Ethnic and gender-based inequities present in CTE clusters

From left to right: Dr. Joel R. Malin, Dr. Asia Fuller 
Hamilton, and Dr. Donald G. Hackmann

Researchers at the University of Illinois and Miami University have published the results of a study entitled “Racial/Ethnic and Gender Equity Patterns in Illinois High School Career and Technical Education” on the Journal of Career and Technical Education (JCTE).

The authors reported that creating racial/ethnic and gender equity in the workplace begins with the preparation that students receive in the PK-12 education system. While jobs are expanding in high-tech fields, postsecondary institutions are producing insufficient numbers of graduates within those fields. Focusing on historically marginalized populations within high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs is one way of addressing this problem.  Women, non-Hispanic Blacks, and Hispanics have consistently been underrepresented in STEM occupations (Beede, Julian, Langdon et al., 2011; Beede, Julian, Khan et al., 2011) and racial and ethnic inequities in CTE STEM course enrollments restrict access to STEM fields in postsecondary educational experiences and in STEM occupations.

Thus, in Racial/Ethnic and Gender Equity Patterns in Illinois High School Career and Technical Education, authors Asia Fuller Hamilton, Joel Malin, and Donald Hackmann examined Illinois high school student enrollments in Career and Technical Education courses in STEM career cluster areas and STEM pathways, as defined by the Illinois Race to the Top application parameters. The authors noted that the results of the study suggested that:

1. Significant gender-based inequities were found in certain career cluster areas, with more equitable patterns in others.
2. Student enrollments within STEM career clusters included substantially greater male than female participation (64.1% male, 35.9% female)
3. Non-STEM clusters showed reverse enrollment patterns (55.0% female, 45.0% male).
4. Conspicuous racial/ethnic participation differences in Illinois CTE enrollments were found in several career clusters, including an overrepresentation of White students in every career cluster and underrepresentation of Black students in all but one career cluster.
5. Participation rates in Illinois CTE courses showed White and Asian participation rates were greater in STEM than non-STEM career clusters. However, reverse patterns were found for Black (12.1% STEM, 14.1% non-STEM), Hispanic (14.8% STEM, 16.3% non-STEM), and “other” racial/ethnic groups (2.6% STEM, 2.9% non-STEM). 

Based on the results of their study, the authors recommended examining and influencing changes in inequitable practices within CTE STEM areas provided for state, local, and federal policy makers and school practitioners. The authors indicated that these findings hold great importance because they draw attention to inequities within Illinois high school CTE programs with respect to gender and race/ethnicity, which they hope will ultimately lead to the expansion of access and opportunities for marginalized populations within these programs.

Reading/Downloading Full Articles
The full version of this article may be accessed as part of Volume 30, Issue 1 (Winter 2015) issue of the Journal of Career and Technical Education, available at http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JCTE/v30n1/

Submitting Manuscripts for Publication
To submit manuscripts and preparation guidelines, please visit the JCTE's page at http://cwe-usf-ott.blogspot.com/p/jcte.html