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(Note — this post continues from our monthly newsletter for December 2009. If you are not a subscriber to our newsletter, click here to get your copy by email.)
This is where it gets exciting to you as a student or someone close to you. The Advanced Technical Credit is the CTE equivalent of the Dual Credit on the Academic side of high school studies. You can get college credit for courses you take in high school.
Here is where I think this is a bigger change in the educational system than it appears at first.
- Take the stigma away from technical education,
- infuse CTE courses with more math and science,
- make the course align much closer to industry’s jobs, job skill, and work
- give college credit for high school work
and, I believe you will find a lot more students interested in these courses and the academic and technical side of education will get a lot more blurred.
Imagine getting a Associates Degree in Computer Information Networking or Industrial Technology and earning $35,000 to $40,000 while you complete your Bachelors and Masters in Engineering instead of holding a minimum wage job.
For that matter, industry will be paying closer attention to — this is the kind of education industry has been looking for in its entry level jobs.
For the individual student, though, there are two vital steps to all of this.
- You have to plan early to take Advance Technical Credit Courses if you want to get the most out of your high school studies. Advance Technical Credit Courses or their precursors can start as early as the 9th grade.
- You have to ask for the credit.
Let’s take the second one. You have to ask for the credit
On the application form for college, you have to check the line that applies. For instance, at Lamar Institute of Technology and at Lamar State College Port Arthur the line on the admission form asks:
Did you take a Tech Prep course or courses for college credit? ¦ ¦ Yes ¦ ¦ No
At Lamar State College Orange the question reads
Are you applying for Tech Prep articulated credit? ¦ ¦ NO ¦ ¦ YES
There are other requirements ( for instance, you have to make an 80 in the course and the course’s prerequisites) — here’s the link for LIT that gives all the details.
http://www.lit.edu/admissions/TechPrep.aspx
For the most part, technical education courses are designed to prepare a student to attain a two year Associates Degree or a college certificate.
“What kind of two year technical degrees (Associates Degrees) can I get here in the Golden Triangle” you ask?
| Accounting Technology | Liberal Arts | |
| Accounting | Machining Techno | |
| Advanced Engine Technology | Management Development | |
| Business and Computer Information Sys¬tems | Medical Laboratory Technology | |
| Business Management | Medical Office Administratio | |
| Child Care and Development | Medical Office Professional | |
| Communication | Medical Radiologic Technology | |
| Computer Science | Natural Science | |
| Criminal Justice | Office Administration | |
| Computer Drafting Technology | Office Technology | |
| Computer Networking and Troubleshooting | Paralegal | |
| Commercial Music – Sound Eng. Technology | Process Operating Technology | |
| Commerical Music –Performance | Respiratory Care | |
| Computer Information Systems Network Specialist | REstaurant/Institutional Food Management | |
| Cosmetology Operator |
|
|
| Diagnostic Medical Sonography | Surgical Technology | |
| Health Information Technology | Registered Nursing | |
| Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning | Software Developer | |
| Homeland Security | Upward Mobility Nursing | |
| Industrial Technology | Welding Technology | |
| Industrial Maintenance Technology | …And more | |
| Information Technology Support Specialist | ||
| Instrumentation Technology |
From LIT’s course catalog:
Tech-Prep Benefits to Students
• Combines college preparation with techni¬cal skills learned in a coherence sequence of career and technology courses.
• Advanced placement through Tech Prep saves time and money.
• High school is more interesting because students can relate school to a future career.
• College is more interesting because students take more advanced-level courses.
• Students can graduate from college A.A.S. or certificate programs ahead of schedule.
• Many technical careers offer high-paying, introductory-level employment opportunities.
• For further information, please call the Tech Prep Office at (409) 839-2007.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Lamar State College – Orange
LSCO admission application : http://www.lsco.edu/Students/AdmissionApplication.pdf
LSCO Course Catalog : http://www.lsco.edu/Students/AdmissionApplication.pdf
Contact Information :
Admissions and Records Office,
Lamar State College-Orange,
410 Front Street,
Orange, Texas 77630,
(409) 882-3364
________________________________________________________________________________
Lamar State College – Port Arthur
LSC-PA admissions application: http://www.lamarpa.edu/gen/undergrad_app.pdf
LSC-PA Course Catalog: http://www.lamarpa.edu/?url=/bulletin2009/index.html
Contact Information :
Office of Admission and Records
Lamar State College-Port Arthur
P.O. Box 310
Port Arthur, Texas 77641-0310.
________________________________________________________________________________
Lamar Institute of Technology
LIT admissions application: http://lit.edu/common/pdfs/admissions/application.pdf
LIT Course Catalog : http://lit.edu/common/pdfs/Catalog.pdf
Contact Information :
Office of Student Services,
Lamar Institute of Technology,
P.O. Box 10043,
Beaumont TX 77710
409-880-8321
We have obvious glossed over a lot of detail to keep this short. Let us know if you like this kind of article by leaving a comment.
Thanks
–steve buser
