Archived: The Emergence of Tech-Prep at the State and Local Levels

A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

The Emergence of Tech-Prep at the State and Local Levels - 1995

Funding of Local Tech-Prep Consortia

The Perkins Act mandates that states award Title IIIE grants to local consortia, either on a competitive basis or by formula allocation, but gives the states flexibility in shaping many features of their grant programs. State agencies have the latitude to determine the number and duration of grants awarded, as well as their purpose (for example, planning or implementation). The agencies also establish the formula or competitive criteria for grant awards.

Most states award separate consortium grants for planning, implementation, and/or demonstration

Awarding separate grants for different purposes or stages of consortium development is a common practice. Thirty of the 48 states that awarded grants during FY 1993 or FY 1994 awarded different categories of grants, usually for planning and for implementation, and sometimes for demonstration sites to serve as examples for other consortia in the state. The remaining 18 states made no such distinctions in awarding grants.

Across most of the grant types, the number of grants awarded and the average grant amounts were similar in FY 1993 and FY 1994 (Table II.3).⁴ Although many consortia received funding for planning activities in FY 1993, almost the same number of planning grants were awarded in FY 1994 as FY 1993. Nearly identical numbers of combined planning/implementation grants and demonstration grants were awarded for the two years. Only the number of implementation grants increased, by about 17 percent. Average amounts of planning grants and implementation grants were similar in both years. However, the average amounts of combined planning/implementation grants increased in FY 1994, and the average amount of demonstration grants declined.

These results suggest that Tech-Prep is expanding. Because most planning grants are awarded for one year, FY 1994 planning grant awards most likely are to new consortia, rather than to those that had already received grants in previous years. The increase in the average amount for the combined planning/implementation grant may also indicate that consortia are developing beyond a pilot phase and expanding implementation to new districts and schools in the consortium.

Awarding grants to consortia on a competitive basis is most common

Most state agencies used a competitive process to award grants for FY 1994. Thirty-eight states reported using a competition method for at least one type of grant; competition was used most commonly--in 25 of these 38 states--to award combined planning/implementation grants. Only 11 states reported using a formula allocation for any of their Title IIIE grant awards.⁵

States that used a formula to allocate funds applied different criteria. Five of the 11 states awarded a base amount to each consortium that applied for Title IIIE funds. Three states adjusted grant amounts according to the population of vocational education students in the area served by the consortium; two states used the overall student population to determine grant amounts. In one state, Title IIIE funds were allocated on the basis of the general population in the area served by the consortium, rather than by the student population.

TABLE II.3
Number and Amount of Local Tech-Prep Grants, by Type of Grant
(All States)

For FY 1993
(School Year
1992-1993) For FY 1994
(School Year
1993-1994)

PLANNING GRANT
     Number of grants awarded
     Average grant amount
     Minimum amount awarded
     Maximum amount awarded
175
$47,637
$434
$250,000
167
$47,234
$5,000
$250,000

IMPLEMENTATION GRANT
     Number of grants awarded
     Average grant amount
     Minimum amount awarded
     Maximum amount awarded
224
$81,181
$800
$535,166
263
$79,841
$500
$400,000

COMBINED PLANNING/
IMPLEMENTATION GRANT
     Number of grants awarded
     Average grant amount
     Minimum amount awarded
     Maximum amount awarded
380
$85,908
$370
$350,000
376
$122,279
$990
$620,700

DEMONSTRATION GRANT
     Number of grants awarded
     Average grant amount
     Minimum amount awarded
     Maximum amount awarded
15
$73,482
$20,000
$222,700
15
$$50,920
$2,500
$164,950

SOURCE: Inventory of State-Level Tech-Prep Activities, fall 1993

TABLE II.3
Number and Amount of Local Tech-Prep Grants, by Type of Grant
(All States)

	For FY 1993 (School Year 1992-1993)	For FY 1994 (School Year 1993-1994)

PLANNING GRANT Number of grants awarded Average grant amount Minimum amount awarded Maximum amount awarded	175 $47,637 $434 $250,000	167 $47,234 $5,000 $250,000
IMPLEMENTATION GRANT Number of grants awarded Average grant amount Minimum amount awarded Maximum amount awarded	224 $81,181 $800 $535,166	263 $79,841 $500 $400,000
COMBINED PLANNING/ IMPLEMENTATION GRANT Number of grants awarded Average grant amount Minimum amount awarded Maximum amount awarded	380 $85,908 $370 $350,000	376 $122,279 $990 $620,700
DEMONSTRATION GRANT Number of grants awarded Average grant amount Minimum amount awarded Maximum amount awarded	15 $73,482 $20,000 $222,700	15 $$50,920 $2,500 $164,950

Most states award grants on a yearly basis

The duration of Title IIIE grants awarded varies slightly across states. Most states award grants, regardless of their type, for one year (Table II.4). Some states do not solicit applications or award grants every year, because grants are allocated for multiple years. For example, Arkansas, Montana, Tennessee, and Puerto Rico did not receive applications or award any grants for either FY 1993 or FY 1994. In other states in which multiple-year grants are awarded, new grants of some type are made each year because local consortia are on different funding cycles.

TABLE II.4
Number of States Awarding FY 1994 Title IIIE Grants,
by Grant Duration and Type

Number of States Awarding
Grants of Specified Duration

States with
No Grants
Awarded of
This Type One
Year Two
Years Three
Years

Planning Grant 29 18 1 0

Implementation Grant 28 13 4 3

Combined Planning/Implementation Grant 15 22 1 10

Demonstration/Exemplary Programs Grant 41 7 0 0

SOURCE: Inventory of State-Level Tech-Prep, fall 1993.

TABLE II.4
Number of States Awarding FY 1994 Title IIIE Grants,
by Grant Duration and Type

		Number of States Awarding Grants of Specified Duration

	States with No Grants Awarded of This Type	One Year	Two Years	Three Years

Planning Grant	29	18	1	0
Implementation Grant	28	13	4	3
Combined Planning/Implementation Grant	15	22	1	10
Demonstration/Exemplary Programs Grant	41	7	0	0

NOTE: Four states did not award any grants in FY 1994 and are not counted in this table.

Some states allocate state funds as consortium grants

A small number of states used their own funds to supplement Title IIIE grants to consortia in FY 1994, or to make grants to consortia that did not receive Title IIIE funds. North Carolina and Illinois awarded a total of 26 grants to consortia that had not received Title IIIE funding for FY 1994 (Table II.5). Five states (Delaware, Mississippi, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Wisconsin) used state funds to supplement Title IIIE grants awarded to 36 consortia.

The total dollar amounts contributed by the seven states for local consortium development varied considerably, from $9,500 to $2,940,000. In two states, the state grants represented less than five percent of the Title IIIE federal allocation for FY 1994; in the other five states, the grant amounts were more than 20 percent of the federal Tech-Prep allotment. Illinois awarded $2,940,000 to consortia that had not received Title IIIE funds. Delaware awarded an additional $160,000 to a Title IIIE-funded consortium. In these two states, the state contribution represented about 70 percent of their total federal Title IIIE allotments.

TABLE II.5
State-Funded Grants Awarded to Consortia in FY 1994

Number of
Grants Awarded Average State
Grant Amount Awarding
States

State Grants to Consortia Without
Title IIIE Funds

All Grants--Any Type 26 $117,885 IL, NC

    Planning Grant 5 $25,000 NC

    Implementation grant 0 $0 ---

    Combined planning/implementation grant 14 $142,500 IL

    Demonstration/exemplary programs grant 7 $136,724 IL

State Grants to Consortia Receiving
Title IIIE Funds

All Grants--Any Type 36 $55,819 DE, MS, NJ,
WV, WI

    Planning Grant 2 $90,000 DE,MS

    Implementation grant 6 $20,000 MS

    Combined planning/implementation grant 28 $61,054 MS, NJ,
WV, WI

    Demonstration/exemplary programs grant 0 $0 ---

SOURCE: Inventory of State-Level Tech-Prep Activities, fall 1993

TABLE II.5
State-Funded Grants Awarded to Consortia in FY 1994

	Number of Grants Awarded	Average State Grant Amount	Awarding States

State Grants to Consortia Without Title IIIE Funds
All Grants--Any Type	26	$117,885	IL, NC
Planning Grant	5	$25,000	NC
Implementation grant	0	$0	---
Combined planning/implementation grant	14	$142,500	IL
Demonstration/exemplary programs grant	7	$136,724	IL

State Grants to Consortia Receiving Title IIIE Funds
All Grants--Any Type	36	$55,819	DE, MS, NJ, WV, WI
Planning Grant	2	$90,000	DE,MS
Implementation grant	6	$20,000	MS
Combined planning/implementation grant	28	$61,054	MS, NJ, WV, WI
Demonstration/exemplary programs grant	0	$0	---

⁴ The total reported number of grants awarded by state agencies for FY 1993 reported here (794) and the number of FY 1993 Tech-Prep consortia referred to in Chapter III (823) differ for several reasons. The number reported by state Tech-Prep coordinators excludes grants made before FY 1993 that covered multiple years. Consortia receiving such grants were included in our estimate of FY 1993 funded consortia presented in Chapter III.

⁵ Four states used both methods for their FY 1994 grant awards. In two of the four, different methods were applied to different grant categories. In the other two states, a consortium's grant could include a basic formula allocation as well as a portion determined by competition.
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