How Is "High-Quality" Postsecondary Career and Technical Education Defined? A Systematic Integrative Literature Review

• In Event: Postsecondary Career and Technical Education Student Success

Abstract

This study explored the definition of high-quality postsecondary CTE from scholarly literature using the lens of the input, process, output model. The study used an integrative review method to explore academic research from peer-reviewed journals systematically. The findings indicated that only a few articles mentioned high-quality CTE in the context of postsecondary settings; there were even fewer that provided a precise definition. One commonality that initially emerged was that high-quality CTE programs meet the needs of business and industry. These findings have implications, including the need to develop a comprehensive definition of high-quality postsecondary CTE and the need for researchers to examine programs that have strong student success outcomes (completion, labor market, and equity) to identify the commonalities that exist.

Authors

• Jordan Dolfi, North Carolina State University

• James E. Bartlett, North Carolina State University