COLUMBIA, S.C.
In what could be a harbinger of the future for the
nation, early signs indicate the tech-prep route in South Carolina’s
high schools does not run much better than the so-called “general
track” that it replaced. Education officials believe that inadequate
teacher training for the rigorous applied classes could be one problem
with the program.
Tech-prep courses target students who cannot handle college-prep
work yet still need preparation for jobs. But some say tech prep has
become synonymous with mediocrity.
The federal government, other states and national tech-prep
supporters are closely monitoring the outcome of the debate here
because every state offers tech-prep programs.
“This is not just a problem in South Carolina,” says Dan Hull,
president of the Center for Occupational Research and Development, a
Waco, Texas, group that supports tech prep. “The problem, in many
cases, is that principals and superintendents are not providing the
professional development that teachers need to change their teaching
styles.”
Jan Nashatker, a teacher at South Aiken (S.C.) High School who
instructs students in algebra, geometry, and math for technologies
courses, says tech prep has a tarnished reputation.
“In the minds of a lot of teachers, you’re cast into a situation
you’re ill-prepared for with students who are ill-prepared,” she says,
adding, “And you’re expected to produce results.”
