This document represents the findings of the Greater Akron and Canton Regional Chambers of Commerce under an Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and Ohio Department of Development Graduate Retention Initiative (GRI) Planning Grant. The document also includes a proposal for the implementation phase of the initiative with a geographic scope…

This article provides a broad overview of the history of career-focused education in the United States and the reauthorization of the federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006. The Perkins act required that the recipients of its funding offer at least one program of study, and this reauthorization included four…

Responses from 35 of 52 state tech prep coordinators indicated that 77% had evaluation plans; 68.6% had mechanisms for identifying tech prep students. Most frequent evaluation components were articulation, staff development, curriculum, and marketing. Most used evaluation criteria were job placement, postsecondary enrollment, graduation rate, and…

This report provides information on three Exemplary Worksite Learning Award winning programs in which students learn by participating in hands-on classroom activities and by taking part in worksite experiences. Three sections provide a brief description of each winner. The first provides information on the Breithaupt Career and Technical Center…

Developed during a project to document and analyze the tech prep initiative in Texas, this handbook contains exemplary documents associated with the model programs in the state. This second edition of the handbook organizes documents in sections (sections A, C, D, and G) that correspond to the major impact sectors identified during the research…

This booklet describes the success of tech prep under the federal school-to-work (STW) initiative and provides case studies showing how schools and businesses are using tech prep to create the world's best work force for the new millennium. The first section discusses the payoff from STW, and the second section describes tech prep. Section 3…

The Virginia Department of Correctional Education (DCE) offers programs in basic skills, academic, vocational, special education, and social skills. Postsecondary courses are also offered by community colleges and other postsecondary institutions. The DCE currently operates education programs and related services in 20 major adult education…

The 1995-96 evaluation of tech prep in Washington consisted of the following activities: an analysis of survey data collected from all 22 tech prep consortia in the state, case studies of 7 tech prep consortia, and an analysis of student survey data collected from more than 2,000 students in 4 high schools in the 7 consortia. The study found that…

Developed by the Iowa Department of Education, North Iowa Area Community College, and Hawkeye Community College (Iowa), this booklet presents the tech prep model for articulation efforts among all educational entities, business, industry, labor, and communities in Iowa. Following a list of committee members working on the model and graphs of the…

A study examined the status of tech prep in Missouri as of 1993-1994. Data were gathered from a review of the request for proposals of Missouri's 12 consortia, assessment of Missouri's current status of tech prep, and structured interviews with the 12 tech prep coordinators. It was determined that up to 86 secondary schools were initially involved…

This book contains 30 chapters on the tech prep initiative in Texas: "The Identity of Tech Prep in Texas" (Tunstall); "A Snap-Shot of the Impact of the Tech Prep Initiative in the Governor's 24 Planning Regions" (Brown); "The Tech Prep Consortium Directors: The Architects for the Future of Texas" (Hensley et al.);…

A research team gathered and disseminated information on effective tech prep policies and practices for developing and evaluating program curriculums in the broad career pathways of allied health, business, and engineering technology in Texas. Data were gathered through interviews, site visits, document analysis, and surveys. Curricular documents…

This resource handbook provides a brief overview of ideas, facts, and resources offered during the Partnership for Academic and Career Education's (PACE) 10th annual Summer Institute. The institute's goal was to inform participants about nontraditional careers open to students, with special emphasis on midlevel technology careers and to recommend…

The progress of vocational education during the first 2 years (program years 1991-1992) of funding from the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990 in Idaho was assessed. Research was conducted using data from the measures and standards established by the state and from a variety of other sources including…

Tech prep has been considered "dead" by some commentators, but that assessment is usually made only in cases in which tech prep was merely a new label for an unchanged course or program. In many cases, tech prep has become more widely implemented and accepted as real changes have been made. Many of the concepts of tech prep will remain even if the…