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 Perceptions Of Tech-Prep Progress And Implementation Issues

State coordinators' views of Tech-Prep implementation in their states may provide some important input into ongoing policy development on both Tech-Prep and School-to-Work programs. Perceptions of advances made in and current barriers to Tech-Prep implementation at both the state and local levels offer federal and state officials some guidance on areas that should receive greater or lesser emphasis in discussions of reauthorization of the Perkins Act.

Most state coordinators believe their state has made progress in many aspects of Tech-Prep implementation

Overall, state coordinators are generally pleased with the degree of Tech-Prep development in their states. Coordinators in more than 40 states reported having made some progress or a great deal of progress in each of nine areas (Table II.7). The areas of greatest progress cited by the most coordinators were (1) creating local consortia, (2) infusing Tech-Prep into state or local education reform, and (3) meeting the needs of students who are not bound for four-year colleges.

Despite consortium reporting requirements and ambitious plans for state development of computerized databases, state coordinators indicated that the least progress has been made in collecting and using consortium data on student outcomes. Similarly, although virtually all coordinators reported that state agencies promoted Tech-Prep statewide, the development of state Tech-Prep marketing capacity was rated as an area in which relatively little progress has been made.

TABLE II.7
State Coordinator Perceptions Of Tech-Prep Implementation Progress
(Number of States)
No Progress A Little Progress Some Progress Great Deal of Progress
Development of Clear Definition of Tech-Prep Objectives and Requirements 0 6 22 24
Collections and Use of Local Data on Student Outcomes 9 27 15 1
Development of Awareness and Consensus on Tech-Prep Goals Among Education Officials 1 6 25 20
Development of State-Level Coordination Among Agencies Responsible for Secondary Education, Vocation Education, Postsecondary Education 1 7 20 24
Development of State Promotion/Marketing Capcity 7 18 21 6
Development of State Capacity for Assisting Local Consortia 2 9 22 19
Creation and Operation of Local Consortia 1 1 14 36
Development of Curricula/Instruction Integrating Academic and Vocational Material 0 11 29 12
Collaboration Between Secondary and Postsecondary Institutions 0 4 26 22
Greater Attention to Needs of Students Not Bound for Four-Year Colleges 0 4 20 27
Contribution of Tech-Prep to State and/or Local Education Reform Efforts 0 5 17 30
Contribution of Tech-Prep to State and/or Local Economic Development Efforts 7 23 18 4
Involvement of Business, Industry, and Labor 1 18 24 9
SOURCE: Inventory of State-Level Tech-Prep Activities, fall 1993.

The most substantial obstacles to Tech-Prep implementation are attitudinal

Confirming research by Layton and Bragg (1991), state coordinators reported that community behaviors and perceptions are greater barriers to Tech-Prep development than are details of specific program features (Figure II.4). Coordinators most frequently reported the following factors as somewhat of a problem or a very serious problem: parents' and students' negative attitudes about vocational education (47 states); lack of understanding of the Tech-Prep concept by students, parents, employers, or the community as a whole (43 states); and lack of cooperation between academic and vocational educators (36 states). Inadequate resources at the state level was also commonly rated as a problem (30 states). 

                                 TABLE II.7                STATE COORDINATOR PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS TO                    EFFECTIVE TECH-PREP IMPLEMENTATION                 BARRIER             Federal Tech-Prep ---------------->20                   Guidelines ======>8      Technical Assistance for ------------>17           State Coordinators ==>3      Technical Assistance for ----------------->22               Local Programs ===>5         Curriculum Models for ---------->12    Academic/Voc. Integration ===>5             State Level Staff ---------->13                and Resources ============>17            Coordination Among ----------->16               State Agencies ======>8           Cooperation Between ----------------->21     Local Secondary/Postsec. ====>5           Cooperation Between -------------------->27      Academic/Voc. Educators =======>9      Negative Attitudes Among -------------------->26         Parents and Students =================>21         Lack of Understanding ------------------------>30        of Tech-Prep Concepts ==========>13                              +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+                              0       10      20      30      40      50                                             NUMBER OF STATES                  --->Somewhat of a Problem   ===>Very Serious Problem  SOURCE: Inventory of State-Level Tech-Prep Activities, Fall 1993

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