Policy Recommendations to Meet High Demand for Career and Technical Education in Massachusetts 

Shaun M. Dougherty | Rappaport Institute: Policy Brief (2025)

The current system for students to gain access to high-quality CTE programs in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts would benefit from updates to ensure that it can operate in an efficient and fair manner. This memo defines the problem, highlights current structures that impede efficient allocation of resources, and proposes a series of changes to the current system to help meet expressed demand, while considering the role of costs of expansion of access.

Career and Technical Education Teacher Attrition During COVID-19: Insights from Four States

Shaun M. Dougherty, Thomas Goldring, Blake Heller, Roddy Theobald, Yerin Yoon | Georgia Policy Labs (2025)

In this report, we draw on a decade of administrative data from four states (school years 2013-14 to 2023-24) to produce the first multi-state portrait of CTE teacher attrition during the COVID-19 era. Specifically, we document annual attrition for CTE teachers and their non-CTE peers, compare patterns across three distinct COVID-19 phases, and identify the states where losses were most acute.

Evidence-Based Approaches to Designing Effective Career and Technical Education Programs 

Hannah C. Kistler, Shaun M. Dougherty | EdResearch for Action, Annenberg Institute (2025)

This research brief synthesizes decades of evidence to guide district and school leaders on how to design effective Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that expand access and improve student outcomes. By implementing evidence-based design principles, education leaders can ensure CTE fulfills its promise as a pathway to both higher education and meaningful careers.