New Lessons about Tech Prep Implementation: Changes in Eight Selected Consortia Since Reauthorization of the Federal Tech Prep Legislation in 1998

Tech Prep is a national career development system in the United States of America (USA) that involves a student in a planned program of study that combines academic and career-related courses articulated between the secondary and postsecondary levels leading to a diploma, degree, or two-year apprenticeship certificate. This report presents selected findings from the most recent data collection associated with a four-year longitudinal study of Tech Prep implementation and student outcomes. It compares earlier findings from 1999 to those collected during field visits in 2000 and 2001 in relation to curriculum reform, articulation, academic standards and other key elements of Tech Prep along with factors that contribute to changes in these elements over time. Qualitative results are based on a systematic analysis of themes and patterns revealed by site visits and personal interviews with a broad range of stakeholders, particularly educational administrators, faculty, and students. The report concludes with recommendations for future policy and practice.