Making The Case For Tech Prep

1
Making The Case For Tech Prep

• An article by Susan Reese,
• Techniques Contributing Editor

2
Tech PrepWhat is it?

• Dale Parnells The Neglected Majority paper
• Education focusing on applied learning in the
  secondary and post-secondary institutions
• Emphasis on mathematics, science, technology and
  communication
• Raising the bar academically for CTE students
• Focusing on articulation agreements
• Support from 94 STW Opportunities Act, Perkins
  renewal in 98 for the tech prep model
  articulations
• SREB HSTW in many ways aligns with tech prep.

3
Tech PrepWhat Can it Do?

• Can it give students high academic and technical
  skills?
• Can in encourage students to stay in school?
• Can it encourage students to continue education
  at a post-secondary institution?
• Can it raise student scores on standard tests?

4
What About The Data?

• NTPN National Tech Prep Network
• All data reporting is voluntary
• Basically, there is no solid national definitive
  data
• 50 states with 50 different flavors of tech prep
• Most data anecdotal
• U.S. Dept. of Education contracted an
  organization to search showcase best
  practices for Adult Ed Vocational Education.
  They are using tech prep as the standard for
  judging

5

• Its not just about success its about how you
  document success, and now with the No Child Left
  Behind legislation, if you dont have data, you
  might end up not having funding for your
  program.
• NPTN Executive Director David Bond

6
Documented Results

• Georgia Technical college enrollment has
  increased
• Ohio Data from Miami Valley Tech Prep Consortium
  Studies
• (58 schools over 3000 students)
• Comparative study of tech prep to non-tech prep
  students in 2001

7
Documented Results (Oh)

• Business Engineering scored higher in..
• English, Algebra, and cumulative GPA
• Allied Health scored higher in..
• Math and Biology
• Overall withdrawal rates lower
• Less likely to need remediation
• More likely to receive passing grades in their
  first post-secondary mathematics courses
• Higher first year retention rate

8
Documented Results (Tx)

• 5 year study of 10th-12th grade tech prep
  students
• Tech prep students had
• Higher attendance rates
• Lower dropout rates
• Higher senior graduation rate
• Higher number of students completing college prep
  plans
• Articulations grew so rapidly that Texas now has
  some statewide articulation agreements

9
Conclusions

• Although most data is anecdotal, we do have some
  positive data from states like Georgia, Ohio, and
  Texas.
• If improvements have occurred in these states it
  stands to reason that similar results may occur
  in others as data is collected.
• We must document tech prep data to prove its
  effectiveness.
• With No Child Left Behind, this data will help
  make the case for tech prep.