Background

Tech Prep originated in the 1980s as an attempt both to improve the quality of career and technical education (CTE) and to facilitate the transition of students to post secondary education. It emphasizes integrating academics and technical education, linking secondary and post secondary programs, and achieving a smooth transition from secondary to post secondary in CTE career fields. The 1990 Carl Perkins Act incorporated Tech Prep and continues to fund it through the current Perkins III legislation.

Purpose

The purpose of Tech Prep is to provide a smooth transition between secondary and post secondary education/training programs by linking secondary and post secondary programs into a coherent sequence of non duplicative courses that lead to an industry recognized credential, certificate, degree or apprenticeship. A second purpose of Tech Prep is to improve the quality of Career Technical Education through:

• integrating academic and technical studies designed to prepare students for post secondary studies;
• offering courses that are part of a coherent sequence in a career field;
• offering standards based courses; and
• providing contextual and integrated learning that allows students to see how their education is applied in the world of work.
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Tools

1. Consortia Tech Prep programs ideally operate under a Consortium comprised of the partnership institutions and the businesses or industries of the program’s career fields. The Consortium develops an agreement concerning the relationship of its members and the oversight of the program. Industry participation ensures maintaining up to date standards in the coursework, provides opportunities for Work Based Learning experiences, and strengthens community support for the program.

2. Articulation Agreements Articulation agreements are written agreements between secondary and post secondary education/training providers that delineate a program’s non duplicative and coherent sequential course of study that lead a student to a credential, certificate, degree, and/or apprenticeship. Agreed upon outcomes and assessments assure legitimacy of the agreement. They also delineate the conditions and terms for the awarding of concurrent and/or transfer credits.

3. Concurrent Credit When a secondary and post secondary course meet the same standards, the non duplicative imperative of Tech Prep encourages offering a student concurrent credit for the course. Offering concurrent credit requires a written agreement between the two institutions and the periodic joint review of the standards being met. Concurrent credit ideally should be awarded upon successful course completion indicating that the standards have been achieved; it is less desirable to make it conditional upon subsequent actions or achievements.
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