TECH PREP IN VIRGINIA

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TECH PREP IN VIRGINIA

• Dr. Billie Nichols
• PEER Coordinator
• John Tyler Community College
• 13101 Jefferson Davis Highway
• Chester, VA 23834
• 804.706.5163
• bnichols_at_jtcc.edu
• http//www.jtcc.edu/peer/

• Harvey L. Crone
• CAPER Coordinator
• J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
• P. O. Box 85622
• Richmond, VA 23285-5622804.371.3979
• hcrone_at_jsr.vccs.edu
• http//www.org.jsr.edu/Caper

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TECH PREP IN VIRGINIA

• An innovative approach to high school, college
  and career education.

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What is Tech Prep?

• A Tech Prep program is a combined secondary and
  minimum of two-year postsecondary seamless,
  integrated program of study with options for
  work-based learning. This program has a
  placement component that leads to employment and
  further education which may include a four-year
  degree.

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Articulated Credit

• Articulated credit encourages students to
  continue their education beyond high school by
  defining a specific set of courses, with
  competencies identified.
• Students are granted postsecondary credit for
  course work completed in high school when they
  enroll at the community college in an articulated
  program and satisfy defined academic requirements.

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Dual Enrollment

• Curriculum and text books are the same as those
  used at the college.
• Classes are taught at the high school or students
  may go to the community college.
• Upon successful completion of the course, or
  courses, students in high school receive both
  high school and college credit for identified
  dual enrollment course(s).
• Students may begin college with all or part of
  their freshman credits.

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FUTURE WORKFORCE

• The American economy will produce 18,600,000 new
  jobs between 1996 and 2006.
• High-skill, high-wage technical employment
  requiring a two-year associates degree is the
  fastest-growing segment of the employment market.

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REMEMBER . . . .

• ALL people will go to work
• (we hope!)

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Five Clusters/Skill Groups

• Business/Finance/Marketing
• Manufacturing/Trades/Technical
• Communication/Arts/Media
• Health/Human/Public Services
• Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources

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Five Career Clusters/Skill Groups

• Career clusters were developed to categorize all
  jobs into related groups.
• Clusters help educators assess how their academic
  system addresses the academic and career needs of
  all students, regardless of their career goals,
  and interests, and to help educators bring
  relevancy to education.
• Clusters give students the flexibility to move
  within clusters and investigate a wide range of
  career choices.

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A false image of the future destroys the
relevance of the educational experience.Toffler

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Benefits to Students

• Life-long learning competencies, including skills
  in teamwork, critical thinking and
  problem-solving.
• Systematic matching of the goals of schooling
  with real life.
• Educational and social environments that value,
  nurture and reward knowledge and skills.
• Course sequencing for a smoother transition.

• Active involvement in the learning process and
  career planning.
• Higher expectations and achievement, and
  increased opportunities.
• Less repetition and enhanced postsecondary
  placement opportunities.
• Knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to succeed
  in a high skills, high wage economy.

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Tell me, I forget.Show me, I remember.
Involve me, I understand.Confucius
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ENGAGED LEARNING

• Goals of schooling are matched with real life.
• Knowledge, skills and attitudes are all needed
  for employment success.
• Classroom instruction is relevant and useful.
• Students understand the why to go along with
  the what of academics.
• Students are active learners.

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Benefits to Parents

• Students are engaged in learning.
• Education makes sense and becomes understandable
  to your student.
• More parent student involvement in career
  planning.
• Collaborative partnerships between students,
  parents, educators, government and
  business/industry.

• Coordinated degree programs with identified
  career paths begin in high school and lead to an
  associate degree or higher.
• A focused program of studies includes math,
  science, English/language arts and technology
  taught in an meaningful setting.
• Dual enrollment courses save time and money.
• High educational costs can be avoided.

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Benefits to the Community

• Career guidance keeps students in school,
  reducing dropouts.
• Graduates obtain both education and skills for
  employment today.
• Lifelong learning and transferable skills allow
  employees to grow, develop and adapt on the job.
• Efficient, productive businesses contribute to
  Virginias economic prosperity.

• Business/industry expectations of work ethic are
  integrated into the curriculum.
• Graduates enter the workplace academically and
  technically prepared, reducing employer training
  costs.
• Employees know how to apply knowledge and skills
  to solve work-related problems.

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Collaboration Partnerships

• Education
• School Divisions
• 2 - 4 - Year Colleges
• Technical Colleges
• Technology Councils
• Local Business Councils Chambers of Commerce
• Business Industry

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Educators In Industry

• Visits to area businesses
• Interview executives and employees
• Determine levels of education
• Determine skills used in jobs
• Detail how observed skills can be relevant in the
  classroom
• Write curriculum
• Determine how this supports SOLs
• Change classroom instruction

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What Employers Are Looking For Visits to
business industry indicate that they look
for

• Knowledge and Skills
• Life-long Learning
• Attitude
• Reliability
• Honesty
• Decision-making Skills

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---Shared Responsibility

• The Partnership to Ensure Educational Reform
  (PEER) and the Capitol Area Partners for
  Educational Reform (CAPER) invite school
  divisions, community colleges, local, state, and
  federal governments, chambers of commerce,
  business councils, and other local
  business/industry, and the community at large to
  become Partners in our initiative as we continue
  to link our Communities, Businesses and Schools.

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PEERPartnership To Ensure Educational Reform

• PEER is a Tech Prep consortium dedicated to
  coordinating ongoing cooperation, collaboration,
  and communication between area public school
  divisions, John Tyler Community College, and the
  community-at-large in order to assure excellence
  in academic and career education for all students
  through the Consortiums diverse service region.

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CAPER Capital Area Partners for Educational
Reform

• CAPER is a Tech Prep consortium dedicated to the
  utilization of mutual expertise to affect
  educational reform that will prepare students to
  be life-long learners, able to be productive
  citizens who compete successfully in the global
  economy of the twenty-first century.

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What do Tech Prep Consortia do?

• Broad-based school improvement
• High expectations for all students
• Career exploration and preparation
• Viable career options
• Real world connections
• Actively engage students
• Educator Staff Development
• Engaged classroom learning

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PEER/CAPER Activities

• Educators in Industry
• Summer Externships
• Biotechnology Bonanza
• Bio-Techniques in Teaching
• Ethics For Life
• Staff Development Seminars for Educators
• Guidance Counselors Workshops
• Shadowing, mentoring apprenticeships for
  students

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Three Steps to Creating Success

• 1. Systematic career guidance for students and
  structured feedback for parents
• 2. Explore options for further employment AND an
  occupational pursuit
• 3. Equal status and focused academics
• ALL students graduate with life
• skills necessary for future success
• and life-long learning.

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Strategies to Promote Success

• Develop strategies to promote career maturity
• Consider block/intensive scheduling
• Consider requiring four years of math and science
• Remember the students in the academic middle

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TIPS for Assisting in A Childs Success

• Consider two-year post-secondary technical
  education that can lead to employment
• and/or a four-year degree.
• Be knowledgeable of the realities of todays and
  tomorrows job markets.
• Use the Internet for career information
• Recognize that college degrees do not necessarily
  and automatically equate to success.

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Tips for Parents

• Consider two-year postsecondary technical
  education that can lead to a four-year college
  degree.
• Encourage your student to make choices that keep
  all options open.
• Listen to your child!

• Get actively involved in your childs career
  exploration activities and course selections.
• Focus on postsecondary success, not college
  admissions.
• If one goal is economic security, then dont
  confuse education with occupational skills.

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THE FUTURE?

• If we all communicate and cooperate -
• parents, children, educators,
• business and the community alike -
• we will have a bright future!