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The purpose of this study was to examine whether special education students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) participating in Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes during high school demonstrate significantly different amounts of time to graduation compared to their peers who do not participate in CTE classes.
Data collection involved using pre-existing information from the district's student information system. An Excel spreadsheet with relevant student demographic and academic information was utilized. The district data manager provided a spreadsheet with 3,567 student records to analyze differences between CTE and non-CTE participants. The results revealed that CTE participation significantly impacted graduation rates, particularly for both general education and special education (SPED) students. CTE participants were more likely to graduate, with this effect being especially notable for SPED students, including those who took longer than four years to finish high school. From the data analysis, three main themes emerged. First, CTE participation served as a strong support system for students, improving graduation rates for both general education and SPED populations. Second, while CTE did not shorten the time to graduate for general education students, it was particularly beneficial for SPED students who needed more than four years, helping them stay engaged and complete their education. Lastly, gender was a significant predictor of CTE credit accumulation, with males earning more credits than females, pointing to potential disparities in participation that may need to be addressed.