Advance CTE Making Good on the Promise Part 2
Making Good on the Promise: Part 2
Examining Access and Achievement Gaps
Data can help CTE leaders understand who is participating in programs, who is succeeding, and where differences in access or outcomes may exist.
Examining Access and Achievement Gaps, the second brief in Advance CTE's Making Good on the Promise series, focuses on using data to identify patterns, examine differences among learner groups, and investigate the conditions that may contribute to those differences.
Data Can Reveal a Gap, But Not Always Its Cause
Disaggregated data can help identify differences in CTE participation and performance. Understanding why those differences exist requires looking beyond the numbers and examining learner experiences, local policies, program practices, and other conditions that may affect access and success.
Look Beyond Overall Program Results
Aggregate data can hide important differences among groups of learners. Examining data by learner population, program of study, institution, and other relevant characteristics can help identify patterns that may not be visible in overall results.
Disaggregated data can help CTE leaders determine whether some learners are underrepresented or overrepresented in particular programs and whether differences exist in participation, performance, completion, or other outcomes.
Questions to Ask of Your Data
- Can all learners access high-quality CTE programs of study?
- What does meaningful access look like in your local context?
- Are some learner groups overrepresented or underrepresented in particular programs of study or Career Clusters?
- Where are the most significant differences in participation, performance, or completion?
- Are these patterns present across the consortium, or are they concentrated within particular schools, colleges, programs, or locations?
- What additional information is needed to better understand the patterns shown in the data?
Examine What Access Really Means
A program may exist in a community without being equally accessible to every learner. Transportation, scheduling, program capacity, admissions requirements, prerequisites, awareness of opportunities, and other conditions can influence whether learners are actually able to participate.
When an access gap appears in the data, consider the conditions surrounding the program rather than assuming the difference is based on learner interest or choice alone.
Move from Identifying Gaps to Understanding Root Causes
Identifying a difference in the data is the beginning of the inquiry, not the conclusion. Root cause analysis can help local leaders explore the policies, practices, resources, and experiences that may be contributing to an access or performance gap.
Look Beyond the Numbers
Consider combining quantitative data with information gathered from:
- Learners and former learners;
- Families and caregivers;
- Teachers, faculty, counselors, and advisors;
- Special population representatives and support staff;
- Community and workforce partners; and
- Program leaders and administrators.
Consider This in Your CLNA
When your CLNA data reveal a gap, avoid moving immediately to a solution. First ask:
- What does the data show? Identify the specific difference in access, participation, performance, or outcomes.
- Who is experiencing the gap? Disaggregate the data to determine which learner groups are most affected.
- Where is the gap occurring? Look across programs, institutions, locations, and learner transitions.
- What may be contributing to the gap? Examine policies, practices, resources, program structures, and other conditions.
- What do learners and stakeholders tell us? Use their experiences and perspectives to help interpret the quantitative data.
From Data to Action
Effective improvement strategies begin with a clear understanding of both the gap and its root causes. Use the findings from your data analysis and stakeholder engagement to identify actions that address the conditions contributing to the gap rather than only its symptoms.