The National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) Career/Technical Education Statistics (CTES) system derives data about career/technical education primarily from existing NCES surveys. Some of the most informative data in the CTES system are from high school transcript data. This method of obtaining data provides a more accurate and complete picture of participation in career/technical education than can be obtained by other means. The CTES system also uses data from NCES' surveys of postsecondary students, secondary and postsecondary faculty, adult learners, and from longitudinal surveys that track students through high school and into the labor market and/or postsecondary education.
The primary use of the CTES system is to report on the status of career/technical education. NCES has published several reports on career/technical education topics, including student participation, staff characteristics, and adult education for work. These publications include Vocational Education in the United States: Toward the Year 2000, the most recent NCES publication that synthesizes career/technical education data at the secondary and postsecondary levels. In addition, the CTES system is a primary data source for the Perkin's Act periodic, congressionally mandated evaluations of career/technical education.
For additional information about the CTES system, contact Lisa Hudson at lisa.hudson@ed.gov or (202) 502-7358.
