The percentage of consortia in which at least some schools offered such programs has risen from 67 percent in 1993 to 75 percent in 1995. Although Tech-Prep participation continues to account for a small fraction of all high school students, participation in such programs has more than doubled since 1993 in all broad career areas. Curriculum changes continue to focus on applied academics, but not in all schools. Almost all Tech-Prep consortia reported in 1995 that they were implementing applied academic curricula, and more than 40 percent of consortium resources are spent on either curriculum development or staff development, which often focuses on teaching methods. Commercially available curriculum packages continue to be the most common vehicle for introducing applied instruction.
Articulation continues to expand.
Articulation agreements promote coordination between secondary and postsecondary institutions to eliminate unnecessary redundancies in course work across institutions and, where possible, to facilitate collaboration on curriculum development and ongoing working relationships. Articulation agreements take a variety of forms. General agreements between secondary and postsecondary institutions involve only the broad principle of cooperation and collaboration, or the general concept of the transfer of credit. They often are the starting point for developing specific articulation agreements. Specific agreements may include details on the specific conditions for transfer of credit or other matters, such as joint teaching arrangements or guarantees of space for students entering particular postsecondary programs.