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Running a Business in High School: Selection into the Virtual Enterprises Program. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1329

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Title: Running a Business in High School: Selection into the Virtual Enterprises Program. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1329
Language: English
Authors: Tiffany Berglund, Lindsay Daugherty, Katherine Hughes, Umut Özek, Nazia Wolters, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Source: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2026.
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: 52
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Contract Number: R305A210198
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Entrepreneurship, High School Students, School Business Relationship, Work Based Learning, Career and Technical Education, Enrollment, Public Schools, Teacher Attitudes, Student Attitudes, School Personnel, Student Placement, Student Characteristics, Student Participation
Geographic Terms: New York (New York), California
Abstract: To better prepare high school students for the workforce, many schools and districts are building career and technical education coursework that provides students with the opportunity to deeply engage in work-based learning. Virtual Enterprises (VE) is a program where students open school-based enterprises, hold positions in the company (e.g., Chief Executive Officer, Marketing Director), sell products on a virtual market with other participating schools, and engage in regional and national competitions. We first examine how schools enroll students in VE courses, drawing on a survey of VE teachers across the country and interviews with school staff in two districts. We find that some schools have selective processes to determine which students will participate, and VE programs in Kern High School District and New York City Public Schools are more likely to be selective than programs nationally. We leverage historical administrative data from Kern High School District and New York City Public Schools to examine the characteristics of students who participate in Virtual Enterprises. We find that VE-takers have significantly higher prior test scores, have lower prior absences and disciplinary incidents, and are significantly less likely to be identified as English learners and special education students. Prior course-taking patterns also differ for VE-takers. The differences in characteristics of VE-takers cannot be fully explained by sorting into schools or pathways. Survey data from six schools across the two districts indicate that VE-takers have different exposure to work and work-based learning prior to entering the course. VE-takers also demonstrate higher levels of career readiness at baseline according to measures of professionalism, leadership, and financial literacy. Schools should consider the tradeoffs of establishing selective processes for CTE programs. Enrolling high-performing students who can navigate more complex application processes may result in stronger engagement and improved performance in competitions, but selective processes may limit opportunities for students who could benefit from intensive work-based learning experiences.
Abstractor: As Provided
IES Funded: Yes
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED678270
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Running a Business in High School: Selection into the Virtual Enterprises Program. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1329
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  Data: 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/
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  Data: To better prepare high school students for the workforce, many schools and districts are building career and technical education coursework that provides students with the opportunity to deeply engage in work-based learning. Virtual Enterprises (VE) is a program where students open school-based enterprises, hold positions in the company (e.g., Chief Executive Officer, Marketing Director), sell products on a virtual market with other participating schools, and engage in regional and national competitions. We first examine how schools enroll students in VE courses, drawing on a survey of VE teachers across the country and interviews with school staff in two districts. We find that some schools have selective processes to determine which students will participate, and VE programs in Kern High School District and New York City Public Schools are more likely to be selective than programs nationally. We leverage historical administrative data from Kern High School District and New York City Public Schools to examine the characteristics of students who participate in Virtual Enterprises. We find that VE-takers have significantly higher prior test scores, have lower prior absences and disciplinary incidents, and are significantly less likely to be identified as English learners and special education students. Prior course-taking patterns also differ for VE-takers. The differences in characteristics of VE-takers cannot be fully explained by sorting into schools or pathways. Survey data from six schools across the two districts indicate that VE-takers have different exposure to work and work-based learning prior to entering the course. VE-takers also demonstrate higher levels of career readiness at baseline according to measures of professionalism, leadership, and financial literacy. Schools should consider the tradeoffs of establishing selective processes for CTE programs. Enrolling high-performing students who can navigate more complex application processes may result in stronger engagement and improved performance in competitions, but selective processes may limit opportunities for students who could benefit from intensive work-based learning experiences.
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      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 52
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Entrepreneurship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: High School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Business Relationship
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      – SubjectFull: Work Based Learning
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      – SubjectFull: Career and Technical Education
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      – SubjectFull: Public Schools
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      – SubjectFull: Teacher Attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: School Personnel
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      – SubjectFull: Student Placement
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      – SubjectFull: Student Characteristics
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      – SubjectFull: New York (New York)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: California
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Running a Business in High School: Selection into the Virtual Enterprises Program. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1329
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