Services that are provided to ensure that all students, regardless of their special needs, can participate in Tech Prep:
Special needs students are offered a full array of services at the CC through the Disabilities Coordinator at the Community College. Special Populations Coordinators in two of our EFE regions work with the schools directly to help ensure that the students in those regions are availed full opportunity to participate in all aspects of Tech Prep. In the other EFE region, the TP Director works with the Special Ed teachers and school counselors who are represented on the TP Teams at the high schools. Furthermore, because all of our schools view TP activities as good for all students, the special needs students are never excluded from appropriate TP activities at the sites.
The issues of school dropout prevention and reentry are being effectively addressed in Tech Prep programs by:
Reentry is possible on the high school level through the alternative school's participation in TP activities. Students who reenter their own high schools are not prohibited from TP activities. TP high school non-completers can reenter TP programs at the community college without penalty as long as it is within two years of the articulation agreement that is required in order for them to get the articulated credit they earned in high school. All schools believe that TP is in itself dropout prevention.
The procedures in place to assist community college Tech Prep students in employment placement or transferring to a baccalaureate degree program:
Currently we use the placement office at the college for final placement of TP students as well as our business partnerships and internships for the students. All TP programs have an internship program. It has traditionally been a capstone event but we now offer internships for TP freshmen where appropriate. Articulation agreements for the AAS degree programs are marketed to the high schools and students to help counteract the widely held belief that AAS degree programs at the college are terminal programs. The staff at the college continues to expand the transfer opportunities for our TP students. Currently on file with the TP office is a list of 20 articulated credit and non-credit TP programs that will transfer to four-year institutions/programs in the state.