ROP: good news no matter what students plan for the future: graduates report higher wages and higher college attendance rates.

High school graduates who completed career-technical Regional Occupational courses while still in high school earned higher wages in general than similar high school graduates who did not take these courses. This is according to a study recently completed by the University of California, Riverside. The study was conducted by Douglas Mitchell of UCR and facilitated by Laurel Adler, superintendent of East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program and Technical Center

This study is the third statewide study of students who had completed ROC/P programs while in high school. For this study, more than 4,000 students throughout California were part of the research, which looked at the transcripts of both the former ROP students and similar non-ROP students from the same high schools in the graduating class of 2004. The study was funded by the California Department of Education.

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Students' transcripts showed that while in high school, the students who had enrolled in the ROP courses had raised their grade point averages between the 10th and 12th grade more rapidly than the comparison students. This was despite the fact that the average 10th grade GPAs of ROP students had been lower than the comparison groups, as had their 10th and 11th grade CST scores.

Students report higher wages, college attendance rates

Students were also contacted about one year after graduation to find out how they were faring in jobs and in college. ROC/P graduates reported significantly higher wage rates in all categories. The former ROP students were averaging $1.57 an hour more than graduates who had not taken these courses. The former ROP students were also getting promotions and pay increases at higher rates than the comparison students.

In addition to their post-high school jobs, former ROP students were also attending college in large numbers. "The results of this study seem to indicate that today's graduates do not have to face a choice of college or work, but with a combination of academic and career studies, they can, in fact, achieve both," said Mitchell.

The study also showed that on average, minority students who completed ROP courses made higher incomes than all ethnicities of the comparison group, including white students. Female students who completed ROP courses made higher wages than both males and females who did not complete ROP courses.

"These findings suggest that ROP career tech courses can be a highly effective strategy for a broad range of high school students, including those who confront significant challenges to their success," Mitchell said. ROP graduates are also optimistic about their futures. The students were surveyed just before they were to graduate, and a large majority of them believed they were well prepared for their futures. Mitchell said that "their post-high school successes seem to indicate that their optimism was born out."

The data paint a picture of ROC/P students who are improving their academic achievement, going on to post-secondary instruction, increasing their employability skills and obtaining higher-wage jobs.

Employment in upwardly mobile careers

California's ROC/Ps, established by the Legislature in 1967, are now serving more than half a million students. The primary purpose of ROC/Ps is to provide career preparation that includes both the technical skills and related preparation for meeting statewide standards that enable students to be employed in upwardly mobile careers and successfully continue into post-secondary education.

More than 100 different ROC/P career/technical areas are taught in courses offered throughout the state, falling under 15 industry sectors such as business, agriculture, computer technologies, construction manufacturing, health care, automotive and other transportation technologies, child development and teaching occupations, public service and marketing.

By state law, ROC/Ps must offer courses that are based upon actual labor market demand. More than 18,000 businesses and industry representatives are involved in the development and monitoring of ROC/P curriculum in California, and more than 35,000 businesses throughout California offer internships to students.

"I am very encouraged by the results of this study," said Adler. "I hope that we will continue to do additional research on the impact of CTE on California's students."

For more information or a complete copy of the study, contact Laurel Adler at [e-mail] or [phone].

Laurel Adler is superintendent of the East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program and Technical Center in West Covina. She will be leading a workshop on the findings of this study at the upcoming Leadership Summit, being held Nov. 8-10 in Santa Clara.