Technological Education Pathways Partnership (TEPP)

The Technology Education Pathways Project prepares students for becoming technicians in the upstate New York area's emerging electrical/electronics industry. A technician career pathway program is established in the eleventh and twelfth grades of a Career and Technical Education program that aligns with two years of community college coursework in Electrical Technology. The technicians mainly work at the systems level and need skills in testing and measuring. Most technician jobs involve installing new equipment and maintaining and servicing large expensive equipment. The project develops thirty two-week modules for the 11th grade exploratory technology courses and thirty more for the 12th grade technician education courses by adapting materials from the ATE-funded Career Curriculum for Technology project. The courses address standards-driven technological skills and 21st Century Skills and provide a strong foundation in STEM subject areas through exploration of current and emerging technological fields. High school students in career and technical education are encouraged to continue their education through earning fifteen college credits in five STEM courses while earning seven high school credits in STEM subjects. Eight new modules are developed for the Electrical Technology courses at the community college. These courses provide instruction in key concepts through studying the component systems in consumer and industrial products. The formative evaluation, done by an external evaluator, provides information on the vertical alignment model, the curricular materials, and the creation of a student centered learning environment.