Outcomes for High School Students Earning Industry-recognized Credentials: A study from the Fordham Institute analyzes the postsecondary and labor market outcomes of students who earn an industry-recognized credential (IRC).  

Examining Ohio students who entered high school between 2011 and 2020, the researchers found that students who earn an IRC are six percentage points more likely to graduate high school. IRC earners are also slightly more likely to be employed and earn 22% more than non-IRC earners in the first year after high school. This wage premium persists by the sixth year after high school but does decline over time. IRC earners who also concentrate in CTE experience even better outcomes than students who earn an IRC or concentrate in CTE alone.  

Specific student groups and fields are associated with varying outcomes. Male students show strong outcomes after earning an IRC, with their wages continuing to increase by the seventh year after high school. IRCs in construction, law and public safety, manufacturing and transportation are associated with the highest wage increases. The researchers also examined credentials that would eventually be aligned with the state’s Innovative Workforce Incentive Program (IWIP) and found that these credentials have higher wage premiums than non-IWIP credentials. 

How States Turn Vision into Infrastructure for Student Success: A report from America Succeeds examines state-level policy actions focused on equipping students with durable skills and preparing them for life after high school. The researchers conducted a 50-state policy scan and found the following: 

• All 50 states provide flexibility in how instructional time is defined, allowing work-based learning, youth apprenticeships and similar programs to count toward instructional time.  

• 39 states require students to develop an Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) or similar in high school. 

• 36 states include a college and career readiness metric or indicator in their accountability formula.  

• 26 states have developed Portraits/Profiles of a Graduate, which outline the essential knowledge and skills students should develop over the course of their education. 

• 25 states have multiple diploma and graduation pathways that reflect different requirements and specializations such as CTE coursework, work-based learning and IRC attainment. 

Readers interested in exploring similar state policies can view ACTE and Advance CTE’s State Policies Impacting CTE Project. 

Dual Enrollment Student Profiles and School Structures: A study from the Annenberg Institute examines the coursetaking habits of dual enrollment (DE) students and how they relate to student demographic and academic characteristics. The researchers analyzed students who graduated from a Texas high school between 2014 and 2023 and completed at least one DE course (approximately 720,000 students), identifying five profiles of DE coursetakers: 

• DE Dabblers: Dabblers attempt 3-4 DE courses on average, earning about nine credits, and are more likely to fail DE courses than other profiles. DE Dabblers are also more likely to be white students and are overrepresented in traditional high schools. 

• DE Explorers: Explorers attempt twice as many DE courses as dabblers, complete the most advanced courses (AP, IB, etc.) of any group, and are more likely to attend a traditional high school. DE Explorers are also more likely to be white and Asian students and less likely to be economically disadvantaged students.  

• DE-CTE Concentrators: These students earn most of their DE credits in CTE subjects, earning 19 DE-CTE credits on average. DE-CTE Concentrators are also the most likely to earn an industry certification and include the highest proportion of economically disadvantaged students and students of color.  

• ECHS Non-completers: Non-completers are students who attempt many credits across various academic subjects, mostly at Early College High Schools (ECHS), Texas STEM Academies (T-STEM) and Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools (P-TECH), but fall short of the number typically associated with an associate degree (60).  

• ECHS Completers: Similar to non-completers, completers attempt many DE credits across different subjects at ECHS, T-STEM and P-TECH schools, but they earn enough or nearly enough credits to earn an associate degree.