Vol. 40, No. 11

April 4, 2006

State Education Officials Honor 13
"Tech-Prep Students of the Year"

State education officials honored 13 students as "Tech-Prep Students of the Year" in a ceremony March 3 at the Capitol in Jefferson City.  The honorees and their schools were: 

  • Mary Craig, Cole Camp R-I High School

  • Megan Germann, Carrollton High School

  • Zachary Webb, Blue Springs High School

  • Ashley Russell, Central High School, Park Hills

  • Camille Marks, Normandy High School

  • Patricia Brandenburger, Rolla High School

  • Tonya West, Herculaneum High School

  • Mark Warner, Orchard Farm High School

  • Daniel Cummings, Chillicothe High School

  • Mindy Briscoe, Moberly High School

  • Denise VanDeMark, Lamar High School

  • Brian Cox, Construction Career Center Charter High School, St. Louis

  • Kali Rountree, Joplin High School

Students were selected on the basis of their commitment to career and technical education, academic achievement, involvement in school or community activities, leadership abilities, and their involvement in student organizations related to career and technical education.

"Tech-prep" focuses on both academic and career education to prepare young people for postsecondary training in a technical or career field.  All tech-prep students take part in so-called "2+2" programs, in which they take career-oriented classes during 11th and 12th grades, and then move directly into related studies at a community college, a technical school or an apprenticeship program.

There are 15 regional tech-prep "consortiums" in Missouri, coordinated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.  Each consortium involves local high schools, area career and technical centers, community colleges and representatives of business, industry and labor.  

The groups work to coordinate curriculum, academic standards and policies, and articulation agreements so that students are able to move smoothly from high school into postsecondary studies.