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Abstract

In this paper, data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) are analyzed to assess the influence of vocational programs and vocational courses on gains in high school achievement in mathematics, science, and reading. The analysis also examines whether, regardless of their effect on achievement gain, vocational programs serve to keep students from dropping out of high school.

The first set of analyses examined the achievement levels of students in academic, vocational, and general high school programs. The results indicate that students in vocational programs do not perform as well in mathematics, science, and reading as students in academic programs. Achievement differences between students in vocational and general programs were mostly insignificant. The second set of analyses examined the effect of individual vocational courses on 10th to 12th grade achievement gain in mathematics, science, and reading. Overall, no significant effect of vocational coursetaking, positive or negative, on achievement gain in mathematics, science, or reading was found.

The high school retention analysis examined the effect of vocational education on whether a student dropped out of high school after the 10th grade. Initial results showing that vocational program participation was associated with lower dropout propensity than general program participation were suspect because of a confound between program participation and dropout status. Dropouts were often not in school long enough to meet program participation requirements and so were classified as being in a general program. Analyses using the number of vocational courses taken in grades 9 and 10 to predict dropout status in grades 11 and 12 showed mixed results. When class rank and number of classes cut were not included in the analysis, vocational coursetaking appeared to significantly reduce dropout status. When class rank and class cutting were included, vocational coursetaking had no effect on dropout status. This suggests that vocational coursetaking in the first two years of high school may have an indirect effect on dropout status, mediated by performance. Followup analyses indicate that vocational courses in agriculture and in the technical/ communications area may have a direct effect in reducing the dropout rate.

One of the main functions of high school vocational education is to give work force preparation to students who were not planning to go to college directly after high school. However, vocational education also has the potential to help students increase their skills in academic areas. For example, vocational courses that cover technical topics may influence mathematics and science achievement. In addition, vocational programs may serve to keep students who are not attracted to college preparatory curricula from dropping out of high school.

Results from prior research on both of these topics have been mixed. Meyer (1992) reports results by Pallas and Alexander (1983) who show negative effects of applied mathematics courses on gain in mathematics achievement. However, his own analysis shows small positive effects of math-related vocational education on mathematics achievement when statistical biases neglected by previous researchers are taken into account. Kulik (this volume) reviews the literature on the effects of vocational education programs on high school dropout rates. He points to mixed results, but concludes that the methodologically stronger studies show a positive direct effect.

[Methodology]