Dual Goals: The Academic Achievement of College Prep Students with Career Majors

In recent years, “college and career-ready” has become a catchphrase in education policy circles. Since the 1990s, multiple waves of federal reforms have sought to provide Career and Technical Education (CTE) to all students (Stone and Aliaga, 2005). The Common Core State Standards crafted by the National Governor’s Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers emphasize “college and career readiness” (National Governor’s Association and Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010, p. 1). The Obama administration’s blueprint for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act proposes that states implement standards and assessments that measure students’ progress toward readiness for college and careers (US Department of Education, 2011). "We need to make sure we're graduating students who are ready for college and a career," U.S. President Barack Obama said in March 2011. "In the 21st century, it's not enough to leave no child behind. We need to help every child get ahead. We need to get every child on a path to academic excellence." (Jackson, 2011).