High Quality Career and Technical Education Programs that Improve Nebraska Middle School Students’ Career Readiness Programs

Researchers at WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility partnered with the Nebraska Department of Education to assess how career development content is structured and delivered in Nebraska middle school CTE programs. The project resulted in a statewide landscape analysis report with eight policy recommendations geared toward improving the ways in which students access career development and Career and Technical Education (CTE) experiences in the middle grades.

The Challenge:

Nebraska’s ultimate goal was to provide more students with access to high-quality middle school CTE programs across the state. The Nebraska Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education sought a trusted partner to strategically analyze the state’s middle school CTE programs. State leaders wanted to understand what concrete steps they could take to enhance early career development opportunities in the middle grades and strengthen state-level support for local programs.

Nebraska entrusted WestEd with providing:

  • A detailed summary of current approaches to middle school CTE delivery in Nebraska, identifying strengths, barriers, and existing resources across various sizes and geographic locations in the state.
  • A comparative state analysis identifying other states’ approaches to middle school CTE.
  • A review and analysis of Nebraska’s Standards for Career Ready Students and how they are implemented in middle school CTE programming.
  • An analysis of student transition supports from elementary to middle school and from middle school to high school.
  • An evaluation of the extent to which all middle school students have access to CTE programming.
  • Resources and best practices used to deliver middle school CTE in Nebraska and nationally.

These and more components were included in the resulting statewide landscape analysis report for the state.

How We’re Taking Action:

WestEd’s statewide landscape analysis drew on multiple qualitative and quantitative data sources, including original data collection activities designed in collaboration with the Nebraska Department of Education. Through focus groups, interviews, and surveys, WestEd engaged over 80 educators representing Local Education Agencies (LEAs) across the state, 20 state staff working across divisions at the Department, and 17 national experts and leaders from other states to inform the report’s findings and recommendations. WestEd also analyzed administrative data on middle school CTE course-taking in Nebraska and reviewed public documentation on state programs, standards, and policies. The research included a comparative analysis of career development approaches in “peer states” with similar demographic compositions and state policy features as Nebraska. The results helped state leaders identify priority areas where they could target future policy and resource support, such as:

  • Codifying a statewide definition for career development;
  • Supporting educators to integrate career development content into core academic courses;
  • Increasing flexibility in licensure for middle grade teachers; and
  • Establishing processes and guidance for LEAs to conduct annual data reviews of students’ access to and success in CTE coursework and career development experiences.

Resources:

What Makes Us Different

  • A customized approach to meeting partner needs: When embarking on a new research and evaluation partnership, WestEd takes the time to understand the learning goals of each partner and the needs of the interest holders who stand to benefit from the research. Then, we develop the best research design to meet those needs, from early-stage needs assessments to rigorous impact evaluations of established programs.
  • A deep understanding of the CTE context: Our Center for Economic Mobility researchers are subject matter experts in CTE policy and program design. We bring this expertise when we work with our clients to develop applied research projects that require a nuanced understanding of how CTE programs are delivered within schools—and the complex policy landscape that shapes CTE program design.
  • A commitment to elevating the perspectives of practitioners: We place high priority on research that engages the voices and experiences of educators, school leaders, and program administrators. In Nebraska as in other projects, we intentionally design data collection and analysis activities to ensure these perspectives are included early in the research process and continuously inform how findings are developed, interpreted, and used.