Trends in the payoff to academic and occupation-specific skills: The short and medium run returns to academic and vocational high school courses for non-college-bound students

The rise in earnings for students earning degrees has logically resulted in more students completing college-preparatory coursework and has likely been the source of declining enrollments in CTE programs.

“According to Mane (1999), this has logically resulted in more students completing college-preparatory coursework and has likely been the source of declining enrollments in CTE programs.”

The rise in earnings for students earning degrees has sparked the growth of students aspiring to pursue postsecondary education.

“The rise in earnings for students earning degrees has indeed sparked the growth of students aspiring to pursue postsecondary education (Mane, 1999).”

States are increasingly requiring students to earn more academic course credits, which have reduced the number of elective credits students may earn, thereby reducing the number of CTE courses taken.

“Correspondingly, he further contended that states are increasingly requiring students to earn more academic course credits, which have reduced the number of elective credits students may earn; thereby, reducing the number of CTE courses taken.”

Mane concluded that the findings argue against those that propose closing CTE programs.

“The researcher concluded that the findings argue against those that propose closing CTE programs.”

CTE concentrators often have higher wages than their college preparatory and general counterparts.

“Research by Rojewski (1997), Mane (1999), and Bishop and Mane (2004) has demonstrated that CTE concentrators often have higher wages than their college preparatory and general counterparts.”

Mane (1999) found that non-college bound students in CTE earned a higher wage than their academic counterparts for those graduating in 1980 and 1992, but not graduates of 1972.

“He found that non-college bound students in CTE earned a higher wage than their academic counterparts for those graduating in 1980 and 1992, but not graduates of 1972.”

Prior research on labor market outcomes of the CTE track has resulted in inconclusive findings.

“Prior research on labor market outcomes (e.g., occupational earnings) of the CTE track has resulted in inconclusive findings (Bishop & Mane, 2004;Mane, 1999;Meer, 2007).”