Pathways to Academic and Career Success: Understanding Texas High School Students' Choice of Endorsements. Policy Brief

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4

High School Students; Career Readiness; State Legislation; Educational Legislation; Vocational Education; STEM Education; Business; Industry; Public Service; Humanities; Minority Group Students; Advantaged; Economically Disadvantaged; At Risk Students; Special Education; Gender Differences; Racial Differences; Academically Gifted; Enrollment Rate

To support youths' early motivation for higher education and careers, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 5 in 2013 to adopt a new foundation high school program, which allows students to pursue endorsements as they begin 9th Grade. Endorsements prepare high-school students for specific STEM, business, public service, arts and humanities, and multidisciplinary career pathways. The purpose of this policy brief is to present preliminary research findings showing the extent to which Texan students take advantage of endorsement opportunities and whether pathways chosen are differentiated by individual characteristics. Findings show patterns of academic and vocational endorsement pathways that are differentiated by socio-demographic factors (i.e., gender, race/ethnicity, socio-economic status).

ERIC

2021

ED615461