Career and Technical Education Transition Programs: Effects of Dual Credit Participation on Postsecondary Readiness, Retention, Graduation, and Time to Degree

This study analyzes Career Technical Education (CTE) transition programs, which aim to create formal partnerships between secondary and postsecondary institutions and support the completion of a degree program. Longitudinal academic achievement data from 6,000 students who transitioned into college were used to determine the effects of participation in CTE on student outcomes. Major findings showed that CTE students had higher GPAs than non-participants, there was no evidence that dual credit (DC) courses in high school prepared students for college, and students involved in the Running Start (RS) program finished college coursework faster than participants in CTE, DC and non-participants.