Tech Prep

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Tech Prep
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Tech Prep Consortium Sites
WesternArea Central Area Northeast
Area Southeast Area
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A Look at SD Tech Prep.

• Tech Prep has been in South Dakota for 12 years.
• 151 schools are members of a Tech Prep
  Consortium. This represents over 75 of SD school
  districts impacting 62,522 students in grades 7
  through 12.
• Tech Prep operates with a Coordinator at each of
  the four post-secondary Technical Institutes
  serving the schools in that region.

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Tech Prep programs provide..

• Students with competence in core academic and
  technical areas.
• Instruction that is linked to real-world work
  experiences such as internships and mentoring.

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The Goal of Tech Prep

• is to prepare ALL students for their future after
  high school

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What else do you need to know??

• Tech Prep is a program for SD middle schools,
  high schools, technical institutes, and other
  educational settings that enable students to
  pursue high-tech, high-wage careers.
• Tech Prep provides a planned sequence of courses
  - a pathway - from secondary through
  post-secondary education to help students become
  qualified for their chosen careers.

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Tech Prep Benefits

• Students
• Parents
• Educators and Schools
• Post-secondary Education and Training
  Institutions
• Employers
• The Community

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Tech Prep at Work

• Articulation
• Individual Career Plans for Students
• Academic and Technical Standards
• Integrated Learning

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Tech Prep at Work

• Career Pathways
• Business Partnerships
• Work-based Learning
• Post-secondary Partnerships

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Tech Prep at Work

• Career Exploration, Testing and Counseling
• Contextual Learning
• Challenging Academics
• Transferable Work Skills

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How Does Tech Prep Work???

• Tech Prep works through high school teachers and
  counselors
• by helping students identify their interests and
  strengths
• by providing relevant, rigorous coursework that
  will prepare students for the future
• by partnering with post-secondary to create
  seamless pathways for students
• by partnering with employers to provide
  work-based learning experiences for students

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Tech Prep and No Child Left Behind

• Accountability Measures
• Best Practices
• Local Control/Flexibility
• Options for Students and Parents

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Looking Ahead...

• Perkins Core Standards and Measures-
  Accountability for Student Results
• Career Academies
• Career Clusters/Pathway Framework

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Looking Ahead..

• Industry Certifications
• Focusing on integrating academics as well as
  technical skills
• Structured work-based learning experiences for
  students

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What do we want as results?

• A seamless career pathway that includes
• Career interest/aptitude assessment
• Career awareness and exploration
• Career options and choices
• Rigorous academics linked to real world
  application
• Preparation of ALL students for post-secondary
  education and employment
• Standards-based and assessment-driven curriculum

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A Winning Combination

• Tech Prep is the real world approach to prepare
  all students for responsible citizenship, further
  learning, and productive employment.