CTE Mechanisms: The Effects of Career and Technical Education Center Admissions Offers in Baltimore.

This article examines the causal effects of attending Career and Technical Education (CTE) centers on high school outcomes in Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS), using a regression discontinuity (RD) design based on a selective admissions cutoff. The study finds that students offered admission to CTE centers are significantly more likely to complete a CTE pathway and persist in the same high school for four years, indicating enhanced new skill development and engagement. However, these students exhibit lower cumulative GPAs compared to peers in nonselective schools, with no significant differences in SAT scores or ninth-grade attendance at the admission margin. The findings highlight that while selective CTE centers effectively increase career concentration and school persistence, they do not necessarily improve traditional academic performance, suggesting the importance of targeted supports for students near admission thresholds and considerations of equitable access within CTE programming.