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

State Technical Assistance And Evaluation

State agencies can play an important role in Tech-Prep development that goes beyond the allocation of grants to local consortia. The extent of state non-financial support and assistance to consortia can greatly affect the pace of local program implementation, and enable consortia to direct resources effectively. State-level evaluation and data collection requirements and guidance can promote greater accountability among local consortia, provide feedback to enhance program implementation, and offer information necessary for state and federal policy development.

State agencies help to promote Tech-Prep statewide

Every state reported working to increase general awareness of Tech-Prep concepts statewide during FY 1993. The vast majority of states conducted workshops or conferences about Tech-Prep (49 states) and/or used print media, such as press releases or fliers, to distribute information (42 states). Thirty states distributed Tech-Prep videos for promotional purposes. Fewer than 10 states relied on radio or television announcements.

Virtually all states provided technical assistance to local Tech-Prep consortia

Most states actively support the development of local consortia. State agency staff in 48 of the 52 states reported making a substantial effort during FY 1993 to provide technical assistance to help local Tech-Prep consortia plan, implement, or enhance their Tech-Prep programs.

States reported engaging in many technical assistance activities during FY 1993 (Figure II.2). In 45 states, state agency staff visited at least some local consortium sites to work with them on program development issues. In 42 states, state-level personnel conducted workshops or conferences for consortium staff. In somewhat fewer states (32), agency personnel arranged for consultants to help individual Tech-Prep programs. Thirty of the 48 states that worked to provide technical assistance developed applied academic curricula at the state level for use by local programs. Less common state technical assistance activities included developing new technical curricula, competency assessment tools, skill standards, and methods for skill certification.

                                 FIGURE II.2                  STATE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE METHOD, FY 1993      TYPE OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE                  Tech-Prep Videos ----------->19             Workshops/Conferences ----------------------------->42             Visits by State Staff ------------------------------>45               Outside Consultants ---------------------->32              Funds to Participate --------->12                   in Conferences         Information Clearinghouse ----------------------->35  Development of Applied Curricula -------------------->30         Development of Competency -------->12                 Assessment Tools    Development of Skill Standards --------->15         Development of Competency ------->10                    Certification                                  +------+------+------+------+------+                                  0      10     20     30     40     50                                             NUMBER OF STATES  SOURCE: Inventory of State-Level Tech-Prep Activities, Fall 1993

Workshops conducted by state agency staff cover a wide range of Tech-Prep topics

Responses from state Tech-Prep coordinators to the fall 1993 survey suggest that many topics are considered important at conferences or workshops held by state staff. Fifty-one states held statewide or regional conferences during FY 1993 that either focused entirely on Tech-Prep (40 states) and/or that included discussion of Tech-Prep issues on the agenda (48 states). Montana was the only state that did not organize workshops or conferences addressing Tech-Prep topics that year.

State coordinators considered many staff development/technical assistance topics to have been important in FY 1993 and indicated that these topics would continue to be important in FY 1994 (Figure II.3). 

                               FIGURE II.3                STATE COORDINATOR PERCEPTIONS OF IMPORTANT                       TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TOPICS                  TOPIC          General Familiarity ------------------------------>38      with Tech-Prep Concepts ===============================>40         Promoting Acceptance -------------------------->34                of Tech-Prep ====================================>45       Integrating Vocational -------------------------->35      and Academic Education =====================================>47       Curriculum Development ----------------->23                             =============================>38      Secondary/Postsecondary -------------------->28                Articulation ==============================>39  Serving Special Populations ----------->14                             ==================>24             Improving Career -------------------->27      Development Counseling ==============================>39                Improving Job --->4        Placement Assistance =============>18         Evaluating Tech-Prep ----------->15                             =============================>37       Improving Business and ------------------->23          Industry Relations ==============================>38                             +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+                                  0       10      20      30      40      50                                             NUMBER OF STATES                     --->FY 1993    ===>FY 1994  SOURCE: Inventory of State-Level Tech-Prep Activities, Fall 1993

The topics that state coordinators consider most critical focus on the general approach to Tech-Prep, rather than on specific implementation features. These ratings suggest that many consortia are still working on basic Tech-Prep concepts.

Monitoring local consortia is a common practice

Nearly all states have established consortium monitoring and reporting procedures. During FY 1993, staff in 44 states visited at least some consortia to monitor their progress. Fifty-one states had established procedures obligating consortia to report their progress to state agencies. All but three of the 51 states had developed a schedule of submission for these local consortium reports. Twenty-seven states required reports once per year, 11 states required them twice per year, and the rest required them three or four times each year.

Forty-six states required consortia to submit specific elements in their reports to state agencies. The most commonly required topics were reports on the use of grant funds (45 states), staff development activity (40 states), changes in the program plan (36 states), consortium membership (34 states), and planning activities (33 states). Implementation problems, approaches to program evaluation, and results of program evaluation are required report components in about 30 states.

Some states require consortia to report on student participation and outcomes

Consortium documentation of student participation and outcomes is reportedly a priority in many states. Thirty-four states require consortia to inform state agencies of the number of students involved in Tech-Prep, and 28 of these also require data on some outcome measures. State agencies most frequently required outcome data on secondary-school program completion (23 states), postsecondary program enrollment (23 states), postsecondary program completion (20 states), and students' academic skills (17 states). Reports on job placements and students' technical skills/competencies were required in 15 and 14 states, respectively.

Despite these reporting requirements, relatively few consortia could provide counts of Tech-Prep participants and their outcomes for the national Tech-Prep survey in fall 1993. The extent of and possible barriers to consortium reporting of these data are discussed in greater detail in Chapters VI and IX.

Few states have implemented databases of Tech-Prep student data

Most state coordinators reported creating or planning to create computerized databases containing information on individual Tech-Prep students. These databases may be extensions of or additions to existing state-level computer recordkeeping, rather than systems developed exclusively to document Tech-Prep students.

As of fall 1993, most states either lacked a plan to develop a system (12 states) or were in the process of planning one (25 states). Six states reported testing a database. Nine states were implementing a computerized student database, either partially (seven states) or fully (two states).7 Among the 40 consortia that were planning (or had implemented) a database, the most common secondary level-elements expected to be included in the systems are enrollment by career cluster or occupational specialty (33 states), diploma or degree attainment (28 states), and job placement data (28 states).

These state databases largely depend on local collection of data. The extent to which consortia are able to and actually collect data on Tech-Prep students is explored in Chapter X.

7 Partial imlementation was defined as having a computerized system in which data were available on some Tech-Prep students or some areas of the state, but not on all students or areas.
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