Understanding SAT® Score Relationships with Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program Outcomes

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Understanding SAT® Score Relationships with Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program Outcomes
Language: English
Authors: Westrick, Paul A., Marini, Jessica P., Shaw, Emily J., College Board
Source: College Board. 2022.
Availability: College Board. 250 Vesey Street, New York, NY 10281. Tel: 212-713-8000; e-mail: research@collegeboard.org; Web site: http://research.collegeboard.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 17
Publication Date: 2022
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Two Year Colleges
Descriptors: College Entrance Examinations, Vocational Education, Outcomes of Education, Grade Point Average, Grade Prediction, Two Year College Students, College Students, Academic Achievement, Academic Persistence
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: SAT (College Admission Test)
Abstract: This SAT® validity study focuses on SAT relationships with student outcomes in career and technical education (CTE) programs at two-year postsecondary institutions. This study draws upon two samples, one with 14,357 students initially enrolled at 55 two-year institutions and another with 46,098 students initially enrolled at 580 institutions. Analyses demonstrate that SAT scores are useful for understanding students' academic performance in CTE programs, as well as their persistence to the second year and degree/certificate completion within three years. The findings show: (1) SAT scores are strongly predictive of academic performance in CTE programs--students with higher SAT scores are more likely to have higher grades in these programs; (2) SAT scores are predictive of student persistence to the second year--students with higher SAT scores are more likely to return for their second year of study; (3) SAT scores are positively related to degree/certificate completion in CTE programs; as students' SAT scores increase, so do students' completion rates; and (4) The aforementioned results hold for students across all CTE programs, and also for the STEM-focused and trade-focused CTE programs separately analyzed in this study. Taken together, this study provides strong evidence that the SAT can be a useful tool for understanding and evaluating student readiness for CTE programs and students' subsequent success in these programs. In particular, we can see that many lower performing students on the SAT can still be successful in the CTE programs studied, and as expected, stronger SAT performance is associated with more positive outcomes for these students.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2022
Accession Number: ED618891
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:This SAT® validity study focuses on SAT relationships with student outcomes in career and technical education (CTE) programs at two-year postsecondary institutions. This study draws upon two samples, one with 14,357 students initially enrolled at 55 two-year institutions and another with 46,098 students initially enrolled at 580 institutions. Analyses demonstrate that SAT scores are useful for understanding students' academic performance in CTE programs, as well as their persistence to the second year and degree/certificate completion within three years. The findings show: (1) SAT scores are strongly predictive of academic performance in CTE programs--students with higher SAT scores are more likely to have higher grades in these programs; (2) SAT scores are predictive of student persistence to the second year--students with higher SAT scores are more likely to return for their second year of study; (3) SAT scores are positively related to degree/certificate completion in CTE programs; as students' SAT scores increase, so do students' completion rates; and (4) The aforementioned results hold for students across all CTE programs, and also for the STEM-focused and trade-focused CTE programs separately analyzed in this study. Taken together, this study provides strong evidence that the SAT can be a useful tool for understanding and evaluating student readiness for CTE programs and students' subsequent success in these programs. In particular, we can see that many lower performing students on the SAT can still be successful in the CTE programs studied, and as expected, stronger SAT performance is associated with more positive outcomes for these students.