Better Prepared Students
Research supports the case for Career Academies
New research affirms the impact and effectiveness of career academies, including the more than 500 Academies in the National Academy Foundation network.
The Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, an independent, nonpartisan organization, recently identified Career Academies, the high school reform model that combines academics with career development opportunities, as meeting a "top tier" evidence standard of effectiveness, based on MDRC's long-term evaluation of the program model.
MDRC's study of Career Academies shows that the programs produced sustained employment and earnings gains eight years after scheduled graduation, particularly among young men. Career Academy participants were also more likely to be living independently with children and a spouse or a partner.
The main findings of the MDRC study:
- Career Academies produced sustained earnings gains that averaged 11 percent (or $2,088) more per year for program participants than for individuals in the control group - a $16,704 boost in total earnings over the eight years of follow-up.
- These impacts on earnings are concentrated among young men and students at risk of academic failure. Young men saw an annual earnings gain of 17 percent (or $3,731) - or nearly $30,000 over eight years.
- Career Academies serve as viable pathways to a range of postsecondary education opportunities, but they do not appear to have been more effective than other options available to students. More than 90 percent of the students graduated from high school or received a General Educational Development (GED) certificate, and half earned a postsecondary degree or credential.
- Participants in Career Academies were more likely to be living independently with children and a spouse or a partner, compared to those in the study's control group. Young men were more likely to be married and to be custodial parents.
View the MDRC news release regarding the MDRC study
Photo: A student from the Academy of Hospitality & Tourism at Chief Sealth High School in Seattle, Washington, gives a presentation in an Academy class.
