| Q-13. | Barriers stand in the way of implementation of any new educational program. This question focuses on identifying barriers to implementation of Tech Prep. For each of the barriers listed below, indicate the level of impact it has had or is having on your consortiums Tech Prep initiative. |
| Barrier | Level of Impact (Circle the one best response) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | Very Minor | Minor | Moderate | Major | Very Major | |
| Negative attitude toward vocational education (n=393) | 2.5% | 9.2% | 24.7% | 40.2% | 17.6% | 5.9% |
| Lack of staff, time, and money dedicated to Tech Prep (n=396) | 2.5% | 7.3% | 18.9% | 34.8% | 27.0% | 9.3% |
| Failure of educators to see the need to change (n=395) | 3.8% | 13.4% | 25.8% | 32.2% | 19.2% | 5.6% |
| Turf battles between secondary and postsecondary educators (n=396) | 9.8% | 20.2% | 33.3% | 22.7% | 9.8% | 4.0% |
| Looking at Tech Prep as vocational education by another name (n=393) | 4.1% | 11.5% | 24.9% | 33.6% | 19.8% | 6.1% |
| Lack of general awareness about Tech Prep (n=396) | 1.5% | 6.6% | 18.9% | 38.1% | 27.0% | 7.8% |
| Belief that Tech Prep is an educational "fad" that will go away (n=395) | 4.3% | 10.6% | 21.5% | 33.2% | 21.0% | 9.4% |
| Failure of two-year postsecondary schools to accommodate Tech Prep students (n=387) | 29.2% | 31.3% | 21.4% | 12.7% | 4.7% | 0.8% |
| Failure of four-year colleges and universities to award college credit for applied academic or other Tech Prep courses (n=378) | 10.3% | 9.3% | 12.2% | 20.1% | 25.9% | 22.2% |
| Difficulty in dealing with educational bureaucracies (n=391) | 4.3% | 9.5% | 23.3% | 34.5% | 17.6% | 10.7% |
| Lack of support from business and industry (n=392) | 24.2% | 28.8% | 29.6% | 13.0% | 3.3% | 1.0% |
| Lack of support from labor organizations (n=362) | 36.7% | 23.8% | 22.1% | 9.1% | 4.4% | 3.9% |
| Lack of availability of integrated academic and vocational curriculum materials (n=393) | 14.5% | 25.7% | 29.3% | 20.9% | 7.9% | 1.8% |
| Conflict with other educational reform movements (n=395) | 22.0% | 26.3% | 24.6% | 17.0% | 6.1% | 4.1% |
| Resistance from secondary school administrators to Tech Prep (n=394) | 15.7% | 23.6% | 26.9% | 23.1% | 8.4% | 2.3% |
| Resistance from postsecondary school administrators to Tech Prep (n=393) | 25.3% | 25.3% | 27.1% | 14.8% | 5.1% | 2.3% |
| Difficulty reaching consensus among curriculum planners on reform strategies (n=389) | 12.3% | 27.2% | 29.3% | 20.6% | 8.7% | 1.8% |
| Lack of funds for curriculum reform (n=395) | 9.6% | 13.9% | 20.5% | 27.8% | 18.7% | 9.4% |
| Failure to employ local Tech Prep coordinator full time (n=391) | 42.2% | 7.2% | 12.3% | 13.8% | 13.3% | 11.3% |
| Lack of experts to provide in-service about Tech Prep (n=391) | 22.0% | 21.5% | 27.1% | 18.7% | 8.2% | 2.6% |
| Resistance from ac. ed's to make changes for Tech Prep (n=394) | 2.3% | 14.5% | 25.4% | 31.7% | 21.3% | 4.8% |
| Resistance from voc. ed's to make changes for Tech Prep (n=390) | 9.7% | 23.6% | 34.6% | 21.3% | 9.0% | 1.8% |
| Resistance from secondary schools to introduce Tech Prep into the curriculum (n=392) | 9.7% | 20.2% | 27.6% | 30.4% | 9.9% | 2.3% |
| Resistance from postsec. schools to introduce Tech Prep into the curriculum (n=390) | 15.4% | 20.0% | 26.7% | 26.4% | 8.2% | 3.3% |
| Difficulty in developing formal articulation agreements between secondary and postsecondary schools (n=392) | 22.2% | 26.3% | 21.7% | 22.4% | 5.6% | 1.8% |
| Lack of collaboration between voc. and ac. educators (n=393) | 3.6% | 15.8% | 29.8% | 33.6% | 13.2% | 4.1% |
| Lack of knowledge and skills among education personnel in how to implement educational change (n=392) | 3.6% | 10.5% | 23.7% | 37.2% | 19.9% | 5.1% |
| Little time for joint planning by ac. and voc. or sec. and postsec. faculty (n=392) | 2.8% | 6.4% | 17.6% | 28.8% | 28.6% | 15.8% |
| Lack of credibility of vocational ed. involved with Tech Prep (n=394) | 11.9% | 29.9% | 30.7% | 21.1% | 4.1% | 2.3% |
| Lack of clear federal level policy for Tech Prep (n=394) | 14.0% | 21.1% | 26.4% | 20.3% | 11.9% | 6.3% |
| Lack of clear state level policy for Tech Prep (n=396) | 12.1% | 21.2% | 18.7% | 22.5% | 14.6% | 10.9% |
| Lack of clear local level policy for Tech Prep (n=393) | 13.2% | 23.2% | 22.6% | 24.9% | 9.7% | 6.4% |
| Lack of support from both state sec. and postsec. agencies(n=393) | 17.8% | 23.7% | 28.2% | 17.8% | 6.6% | 5.9% |
| Turnover of state or local leaders involved in Tech Prep (n=392) | 25.5% | 28.1% | 21.2% | 12.8% | 7.7% | 4.8% |
| Too much flexibility in local implementation of Tech Prep (n=391) | 30.4% | 29.9% | 24.3% | 10.0% | 4.3% | 1.0% |
| Funding for Tech Prep limited to vocational ed. sources(n=393) | 20.3% | 15.2% | 17.5% | 22.8% | 14.5% | 9.6% |
| Limitations in using Tech Prep funds for equipment or instructional materials purchases (n=391) | 11.5% | 18.4% | 21.0% | 22.8% | 17.4% | 9.0% |
| Limitations in using Tech Prep funds beyond grades 11-14 (n=398) | 24.4% | 20.3% | 18.5% | 13.9% | 14.7% | 8.2% |
| Lack of evaluation mechanisms to inform implementation (n=386) | 10.6% | 17.9% | 26.9% | 27.5% | 13.7% | 3.4% |
| Lack of authority of local personnel to make changes needed to implement Tech Prep (n=394) | 12.7% | 19.8% | 25.4% | 22.3% | 12.2% | 7.6% |
| Pressure from special interest groups to modify Tech Prep (n=392) | 42.9% | 27.3% | 17.6% | 6.9% | 3.1% | 2.3% |
| Lack of active involvement from business and industry (n=394) | 22.6% | 26.4% | 24.4% | 16.8% | 7.6% | 2.3% |
| Lack of jobs in the region for Tech Prep graduates (n=393) | 13.7% | 17.3% | 20.1% | 25.2% | 14.2% | 9.4% |
| Lack of parental support for Tech Prep (n=386) | 16.3% | 20.7% | 29.0% | 23.1% | 8.8% | 2.1% |
| Lack of student interest in Tech Prep (n=386) | 15.5% | 23.8% | 30.3% | 22.5% | 6.2% | 1.6% |
| Inability of young people to make early career decisions (n=387) | 8.0% | 18.9% | 21.2% | 30.2% | 17.3% | 4.4% |
| Lack of counselor interest in or involvement with Tech Prep (n=390) | 10.3% | 16.4% | 19.7% | 27.9% | 17.4% | 8.2% |
| Lack of cooperation from teachers unions (n=367) | 47.4% | 20.7% | 17.7% | 8.7% | 4.4% | 1.1% |
| Difficulty maintaining momentum over the long term (n=390) | 16.4% | 16.9% | 27.9% | 21.5% | 13.1% | 4.1% |
| Pressure for quick success and student head counts (n=393) | 16.0% | 12.2% | 16.5% | 25.7% | 17.3% | 12.2% |
| Other responses: Size of region & number of schools, consortium too big, widespread geography; lack of integrated concept between Tech Prep and youth apprenticeship, incompatibility with federally-funded apprenticeship in region; lack of funding of grades 8, 9, & 10, local tight budget, crisis of school funding, funds for proper administration and marketing; applied academics rather than true integration, articulation defined as early completion, different approaches of secondary systems, resistance to DACUM, lack of developed competencies for occupational areas; lack of recent work force experience among school personnel; lack of interest & support of upper-level administration; too much State involvement in day-to-day operations; staggering paperwork for Perkins; fiscal agent usurps autonomy; lack of cooperation from state professional organizations; identification that Tech Prep tracks students; lack of support from student services side of postsecondary. (n=30) | ||||||