Tech Prep education in Missouri is an articulated two-year secondary and two or more year post-secondary education program which:

 

	Integrates academic and vocational and technical instruction which utilizes work-based and work site learning where appropriate.
	Builds student competence in mathematics, science, reading, writing, communications, economics, and workplace skills through contextual academics and integrated instruction in a coherent nonduplicative sequential course of study.
	Provides technical preparation in at least one of the following: Arts and Communications; Business, Management and Technology; Health Services; Industrial and Engineering Technology; and Agricultural and Natural Resources.
	Leads to the completion of an associate or a baccalaureate degree, post-secondary certificate, or two or more year apprenticeship program in a specific career field.
	Leads to placement in related employment or to further education.

 

A tech prep student is defined as follows:

 

A student engaged in the Tech Prep Education Program is formally counted as a Tech Prep  student when they initially enroll in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education approved vocational course(s) portion of the program and when they make a commitment to pursuing completion of an associate or baccalaureate degree, two year postsecondary certificate, or two or more year apprenticeship program in a specific career field.

 

Note:  The articulation agreement must be signed by 1) the student, 2) a representative of the LEA (secondary) providing the first two years of training, and 3) a representative of the postsecondary institution or apprenticeship program providing the third and fourth years of non-duplicative training.

 

The following list was developed to assure consistency on how Tech Prep enrollment is being reported statewide.

 

Secondary Tech Prep students should be counted if they are:

1. A first-time enrollee in a Department-approved vocational education program that signs an articulation agreement.  This would normally be juniors, but could include sophomores. 

2. A senior in the second year of the same Department-approved vocational education program that signed an articulation agreement during their junior (or sophomore) year.

3. A senior who completed the first year of the same Department-approved vocational education program during their junior year but did not sign an agreement until their senior year provided all criteria of first year students was met.

4. A student in a Department-approved vocational education program that has signed an articulation agreement even if it articulates with a postsecondary institution outside their consortium, should be counted as a secondary Tech Prep student in the school/consortium in which they have a signed articulation agreement.  The secondary student count is not determined by where the student attends secondary school, but by which Tech Prep articulation agreement is signed.

Examples:

A secondary student enrolled in the Raytown C-2 School District that signs an articulation agreement with the KC Construction Apprenticeship Consortium would be counted in the Raytown C-2 (KC Construction Apprenticeship Consortium) secondary and postsecondary enrollment.

 

A Raytown C-2 School District student that signs an articulation agreement with the St. Louis- Forest Park Construction Apprenticeship Consortium would not be counted in Raytown C-2 secondary.  They would be counted in the St. Louis- Forest Park secondary and postsecondary enrollment.

 

Secondary Tech Prep students should not be counted if they are:

1. A high school student enrolled in a Department-approved vocational education program that has not signed an articulation agreement.

2. A junior (or sophomore) who signed an articulation agreement during their first year and was not enrolled in the same Department-approved vocational education program during their senior (or junior) year. 

3. A Health Sciences student enrolled in a program that is less than two years and does not have a two year Health Sciences program to articulate to at the postsecondary level.

 

Postsecondary Tech Prep students should be counted if they are:

1. A student who has completed the first two years of a Department-approved secondary vocational education program and enrolls in a sequential course of study in the program area at a community college or in a two-year apprenticeship program.

2. A postsecondary student who initially enrolls in general education courses may be counted only after they enter their sequential course of study.

 

Postsecondary Tech Prep students should not be counted if they are:

1. A postsecondary student pursuing a one-year postsecondary certificate.

2. A postsecondary freshman that initially enrolls in an associate degree program that chooses to drop the second year of an associate degree program in favor of a one-year certificate.

3. A dual enrolled student would not be counted as postsecondary student until they complete the first two years of a Department-approved secondary vocational education program and enroll in a sequential course of study in the program area at a community college or a two-year apprenticeship program.

4. A postsecondary student who initially enrolls in general education courses and has not started their sequential course of study.