In a knowledge-based economy, a postsecondary credential is vital for gainful employment and upward socioeconomic mobility. Unfortunately, the path a student takes from high school graduation to college course work is too often characterized by a troubling detour, namely, "remediation." According to Complete College America (2012), over…

Rising remediation rates among college students are leading to increased time for completion of degree, additional costs for students and colleges, and financial aid being used on courses that do not count towards a degree. In response to these issues, in 2007 the state of Illinois passed the College and Career Readiness Act (CCR Act), Public Act…

Using the case study method, this research investigated how the community college is perceived by high school counselors and advisors. The research considered how high school counselors' and advisors' perceptions of the community college were informed by selected school leaders, faculty, and students, and it explored how those perceptions were…

This article examines the emergence of high school-to-college transition models, referred to as academic pathways, that regard community colleges as a primary partner for higher learning. It explores three academic pathways that deliberately partner secondary schools with community colleges. They are dual credit and dual enrollment, tech prep and…

Rising remediation rates among college students are leading to increased time for completion of degree, additional costs for students and colleges, and financial aid being used on courses that do not count towards a degree. In response to these issues, in 2007 the state of Illinois passed the College and Career Readiness Act, Public Act 095-0694,…

Dual credit, the approach by which students receive both high school and college credit for the same course, has received enormous attention in recent years. The original intent of dual credit was to provide more challenging curricula to academically prepared high school students. Over the past three decades, the target recipients of the program…

This report is the summary of key aspects of Tech Prep in Illinois over the five year period of 2001-2005 during which all Tech Prep consortia provided annual data based on federal legislative requirements and state-determined essential elements of successful programs. These annual Tech Prep reports enable local educators to monitor student…

Since the passage of the Carl D. Perkins legislation in 1990 and the School to Work Opportunities Act (STWOA) in 1994, considerable funds and effort have been put into tech prep and school-to-work programs. To determine the extent to which these programs actually improve educational opportunities for students, case studies were undertaken of six…

A study examined the relative effectiveness of three alternative delivery systems for secondary vocational education--vocational high schools, comprehensive high schools, and area vocational centers. It also ascertained how well secondary vocational education is serving women, minority groups, handicapped individuals, economically disadvantaged…

Tech prep has been considered "dead" by some commentators, but that assessment is usually made only in cases in which tech prep was merely a new label for an unchanged course or program. In many cases, tech prep has become more widely implemented and accepted as real changes have been made. Many of the concepts of tech prep will remain even if the…

The Teacher Retraining and Directed Exchange (TRADE) project was conducted during the 1984-85 school year at five vocational schools in Ohio. During this period, a total of six teacher-employee exchanges were conducted with large and small businesses and industries. An evaluation of the project showed that, generally, the cost of implementing…

A study used concept mapping to identify, classify, and prioritize student outcomes for use in building a foundation for evaluating tech prep programs. The study involved 61 stakeholders from 3 stakeholder groups: 24 educators, 18 students, and 19 employers, who rated 98 student outcomes statements gleaned from educational literature on tech prep…

Parnell's 1985 book, "The Neglected Majority," provided a conceptual framework for tech prep initiatives. By the late 1980s, 34 states had established tech prep programs patterned loosely after Parnell's 2+2 Tech Prep Associate Degree model. The federal government became a strong supporter of tech prep through the 1990 Perkins Vocational…

Many more of the nation's youths deserve the opportunity to make the transition from school to college, casting the net of postsecondary education more widely and equitably. The necessity of encouraging more youths to participate in rigorous academics so they are ready to make a smooth transition to college has been recognized for some time. In…

In 1993, 473 (55%) of the nation's 855 local tech prep consortia were surveyed regarding tech prep's goals, policies, practices, and obstacles. The 397 responding consortia (response rate, 84%) were sent follow-up surveys in 1995. Responses were obtained from 339 (85%) of the consortia. The follow-up survey revealed the following: increases in the…