Vocational Students Lag In Achievement, Report Says

By Sean Cavanagh

Vocational education students today are far more likely to enroll in academically demanding classes than they were a decade ago, though they continue to lag behind their peers in test scores, completing high school, and going to college, a federal report shows.

The National Assessment of Vocational Education, an independent report mandated by Congress, also concludes that career and technical programs still fall short in areas such as teacher quality.

In addition, the federal government’s many aims for vocational students—from improved academic achievement and college-going rates to stronger technical skills—contribute to a "lack of clarity" over the program’s...