Technical Education Curriculum

After years of being considered second rate to traditional academic courses, technical education (formerly called vocational education) now finds itself center stage in the reform of the high school curriculum. According to the U.S. Department of Education, enrollment shot up from 1990 to 2005 by 57%, from 9.6 million students in 1990 to 15.1 million students in 2005. This increase is at least partly the result of the growth of career academiessmall schools-within-schools focused on career paths or themes. Designed to make high school more relevant to students, there were 2,500 career academies in the United States by 2007. During the past decade, college-bound and high-achieving students who wouldn't have considered taking vocational education courses are now moving to them. Likewise, students enrolled in technical ...