Tech Prep/School-to-Work Partnerships: More Trends and Challenges
A few years ago, the National Center for Research in Vocational Education (NCRVE) published the results of our national study of Tech Prep implementation in the United States (Bragg, Layton, & Hammons, 1994). That report indicated that Tech Prep–a relatively new federal initiative designed to improve education by linking vocational subjects with rigorous academics and articulating the secondary and postsecondary levels–had produced a number of promising trends but lingering challenges were evident. In 1993 and 1995, we surveyed local consortia to determine how Tech Prep implementation had changed and/or progressed over time. What we found was encouraging, but issues emerged. Between 1993 and 1995, the Tech Prep concept had spread to more schools and involved more students, but the extent to which it had produced changes in student outcomes was unclear.
In 1996 and 1997, we conducted in-depth field studies in five Tech Prep consortia located in different regions of the United States to learn more about how various approaches to Tech Prep and School-To-Work (STW)–career-oriented programs supported by the federal School-To-Work Opportunities Act (STWOA) designed to assist youth to transition from school to careers–were advancing together. Through interviews and observations, these field studies gave us insights into various facets of Tech Prep implementation, furthering knowledge about changes that are being attempted but also accomplished.
Bragg, D. D., Puckett, P. A., Reger IV, W., Thomas, H. S., Ortman, J., & Dornsife, C. (1997, December). Tech Prep/School-to-Work partnerships: More trends and challenges. Berkeley, CA: National Center for Research in Vocational Education.