This section of the questionnaire focuses on the particular goals and
elements of your local Tech Prep initiative during the 1994-95 academic year,
which spans approximately August 1994 to June 1995.
| 1. | Which of the following elements of Tech Prep is formally stated in writing in a mission statement, proposal, policy, plan, marketing brochure, or other official document as a focus of your consortiums Tech Prep initiative? (Circle yes or no on each line.) |
| Tech Prep Element | Stated in writing as a focus of Tech Prep? | |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | |
| a. Common core curriculum in math, science, and communications (including applied academics) and technologies leading to an associate degree, certificate, or apprenticeship in a career field (n=337) | 91.4 | 8.6 |
| b. New teaching methods such as cooperative learning appropriate for varied student needs and learning styles (n=332) | 72.3 | 27.7 |
| c. Integrated academic and vocational curriculum (n=336) | 92.6 | 7.4 |
| d. Alternative learner assessment (e.g., performance assessment, portfolios) (n=331) | 60.4 | 39.6 |
| e. Career guidance including career awareness and exploration (n=337) | 94.7 | 5.3 |
| f. Formal articulation agreements to create 2+2 program-area course sequences between secondary and postsecondary schools (n=336) | 97.6 | 2.4 |
| g. Work-based learning experiences (e.g., youth apprenticeships, cooperative education, school or career academies) (n=334) | 77.5 | 22.5 |
| h. Employment assistance & job placement services (n=331) | 46.2 | 53.8 |
| i. Equal access to the full range of Tech Prep for special populations (n=337) | 87.8 | 12.2 |
| j. Preparatory services for all participants in Tech Prep (n=331) | 73.4 | 26.6 |
| k. Joint in-service training for teachers from the entire consortium (n=336) | 81.3 | 18.8 |
| l. Training programs for counselors designed to enable them to recruit students and ensure they complete programs and obtain employment (n=334) | 73.1 | 26.9 |
| m. Collaboration between educators and employers to enhance education (n=337) | 89.6 | 10.4 |
| n. Marketing of Tech Prep programs (n=335) | 88.7 | 11.3 |
| o. Local program evaluation of Tech Prep (n=335) | 77.6 | 22.4 |
| 2. | There are many reasons to implement Tech Prep. Considering your local consortiums reasons for implementing Tech Prep, rank order the following five reasons from 1 to 5 with 1 being the highest (top) reason and 5 the lowest (bottom) reason. (Percentage represents the number of respondents who ranked each item as 1.) (n=321) | |
| 17.8% | Articulate secondary and postsecondary education Increase student matriculation into postsecondary education by formally articulating secondary and postsecondary education. | |
| 29.6% | Enhance workforce preparation Prepare individuals for an increasingly competitive and technological workplace with education that combines academics, technologies, and career preparation. | |
| 19.0% | Give students multiple options beyond high school Provide educational preparation that leads to multiple options beyond high school, including employment, two-year college, four-year college, or military service. | |
| 20.0% | Reach the neglected majority Create educational opportunities to ensure the neglected majority receives better career and academic preparation by eliminating the general track. | |
| 11.5% | Reform the secondary school curriculum Institute systemic reform to change teaching and learning processes and institutionalize Tech Prep at the secondary level. | |
| 3. | During the 1994-95 academic year, which vocational education program areas were part of your Tech Prep curriculum reform efforts? (Circle all that apply.) |
Vocational Program Areas YES NO 1 Agriculture (n=338) 39.6 60.4 2 Business and Office (n=338) 89.1 10.9 3 Health Occupations (n=338) 66.6 33.4 4 Marketing/distributive education (n=338) 39.3 60.7 5 Occupational Home Economics (n=338) 26.3 73.7 6 Consumer and Homemaking (n=338) 21.9 78.1 7 Trade & Industrial (n=338) 67.8 32.2 8 Industrial Technology Education (n=338) 69.2 30.8 9 Other (specify): (n=332) 12.7 87.3
| 4. | Which of the following class rank percentiles best describes the primary target group(s) of students for your Tech Prep initiative? (Circle all that apply.) (n=336) | |
| 38.7% | 25-75th | |
| 19.3% | 50-75th | |
| 15.8% | 0-100th | |
| 7.7% | 25-50th | |
| 7.1% | 25-100th | |
| 0.9% | Other | |
| 0.3% | 0-25th | |
| 5. | Some consortia create a formal definition and identify the Tech Prep student. Others do not. Read the following list of statements about how some local consortia define and identify Tech Prep students. Then, indicate whether each statement applies to how Tech Prep students are defined and identified by your own local consortium. (Circle yes or no on each line. Also, be sure to list other Tech Prep definitions at the bottom of the grid.) |
| Defining and Identifying the Tech Prep Student | Yes | No |
| a. A formal written definition exists for a Tech Prep student in your local consortium (n=336) | 58.6 | 41.4 |
| b. A formal written admission process is used to admit Tech Prep students (n=335) | 34.3 | 65.7 |
| c. Any student who chooses to participate in Tech Prep can do so (n=331) | 92.7 | 7.3 |
| d. A Tech Prep student is someone who chooses a program of study designated as Tech Prep (n=333) | 80.2 | 19.8 |
| e. At entry into Tech Prep, a student must meet a specific grade point average (n=328) | 10.4 | 89.6 |
| f. A Tech Prep student is someone who has an individualized plan showing Tech Prep is his/her designated program of study (n=331) | 66.8 | 33.2 |
| g. A Tech Prep student is someone who is academically capable but unmotivated by the traditional academic curriculum (n=325) | 49.5 | 50.5 |
| h. A Tech Prep student must create a formal plan to complete a sequence of courses in a core curriculum of math, science, communications, and workplace skills that logically leads to an associate degree (n=335) | 63.3 | 36.7 |
| i. All students are considered Tech Prep students (n=332) | 21.1 | 78.9 |
| j. A Tech Prep student must maintain academic progress on grade level in the core curriculum (n=328) | 47.3 | 52.7 |
| k. A Tech Prep student is someone who is required to enroll in vocational-technical courses that are formally articulated to the postsecondary level (n=335) | 56.1 | 43.9 |
| l. A Tech Prep student is someone who is required to take applied academics courses such as applied math, Principles of Technology, or applied communications (n=330) | 47.6 | 52.4 |
| m. A Tech Prep student is someone who is identified as being at risk of dropping out or school failure (n=326) | 12.0 | 88.0 |
| n. A Tech Prep student is someone who actually participates in a work-based learning experience such as co-op or apprenticeship (n=330) | 30.7 | 69.3 |
| 6. | During the 1994-95 academic year, which of the following represents the focus of Tech Prep curriculum reform efforts that occurred in your consortium at the secondary and postsecondary levels? (Circle the one best response on each line for the secondary and postsecondary levels. Also, be sure to list other curriculum reform efforts in the blanks provided at the bottom of the grid.) |
| Curriculum Reform Effort | At the secondary level during '94-95? | At the postsecondary level during '94-95? | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Yes | No | Yes | |
| a. Supplement existing vocational-technical courses with academic content (n=326/297) | 18.7 | 81.3 | 46.8 | 53.2 |
| b. Supplement existing academic courses with vocational-technical content (n=327/296) | 19.6 | 80.4 | 51.0 | 49.0 |
| c. Add applied academic courses (commercially- or locally-developed) to the existing curriculum (n=329/293) | 11.2 | 88.8 | 58.7 | 41.3 |
| d. Replace parts of the existing curriculum with applied academic courses (commercially- or locally-developed) (n=332/292) | 19.6 | 80.4 | 59.9 | 40.1 |
| e. Coordinate academic and vocational-technical courses by sequencing and reinforcing related content, often through block scheduling (n=330/290) | 28.2 | 71.8 | 67.9 | 32.1 |
| f. Provide interdisciplinary courses combining vocational-technical and academic content (e.g., History of Work) (n=327/290) | 51.7 | 48.3 | 71.0 | 29.0 |
| g. Organize academic and vocational-technical courses around occupational/career clusters (n=330/285) | 19.7 | 80.3 | 41.4 | 58.6 |
| h. Provide academies combining courses from vocational-technical areas and math, science, communications, and other academic areas (n=326/291) | 59.8 | 40.2 | 79.7 | 20.3 |
| i. Articulate academic program-area course sequences between the secondary and postsecondary levels (n=330/303) | 24.8 | 75.2 | 22.8 | 77.2 |
| j. Articulate vocational-technical program-area course sequences between the secondary and postsecondary levels (n=330/304) | 5.8 | 94.2 | 6.3 | 93.8 |
| k. Add advanced-skills courses to the existing curriculum (n=327/297) | 48.0 | 52.0 | 46.8 | 53.2 |
| l. Provide work-based learning outside the formal structure of school or college as a significant portion of student learning (e.g., internship, apprenticeship) (n=332/301) | 33.4 | 66.6 | 35.9 | 64.1 |
| 7. | What level of support does your Tech Prep initiative currently receive from the following groups? (Circle one response on each line. Circle 9 only if the group is Not Applicable (NA) or the level of support is unknown.) |
Group Level of Support Poor Fair Good Excellent NA a. Academic faculty (n=338) 3.8 35.2 49.1 11.2 0.6 b. Vocational faculty (n=337) 0.9 6.5 40.1 52.2 0.3 c. Counselors (n=336) 5.1 30.1 45.2 18.8 0.9 d. Local secondary administrators (n=338) 3.0 17.2 50.0 29.3 0.6 e. Local two-year postsecondary administrators (n=336) 2.7 14.0 39.6 42.9 0.9 f. Secondary faculty (n=337) 1.2 18.7 63.5 16.3 0.3 g. Postsecondary faculty (n=336) 5.4 32.7 44.9 16.4 0.6 h. Business/industry representatives (n=335) 2.7 13.7 44.8 37.3 1.5 i. Labor union representatives (n=333) 9.0 15.6 16.2 12.6 45.9 j. State agency personnel (n=337) 3.9 10.7 32.6 49.9 3.0 k. Four-year college/university personnel (n=336) 20.8 29.8 18.2 8.3 22.6 l. Secondary school board members (n=337) 5.6 22.3 38.9 20.8 12.5 m. College trustees (n=335) 12.2 15.2 26.0 12.5 33.1 n. Students (n=337) 1.2 16.9 55.5 22.8 3.6 o. Parents (n=337) 4.7 29.7 44.2 15.4 5.9
| 8. | How does your consortium differentiate between Tech Prep and vocational education? (Provide a brief written response and/or examples in the space below.) Results from a content analysis of the responses is presented in the Goals, Elements and Curriculum Reform section of the text. |