In April of 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report stating that approximately 68 percent of high school graduates from the class of 2007 enrolled in college by October of that year. Although some of the remaining 32 percent may have entered college since then, most transitioned directly into the workforce. To help ensure that non-college-going graduates are prepared for the demands of the labor market, some states offer students the opportunity to earn career-technical endorsements as they work towards their high school diplomas. In Quality Counts 2008, the EPE Research Center found that a standard high school diploma with a career-technical specialization or an industry-recognized certificate are awarded by the majority of states, 36 and 40 respectively. Thirty-three states (including the District of Columbia) provide both options, while only eight states offer neither.
For more state-by-state data on high school standards and other topics, search the EPE Research Center’s Education Counts database.
