One of the top reasons high school students drop out or become disengaged is that they’re bored. They simply don’t see any relevance between real life and the algebraic equations and other concepts they’re learning in school.

Some of these students would be well-served by high-quality career and technical training—it would at least allow them to learn a trade or skill that could help them become gainfully employed, or perhaps lead them to pursue a postsecondary degree.

The Southern Regional Education Board and the Council of Chief State School Officers want states to take the lead on developing these programs. And the federal Perkins Act, the main federal law for vocational training, now requires states to tie career classes to academic standards and high school reforms. This gives an opportunity to teach lessons with a fresh context instead of a drill-and-kill orient toward testing.

Most importantly, such teaching could attract more students to the high-need STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields by helping them understand the relevance of abstract concepts when used in the workplace, says Gene Bottoms, the vice president of SREB.

“There are very few opportunities in high school to take on the habits, thinking, and authentic work in these fields,” he says. “We believe career and technical education can provide that outlet.”

SREB and CCSSO released a report this week that shows the potential of career and technical education programs, with examples from several states and policy recommendations. The report can be found on SREB’s home page.

Joetta Sack-Min, Associate Editor