Tech Prep's Role in Education Reform: Perceptions From State Tech Prep Directors

This study describes State Tech Prep directors' perception of the successes and challenges in demonstrating the impact of Tech Prep as a change agent for education reform. The most significant changes reported as a result of Tech Prep implementation included secondary and postsecondary collaboration, course and program articulation, and integration of contextual teaching and learning. State Tech Prep directors reported Tech Prep student data collection and reporting results as an ongoing challenge. This challenge was attributed to secondary and postsecondary data information systems and the lack of a common definition of Tech Prep students to ensure consistency of data reported. The majority of State Tech Prep directors identified Tech Prep as a minor player in education reform, indicating that although Tech Prep is a recognized secondary/postsecondary program of study, it has not yet made a large impact on how schools meet the needs of all students. As education reform moves forward, the results from this study will provide new ideas to improve Tech Prep and the essential components to benefit all students.