Addressing student truancy in Nebraska has become a high priority for state legislators. In the last year alone, almost 82,000 students missed more than 10 days of school and 23,000 missed 20 or more days. As the state works to improve its dropout and high school graduation rates, Career Technical Education (CTE) is proving to be an effective strategy for engaging students.
Matt Hastings, Data and Research Specialist with Nebraska Career Education, recently described how CTE is working in Nebraska. Though the data does not indicate why, Hastings said, “We see consistently lower levels of dropouts for career education students compared to Nebraska students as a whole.â€
Hastings stated that the hands-on, meaningful experiences provided through CTE could be credited for a student’s decision to stay in school. Through a blend of rigorous academic and technical coursework, CTE students receive relevant knowledge and skills to prepare for college and careers.
Visit Netradio’s Web site to access an article and radio interview on CTE in Nebraska. To learn more about how CTE is working in your state, view the CTE State Success Map, and contribute your own example here.
Kara Herbertson, Education Policy Analyst
Tags: Graduation Rates