The Architecture of Expected Wage Gaps: Between- and Within-School Sources of Career Education Inequality

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Bibliographic Details
Title: The Architecture of Expected Wage Gaps: Between- and Within-School Sources of Career Education Inequality
Language: English
Authors: Kenneth A. Shores, Hojung Lee, Arielle Lentz, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Source: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2024.
Availability: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 46
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Reports - Research
Descriptors: Salary Wage Differentials, Career and Technical Education, Student Characteristics, Career Pathways, Disadvantaged, Gender Differences, Racial Differences, Social Differences, Institutional Characteristics
Geographic Terms: Delaware
Abstract: Using administrative data from Delaware and aggregate occupational wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this paper examines expected wage inequality in Career and Technical Education (CTE) by analyzing how student demographics relate to selection into programs of study (POS) with different expected wages. Through multilevel mixed-effects modeling, we find substantial gaps in expected wages across student subgroups, with traditionally disadvantaged students selecting into lower-wage pathways. Our decomposition analyses reveal that gender wage gaps primarily stem from within-school factors, while racial and socioeconomic gaps are largely driven by between-school differences. Investigating potential mechanisms, we find that student selection patterns into POS contribute more to these inequalities than schools' program offerings. These results suggest that policy interventions should be tailored by subgroup: addressing within-school practices for gender gaps while focusing on between-school resources and supports for racial and socioeconomic disparities. The findings demonstrate how early career preferences may contribute to eventual wage inequality and highlight opportunities for targeted early intervention.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED665385
Database: ERIC
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