1. Tech Prep Foundation Background on Tech Prep Module 1: Why Tech Prep?

2. Why Tech Prep? 1.The changing economy  The new economy involves a shift from an industrial to a technology-driven economy with growing demand for a highly skilled workforce (Automation & Globalization)

3. Why Tech Prep? (cont.) 2.Changes in schools  High schools prepare the top 25 percent of students for college, leaving the “neglected majority” without adequate preparation  Many students do not master basic or advanced academics  Some vocational education programs are out-of- date and disconnected from local business and industry

4. Why Tech Prep? (cont.) 3.The goals of current school reforms  All students should attain high academic goals  The need for well-defined plans of study based on students’ goals after graduation  The need for replacing vocational courses/ programs with preparatory programs based on an academic foundation and advanced skills for world-class careers.  Tech Prep was born to meet such needs

5. The Evolution of Tech Prep Since the early 1980s, educators and employers have been working together to improve school education 2+2 articulation Curriculum development (including contextual teaching and learning)

6. The Evolution of Tech Prep (cont.) In 1985, Dale Parnell, published The Neglected Majority National attention to the majority of high school students and the ideas of connection education to career pathways and integrated learning and He defined Tech Prep: Associate Degree (TPAD) programs that combine 2+2 articulation with strong academics through applied learning techniques and employer support

7. The Evolution of Tech Prep (cont.) Tech Prep education was authorized by: Reauthorization of the federal Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990 A section was included that provided federal funds, administered through the states, to establish Tech Prep consortia.

8. The Evolution of Tech Prep (cont.) In 1993, an amendment of the Perkins legislation allowing Tech Prep spending to begin in the ninth grade. In 1993, the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS), a U.S. Department of Labor initiative

9. The Evolution of Tech Prep (cont.) In 1994, STWOA (School to Work Opportunities Act) STWOA was touted as a new system to support all forms of workforce preparation, including initiatives such as Tech Prep.

10. The Evolution of Tech Prep (cont.) In 1998, the Carl. D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 Congress reauthorized federal support of Tech Prep through the Carl. D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 (also known as Perkins III)