Research about P-TECH

This is a collaborative space for research about P-TECH, and the aspects of this model that may (or may not) best be applied within a NB school context.

This page will contain static material we wish to always access, or that represents decisions made or documents created.

Meanwhile, our blog page will contain an archive of research gathered / linked.

Student Recommendations

Our research group is looking into the actual costs for having P-TECH schools in the USA and in Australia (studied so far).

​We will attempt to differentiate between regular school expenses and P-TECH specific expenses.

-I would recommend a trial period if this were to be implemented. 
​A P-TECH school in New Brunswick would require funding for:
  • college courses
  • qualified teachers
  • textbooks
  • technological equipment 
  • cost of providing extra help

Student Cautions and Conditions

Going forward, the province, district and school administration must keep their eyes open regarding the following situations demonstrated at other P-TECH schools.
  • Students struggling with the workload of college courses
  • Cost of implementing this program
  • Loosing funding for this program. There Have been a few schools I've encountered in my research (on blog page) that have lost funding and therefore are either closing or not able to accept new students
  • Enrollment lows (possibly due to commitment of students at a young age)
​Link to our
P-TECH​  Blog
P-TECH is:

In the USA:
Pathways in Technology
Early
College
High School

In Australia:
Pathways in
TECHnology
(does not involve
 dual-credits!)

A Student's Perspective

If I were entering into grade 9 and had to choose to go to a P-TECH school:

I would be excited about:
  • Learning new technologies
  • Hands on learning
  • Fast paced environment
  • Job potential
  • being prepared for university

​I would be nervous about:
  • Having to choose a potential career path at 13 years old
  • Being able to balance the work load and my leisure time
  • Starting college courses in grad 10
  • If I would be willing to do the 2 extra years of high school(Or maybe I would feel pressure to finish the whole diploma in those 4 years)

If I were a Principal / Staff Member

If I look at the P-TECH school model from the perspective as a principal:

I would be excited about:
  • Being able to connect students to industry professionals in order to have real life work experience
  • Giving students who may not have had a great chance at going to university a chance to be career ready
  • Producing career/university ready graduates
  • Potentially contributing to economic growth
  • Greatly increasing the potential for a high school graduate to attain a career once they graduate

I would be nervous about:
  • The cost of the program -> This is a big one considering many schools that have lost funding were either not able to continue to not able to accept new students
  • Where I would acquire funding from
  • The failure rates of tenth grade students taking college courses (See: Turmoil Behind The Scenes At A Nationally Lauded High School)
  • Keeping the enrollment rates up
  • Making sure that kids who want to be in the program end up in the program (What I mean by this is that if parents sign up their kids who may not be the most motivated to perform well in the program, this could greatly effect academic averages and test scores)
  • Finding qualified teachers (Not only qualified teachers, but teachers who are willing to put in the great amount of effort needed to teach in a hands on manner. And also teachers willing to put in more extra work than they already do for extra help sessions)
​
 Overall, I would definitely be so concerned about academic scores and enrollment rates especially since this would be a new school model. Keeping a good public image  would be crucial to attain funding to continue to run the program
​

Additional Thoughts / Recommendations from the Research Mentor

Building on the previous recommendation, a P-TECH school in New Brunswick would require additional funding for:
  • qualified teachers
  • dual-credits for courses with local post-secondary institutions (if using USA model)
    or stronger ties to industry and post-secondary (if using Australian model)
  • textbooks and online resources
  • computer equipment, including tablets, touch-screen monitors / dual monitors, and 1-to-1 laptops
  • technological equipment related to the topics at hand
  • extra help to those students struggling with steep learning curves and high workload

For the 2018-2019 school year, the Australian government is investing $5.1 million in 14 schools, after investing $5 million in one school in 2017 to create a STEM Centre.

Meanwhile in New York, the 2017 plans for P-TECH offerings to expand by 10 schools was costed at $5.3 million.  Only 6 years in, the P-TECH program has cost New York State over $42 million. (same article) 

At other New York schools, P-TECH enrollment dropped so much that only 30 students were in a program built for 120, so the program was being cancelled.

Opportunities

Clearly, P-TECH is an attempt to address an important concern: hands-on STEM learning in high schools that connects students with industry professionals in order to encourage them into high-tech careers.

This is an excellent and positive goal that is strongly supported in New Brunswick.

Challenges

There are a number of initiatives already underway in New Brunswick to encourage students into high-tech careers by connecting them with industry professionals:
  • traditional Co-op programs (grade 11-12)
  • new virtual Co-op programs, with students supervised locally (through new PVLCs) and mentored by industry professionals using email and online video conferencing tools  
  • local school partnerships including guest speakers and mentors who interact with teachers and students, encouraging learning and making connections between curriculum and career opportunities

PVLC = Personalized Virtual Learning Centre, which is a teacher-supervised space in a school where students can take online courses, be mentored online with virtual Co-op courses, or participate in independent study courses.