Tech Prep FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) -- Table of Contents
A: College Tech Prep is an exciting approach to education that prepares students for the technology occupations of the future.
In Ohio, College Tech Prep is defined as a competency-based program that combines 2 years of high school and at least 2 years of college education and (in many cases) occupational experience. College Tech Prep programs give students a common core of required proficiency in mathematics, communications (English), science, and technologies. At the high school level, Tech Prep is an alternative form of college prep education that combines college prep academics with technical skill education that students need to start on the path to a high-skill, high-wage technology career. College Tech Prep high school programs are purposely designed to link with 2-year college associate degrees, with the option to continue on for a 4-year bachelor's degree.
In Ohio, the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Board of Regents jointly administer College Tech Prep federal and state funds. Grants are awarded to Tech Prep consortia -- partnerships of high schools, 2-year colleges, employers, and labor. Every consortium's mission is to develop and nurture Tech Prep programs in high schools and 2-year colleges in its service area. For more information about College Tech Prep in Ohio, visit the State Tech Prep web site online at www.techprepohio.org.
A: College Tech Prep meets the educational needs of high school students in the academic middle - the students often called "the neglected majority." Most of these students will graduate from high school, but will not have learned enough to do well in either the work world or college.
College Tech Prep prepares students for both. Tech Prep high school students learn the important technical skills they need for entry-level employment when they high school, or as they work their way through college. They must also take rigorous college prep academics. If they go to a school that offers full-service Tech Prep programs, the college-prep academic courses they take will be taught hands-on, nontraditional ways that help increase the students' success. Students who stay the course with College Tech Prep start out in adult life with real options.
A: The primary goal of College Tech Prep is to get high school students ready for, into, and through 2-year associate degree programs that give them higher-level technical skills and knowledge. These are the knowledge and skills needed to go into well-paying careers in technology - where job growth and career opportunities are phenomenal. Students also have the option of going on for a 4-year bachelor's degree after they complete the associate degree.
A: On the surface, College Tech Prep and career-technical education may look a lot alike. Both prepare high school students with job skills. Both demand a commitment to hard work and a willingness to learn. The main goal of career-technical education, however, is to prepare students to go directly to work in an entry-level job right after high school. College Tech Prep students also have that option, but Tech Prep's main goal is to prepare the students to go to college so they can get the additional, high-performance skills needed for higher-skill, higher-wage careers in technology fields. Finally, because of the "College" objective in "College Tech Prep," Tech Prep high school students are required to take college-prep academic courses; this is not a requirement for students in career-technical programs.
A: High school sophomores enroll in College Tech Prep beginning with the 11th grade (although a few schools start Tech Prep in 10th grade). Some schools also offer related technology Foundations courses earlier than the junior year. Once students enroll in an official College Tech Prep program, they will spend part of each school day learning technical skills such as computer aided design (CAD), business spreadsheets and databases, health care procedures, computer graphics, automotive diagnostics, plant tissue culture, accounting practices, and other sets of high-tech competencies, depending on the individual student's choice of Tech Prep program at grades 11/12.
The rest of the school day is spent in college-prep academic classes, either at their home school or at a career center. These classes are integrated with the Tech Prep area of study, whenever possible, to help students connect their academic learning to what they are learning in the Tech Prep labs, and to help them prepare for college.
What are the requirements to enroll in a College Tech Prep program?
A: For students to be successful in a College Tech Prep program, the Heart of Ohio Consortium strongly recommends that those seeking to enroll in a College Tech Prep program in high school for their junior year should have the following qualifications:
- Completion of Algebra I with a grade of C or better
- Completion of two years of English with a grade of C or better
- Completion of Biology with a grade of C or better (this is especially critical
for students enrolling in Health Tech programs)
- No academic deficiencies
- A good attendance record
- Passage of all parts of the State Proficiency Test (preferred).
Please note that some schools have different (or additional) requirements for Tech Prep, so students or parents should check with a counselor or Tech Prep teacher at that school for more details.
A: Following graduation for a high school Tech Prep program, graduates should be amply prepared to enroll and be successful in a 2-year technical associate degree program that can lead to a high-paying, in-demand job. In certain cases, students can earn college credit in a related associate degree while still in high school (visit the articulation page for more information). Students can also set their sights higher by transferring on to a college or university to earn a 4-year bachelor's degree.
Most students these days also work their way through college. Taking College Tech Prep in high school gives these college student valuable work skills, so they can find employment that builds their professional resume while working their way through their degree.
Examples of some high-demand careers for Tech Prep 2-year college graduates include: accountant; interactive multimedia production specialist; computer aided design technician; Registered Nurse; medical assistant; robotics technician; construction field engineer; automotive master technician; computer programmer; network technician; PC specialist/trainer; journeyman electrician; construction site supervisor; landscape design technician; and more!
How do I know if College Tech Prep is right for a particular student?
A: College Tech Prep was designed mainly for students in the middle majority -- the 66% of American youth who usually just drift through high school. Most of these students have no real focus --- they tend to take random, "easy" courses and graduate with no skill base to earn a living, or the academics they need to be ready for college. They may also be "C" and "B" students who could do better, but who don't seem to be interested enough in school to work up to their potential.
College Tech Prep programs engage students' interest! These programs deliver college prep academics with hands-on applications. The program stresses project-based learning -- all classes are taught within the context of career preparation. A student who is bored by most traditional classroom learning but who shows an aptitude for high-tech fields, such as health care, computers, or engineering, will usually flourish in a Tech Prep program.
A: College Tech Prep specifically prepares students to go to college. It gets them on a path to achieve their dreams, whether that takes a 2-year associate degree or a 4-year bachelor's degree (or more).
Tech Prep's main emphasis is on technology careers, where there is a high demand for workers. These excellent jobs require more than a high school diploma, but often less than a bachelor's degree.
Many people don't realize that today's technology jobs are highly skilled positions with compelling career ladders and -- with experience -- excellent income potential.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of technical jobs is expected to triple in the first decade of the new century. At the same time, the number of jobs requiring a 4-year degree is expected to decline (from 20% of all jobs in the 1990s, to 18% of the jobs by 2010). The need for skilled and knowledgeable technology workers continues to grow, despite economic fluctuations.
Technology careers are at the heart of Tech Prep learning. And Tech Prep students who do go on for a 4-year degree after getting an associate degree will be glad they have that technical training to build on. Tuition is also usually much less at community colleges and other 2-year college campuses than at 4-year college campuses, so those who do their college freshman and sophomore years at the lower tuition rate and then transfer to the 4-year institution for the last two years can save a lot of money!
A: The Heart of Ohio Tech Prep Consortium is funded with the assistance of state funds and federal Carl D. Perkins Act grants. It is the established policy of Central Ohio Technical College, Columbus State Community College, Ohio University, and all school affiliates in the consortium not to discriminate against any individual or group of individuals for reason of race, color, religion, ancestry, national original, gender, disability, pregnancy, age, or veteran status.
