Running head: CARRER EDUCATION FOR AT-RISK TEENS

Career Education for At-Risk Teens

Sarah McGhehey
Chadron State College

April, 2016

CARRER EDUCATION FOR AT-RISK TEENS

Abstract
Based on multiple studies of at-risk teens, career and technical education is explored as a
possible intervention strategy. The impact that these programs have on at-risk students will infer
that this programming should be seriously considered as an intervention strategy for dropout
prevention. Previous studies showed that getting students involved in the educational process and
planning for future careers and education can reengage students in the classroom and reduce the
chance of these individuals dropping out. These studies also showed that students are highly
likely to be successful after graduation is reached. The experimental research proposed will
compare two groups of similar students and their progress throughout and after high school. One
group will be enrolled in a career education program while the other group will not.

CARRER EDUCATION FOR AT-RISK TEENS

Table of Contents
Introduction

Statement of Problem

Statement of Hypothesis and Research Question

Method

Data Gathering Instrument

CHOICES Data Collection Tool

Research Design

Procedure

Data Analysis

11

Time Schedule

13

Budget

13

References

14

CARRER EDUCATION FOR AT-RISK TEENS

Career Education for At-Risk Teens

There are many characteristics that qualify students as being at-risk. Being categorized as
an at-risk student indicates that the individual is likely to fail academically and drop out of
high school. Dropping out of high school is paired with many individual and social costs, which
include chronic unemployment and underemployment, higher rates of criminal involvement,
greater health problems, and greater dependence on welfare and other public benefit programs
(Malloy, Sundar, Hagner, Pierias, & Viet, 2010).
Gates Foundation sponsored a study in 2006 that indicated a recent increase in high
school dropout rates. This same study showed that minority students, such as Hispanics, African
Americans, and Native Americans, approach a nearly 50% dropout rate. In addition to minorities,
students who come from poor households and students who are English language learners are far
more likely to dropout than students who do not experience these factors. Finally, students with
both learning and emotional disabilities account for 35-60 percent of high school dropouts
(Malloy et al., 2010).
Interventions must occur to decrease the national dropout rate, as well as bridge the gap
between minority students, poor students, English language learners, students with disabilities,
and students without these factors. Intervention programming is necessary to enable all students
to be successful, regardless of uncontrollable circumstances (Malloy et al., 2010).
Statement of Problem
The purpose of this study is to determine if career and technical education (CTE)
programs directly correlate with graduation rates and post-secondary success of at-risk students.
Students must have at least one CTE program of study to be considered enrolled in a career
education program. The program or programs of study must include coherent and rigorous

CARRER EDUCATION FOR AT-RISK TEENS

academic content aligned with relevant career and technical content (Aliaga, Kotamraju, &
Stone, 2014). The term at-risk stipulates that the individual is likely to fail academically and
drop out of high school (Malloy et al., 2010).
Statement of Hypothesis and Research Questions
It is hypothesized that there is no correlation between career and technical education
program enrollment and the graduation rates and post-secondary success rates of at-risk teens.
Research Questions:
1. Do at-risk students enrolled in a career and technical education program have higher
graduations rates compared to at-risk students who are not enrolled in a career and
technical education program?
2. Do at-risk students enrolled in a career and technical education program have more
post-secondary success compared to at-risk students who are not enrolled in a career
and technical education program?
Method
Participants
Participants for this study will be selected from the population of high school students
(grades 10 through 12) enrolled at Scottsbluff High School in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Sixty
students will be divided evenly into two groups.
Design
Every participant in each of the two groups to be selected will identify as: (a) from
poverty or the lower middle class, and (b) Hispanic, Caucasian, or other. Each of the two
comparative groups will be comprised of 60% Hispanic, 30% Caucasian, 10% other, and 50%
female participants and 50% male participants. All sixty participants will be categorized as the
lower middle class or below.

CARRER EDUCATION FOR AT-RISK TEENS

Setting
The student participants will be selected from two groups: (1) a group of thirty
individuals enrolled in a career and technical education program (CHOICES) and (2) a group of
thirty individuals not enrolled in a career and technical education program. Both groups will be
fully enrolled in Scottsbluff High School.
Risk Factors
Students will not be at risk during this research study, as we will be merely collecting and
analyzing data. Names and information collected from previously graduated students will be kept
confidential. These minimal risks are reasonable as the data analysis will provide feedback and
information on the programming and curriculum of the CHOICES program. This data will also
be critical in the future years as Scottsbluff Senior High School implements a full-scale career
academy system. The information found involving at-risk students in career education programs
can be utilized in the future by the district to assess the viability of the similar programming.
Data Gathering Instrument
In this qualitative study, data analysis and interpretation methods will be used to
determine the impact of career education for at-risk teens. Data collection and interpretation will
include the following categories: attendance, grade point average, office referrals, and postsecondary activity. Post-secondary activity data will encompass employment, education, and
independent living. Student data on attendance, office referrals, and grade point average (GPA)
will be collected utilizing the school districts Infinite Campus system annually at the conclusion
of each school year. Post-secondary activity data will be collected via student interviews
conducted between May 15th and June 1st for the four consecutive years following graduation.
The researchers have developed and will utilize a common instrument to record data of each

CARRER EDUCATION FOR AT-RISK TEENS

participant (See CHOICES Data Collection Tool below). At the conclusion of the data collection
process, the data from Infinite Campus and the interview tool will be used to compare and
interpret the effectiveness of the CHOICES program, including the career education curriculum.

CARRER EDUCATION FOR AT-RISK TEENS

Appendix A
CHOICES Data Collection Tool
Student:
Contact:

Grade

Graduation Year:

Attendance

GPA

Office Referrals

Building

9th
10th
11th
12th

Post Secondary
Years after
Graduating

Employment

Post Secondary

Independent

Enrollment

Living

1
2
3
4

Research Design
In this study, an experimental research design will be followed. According to Gay, Mills,
and Airasian in 2012, experimental research manipulates at least on independent variable,
controls other relevant variables, and observes the effect on one or more dependent variable
(Gay, 2012). The research study proposed will compare two groups with the independent

CARRER EDUCATION FOR AT-RISK TEENS

variable being described as whether or not the individual is enrolled in a career and technical
education program. The control group will be participants who are not enrolled in a career and
technical education program and the experimental group will be the participants enrolled in a
career and technical education program (CHOICES). The dependent variables measured will be
attendance, grade point average, office referrals, and post-secondary success, including
employment, education, and independent living. The experimental research method is the
method that is best aligned with the variables and grouping of this research proposal. The
manipulation of the enrollment in a career and technical education program follows closely with
this design. The observation of the effect on the dependent variables (listed previously) also
aligns with the experimental research design.
Procedure
The purpose of this study is to determine if career education programs directly correlate
to graduation rates and post-secondary enrollment of at-risk students. Completing the IRB
Expedited Review form is the first step in the procedure to ensure that the institution allows the
research to continue. Participants for this study will be selected from the population of high
school students (grades 10 through 12) enrolled at Scottsbluff High School in Scottsbluff,
Nebraska. Sixty students will be divided evenly into two groups. Contact and consent will then
be sought from students and parent/legal guardian. 30 participants will be selected as part of the
experimental group based on enrollment in a career education program (CHOICES). 30
matching participants will be selected as part of the control group based on not being enrolled in
a career education program (not enrolled in CHOICES). Each participant of the two groups to be
selected will identify as: (a) from poverty or the lower middle class, and (b) Hispanic, Caucasian,
or other. Each of the two comparative groups will be comprised of 60% Hispanic, 30%

CARRER EDUCATION FOR AT-RISK TEENS

10

Caucasian, 10% other, and 50% female participants and 50% male participants. All sixty
participants will be categorized as the lower middle class or below. The experimental group will
participate in an average of two hours of career and technical education weekly for three full
school years. The control group will not participate in any career education program or course.
Both the experimental and control group will participate in regular high school classes required
to graduate from Scottsbluff High School: (a) 30 credits of math, (b) 30 credits of science, (c) 35
credits of social studies, (d) 40 credits of English, (e) 10 credits of physical education, (f) 10
credits of fine arts, and (g) a total of 263 credits required to graduate. Student data on attendance,
office referrals, and grade point average (GPA) will be collected utilizing the school districts
Infinite Campus system annually at the conclusion of each school year. Post-secondary activity
data will be collected via student interviews conducted between May 15th and June 1st for the four
consecutive years following graduation. The CHOICES Data Collection Tool will be used to
collect data of the experimental and control groups annually. This collection of data will continue
as the participants continue through high school and the first four years following high school. At
the conclusion of the seven year window (grade 10 being year 1), the data analysis process will
begin.
Data Analysis Plan
After the conclusion of the seven year data collection process, the following statistical
measurements will be analyzed for both the control and the experimental group. Each dependent
variable will be analyzed separately based on the data gathered. For the dependent variables 1,
2, and 3, the Pearson r correlation coefficient will be utilized. This test is most appropriate based
on the fact that these dependent variables are expressed as ratios, and each individuals score
before the experiment will be compared to their score after the experiment. The Pearson r will

CARRER EDUCATION FOR AT-RISK TEENS

11

then allow us to interpret if there is correlation between the students pre and post scores in
attendance, GPA, and office referrals. In the event that there is no linear correlation which is
required for the effectiveness of the Pearson r test, the data will be analyzed using the Spearman
rho correlation. The contingency is based upon the notion that Spearman test may prove more
appropriate given some of the variables and the nature of human studies. In conclusion, one of
the two or the combination of the previously listed analysis strategies should prove to be
applicable methods to analyze and interpret the data.
1. Attendance
The percentage of days present will be found by dividing the days present by total
number of days per school year for each participant throughout the entirety of high
school. These percentages will then be used to find the mean, median, standard deviation,
and range of the attendance of the control group and the experimental group. The two
groups mean, median, range, and standard deviation will then be compared. The standard
measure of a z score will be found for each individual to compare individuals.
2. Grade Point Average (GPA)
The GPA will be analyzed by finding the change in each students GPA from the
conclusion of the participants 9th grade year to the conclusion of the students 12th grade
year. The change in GPA will then be analyzed for each group using mean, median,
standard deviation and range. The two groups mean, median, range, and standard
deviation will then be compared. The standard measure of a z score will be found for
each individual to compare individuals.
3. Office Referrals

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12

The office referrals will be analyzed by finding the change in each students number of
office referrals from the students 9th grade year to 10th grade year, 10th to 11th, and 11th to
12th grade year. The change in the number of office referrals will then be analyzed for
each group using mean, median, standard deviation and range. Note that a negative
change in the numbers is considered positive for the participant and group. The two
groups mean, median, range, and standard deviation will then be compared. The standard
measure of a z score will be found for each individual to compare individuals.
4. Post-secondary Employment
The percentage of each group of participants employed post-secondary will be
determined by dividing the number of students employed by the total number of students
in the group (30). The two percentages of the groups will then be compared.
5. Post-secondary Education
The percentage of each group of participants enrolled in post-secondary education will be
determined by dividing the number of students enrolled previously or currently by the
total number of students in the group (30). The two percentages of the groups will then be
compared.
6. Independent Living
The percentage of each group of participants living independently (without parents) will
be determined by dividing the number of students living independently by the total
number of students in the group (30). The two percentages of the groups will then be
compared.
Time Schedule

CARRER EDUCATION FOR AT-RISK TEENS

13

Budget
All materials necessary will be donated by the CHOICES program. All time will be donated
by the participants and the researchers involved in the study.

CARRER EDUCATION FOR AT-RISK TEENS

14

References
Aliaga, O.A., Kotamraju, P., & Stone, J.R. (2014). Understanding participation in secondary
career and technical education in the 21st Century: Implications for policy and practice.
High School Journal, 97, 128-158.
Castellano, M., Stringfield, S., Stone, J. I., & National Dissemination Center for Career and
Technical Education, C. O. (2002). Career and technical education reforms and
comprehensive school reforms in high schools: Their impact on education outcomes for
at-risk youth. The Highlight Zone: Research @ Work.
Airasian, P., Gay, L. R., & Mills, G. E. (2012). Educational research: Competencies for analysis
and applications. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.
Malloy, J. M., Sundar, V., Hagner, D., Pierias, L., & Viet, T. (2010). The Efficacy of the RENEW
model: Individualized school-to-career services for youth at risk of school dropout.
Journal of At-Risk Issues, 15(2), 19-26