Tech Prep is a federal education initiative funded by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act initially authorized in 1990 then reauthorized in 1998. Texas HB 2401 subsequently established the parameters for the operation of Tech Prep in Texas. Texas has 26 regional consortia that coordinate the delivery of services between…

Interviews with secondary and postsecondary teachers and administrators in Minnesota tech prep consortia found that most understood the role of articulation agreements, but little attention was paid to actual compliance. Postsecondary institutions received little funding for implementing agreements. Consortia did not appear to be achieving the…

Describes a study examining the impact of the Tech Prep Education Act on the initial implementation of federally supported Tech Prep Initiatives. Based on telephone survey responses from all 50 state Tech Prep leaders, reviews findings concerning the funding of Tech Prep consortia, state and local administrative structures, policies and goals, and…

In fall 1992, 87 percent of coordinators of funded local tech prep consortia (n=897) completed the third national evaluation survey. Findings indicated the following: formation of new consortia slowed; they grew larger and included a substantial and increasing share of school districts; middle school and postsecondary membership expanded;…

A study examined eight local consortia identified as mature Tech Prep implementers. The four-year research used a mixed-method longitudinal design involving repeated field visits, short and long interviews of key stakeholders, classroom observations, and document review and analysis. About 4,700 Tech Prep and non-Tech Prep participants were…

The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), in collaboration with the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, developed a consortium which introduced tech prep to over 75% of the high schools statewide. The Tech Prep Associate Degree (TPAD) Program provides students with a concrete program of study which begins in 11th…

Data from annual surveys of Tech-Prep consortia that were administered to all local consortia in 1993 and 1994 were analyzed to assess the implementation of key school-to-work features in 1994. Among the study's key findings were the following: Tech-Prep programs of study may help facilitate creation of career major options in school-to-work…

These case studies highlight the diversity of four tech programs that responded with a unique set of organizational policies and procedures to a unique set of challenges. The case study on City Tech Tech-Prep Consortium in Brooklyn focuses on three strategies: transition to City Tech program, postsecondary component, and program evaluation. The…

The national policies on preparing youth for the work force in the United States and Finland were compared through a retrospective review of past policy decisions. Qualitative data were gathered by analyzing key policy documents and by conducting focus group interviews with reform stakeholders within three Finnish experimental school divisions and…

In 1993, 473 (55%) of the nation's 855 local tech prep consortia were surveyed regarding tech prep's goals, policies, practices, and obstacles. The 397 responding consortia (response rate, 84%) were sent follow-up surveys in 1995. Responses were obtained from 339 (85%) of the consortia. The follow-up survey revealed the following: increases in the…

Data from national Tech-Prep surveys that were completed by more than 800 Tech-Prep consortium coordinators in fall 1993 and/or fall 1994 were analyzed to assess the emergence of Tech-Prep at the state and local levels. It was discovered that, between 1993 and 1994, the number of Tech-Prep consortia nationwide increased from 812 to 953, the…

A study examined the status of tech prep in Missouri as of 1993-1994. Data were gathered from a review of the request for proposals of Missouri's 12 consortia, assessment of Missouri's current status of tech prep, and structured interviews with the 12 tech prep coordinators. It was determined that up to 86 secondary schools were initially involved…

This document profiles the diverse approaches to tech-prep taken by 10 local districts across the United States. The tech-prep programs in the following cities are profiled: Dayton, Ohio; Dothan, Alabama; East Peoria, Illinois; Fresno, California; Gainesville, Florida; Hartford, Connecticut; Logan, West Virginia; Salem, Oregon; Springdale,…

The emergence of tech-prep at the state and local levels was examined in a study of the first surveys of state and local coordinators: a survey of all 812 tech-prep consortia receiving Title IIIE funds for school year 1992-93 (response rate 86%) and a state survey of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands (to…

All of Washington's 22 tech prep consortium directors responded to a 1994 survey examining selected aspects of tech prep planning/implementation. Ten of Washington's 22 consortia reported having tech prep students (only 1 of 15 consortia in 1992-93), and secondary student enrollment in tech prep programs totaled 2,203 (170 in 1992-93). All 19…