Black students are slightly overrepresented in many CTE areas including Personal Care Services and Agriculture/Horticulture, but they are underrepresented in Manufacturing and Education/Training. White students are overrepresented in Agriculture/Horticulture and Business/Finance, and they are underrepresented in areas including Education/Training and Construction/Architecture. Latinx students are overrepresented in Education/Training and Transportation and underrepresented in Agriculture/Horticulture.

Program location explains some of these racial/ethnic course taking patterns. As shown in Figure 1, Personal Care Services and Transportation programs are located in schools on the South and West sides of the city in areas that are predominantly Black and Latinx, while Business/Finance programs are found throughout the city, including in areas that are predominantly White. Interviewees attributed these patterns to shifting institutional priorities framed by local economic, political, and social contexts of the last century. Multiple accounts suggested the district consolidates resources to support more costly CTE programs (such as Manufacturing and Transportation) in schools with the greatest needs.

Significance and Next Steps
Findings show how access and participation in CTE are shaped by district decision-making around program location and resource allocation. The next stage of our study will analyze how participation in different CTE pathways relates to secondary outcomes including college aspirations and academic achievement as well as postsecondary outcomes including verified postsecondary plans, college enrollment, college persistence, and credential attainment.

Authors

• Amy E. Arneson, UChicago Consortium on School Research

• Laura Davis, UChicago Consortium on School Research

• Sarah E. Cashdollar, University of Illinois System

• Kaitlyn Franklin, University of Chicago

• Raisa Blazquez, Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative

• Gertrude Bakalus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Mahnoor Arif, University of Chicago