CTE Policy Past, Present, and Future: Driving Forces behind the Evolution of Federal Priorities

Overview & Synopsis

Federal legislation has driven and been receptive to the vision of a rigorous, relevant career and technical education (CTE) system integrated with academics and aligned across middle school, secondary school, and postsecondary education. This article uses a social policy analysis approach to trace the history of federal CTE policy throughout the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. Through this overview, we demonstrate how federal CTE policy has repeatedly evolved and responded to changing economic and social needs, while also incorporating policy flexibility that has led to variation in program implementation on the state and local levels.