The Evolution of Career and Technical Education 1982-2013

Examining 30 years of Career and Technical Education (CTE) course taking through transcripts of nationally representative samples of US high school graduates in selected years from 1982 to 2013, this report tracks how CTE course taking has changed over time, overall and by specific occupational areas. In addition, by examining the percentage of students who concentrate in a given CTE occupational area and the trends in those areas, the report finds distinct patterns among business, traditional vocational, and other CTE concentrations that should inform and challenge CTE policies and programs moving into the future.