ATC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Purpose

High School faculty teaching ATC statewide-articulated courses must participate in joint secondary and postsecondary professional development activities. These activities must include delivery of standard information on the Advance Technical Credit (ATC) Program and Tech Prep, as well as subject-specific content alignment activities. Annual joint secondary and postsecondary faculty curriculum review activities are currently offered and may be modified to include standard content developed for the statewide articulation process.

The Advanced Technical Credit (ATC) Professional Development Program is designed to provide information to high school teachers to help them understand:

• Elements of the Advanced Technical Credit (ATC) Program;
• Relationships of ATC/statewide articulation to Tech Prep programs;
• Content of postsecondary technical (WECM) courses; and
• Expected level of performance of students completing content-enhanced, ATC statewide-articulated courses.

Background

In response to recommendations of the committee for statewide articulation guidelines, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) initiated a process for the identification of statewide-articulated secondary career and technology education courses. This process includes additions to secondary course offerings and use of the special explanation code for these courses (A code) on the Academic Achievement Record (AAR, high school transcript).

Beginning with the 2001-2002 school year, a new section was added to the Texas Education Agency's list of approved courses (PEIMS Code Table C022), which is designated "Grades 11-12, Career and Technology Education-Tech Prep". This section assigns unique course numbers and abbreviations for career and technology (CATE) courses approved for ATC statewide-articulated postsecondary credit. Schools electing to participate in the Advanced Technical Credit Program must use these course numbers for content-enhanced, statewide-articulated CATE courses beginning with the 2002-2003 school year.

According to TEA, these courses code may only be used by districts that adhere to the teacher staff development and course content requirements outlined by TEA and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

General Provisions - Professional Development Program

1. Staff development must be facilitated by an approved provider.

2. All high school teachers who are or will be teaching an ATC statewide-articulated course must receive both general instruction in statewide processes (Part I) and subject-specific instruction (Part II).

3.A high school teacher must receive instruction from college faculty for each articulated course they are or will be teaching. Instruction must emphasize how the articulated course content is enhanced beyond other, non-articulated high school courses with the same name.

4.Each participant must complete a form that documents academic and certification requirements, verifies their participation, and specifies the courses that have been covered during the staff development activity. The form also provides information on each teacher for a statewide database.

5.A certificate of eligibility that documents completion of required staff development activities by eligible teachers will be mailed to each participant from the Advanced Technical Credit (ATC) Program office.

6. Staff development activities must be repeated within three years. However, high school teachers are encouraged to meet with college faculty annually.

Role of Facilitators - Providers

• Facilitators - providers of professional development activities for the Advanced Technical Credit (ATC) Program are charged with the following:
• General oversight of the staff development activity, including assuming responsibility for documenting completion of training by participants;
• Scheduling professional development activities and notifying school district personnel;
• Designing a staff development program that includes all state requirements;
• Identifying appropriate personnel to deliver general information on ATC/statewide articulation and Tech Prep;
• Identifying appropriate college faculty to lead subject-area specific sessions and providing them with adequate orientation to ensure success; and
• Distribution, and appropriate disposition of, staff development forms.

Registration Fees

Tech Prep consortia and colleges should not charge registration fees for these professional development activities. Fees to cover the cost of breaks and meals provided to participants during training may be assessed.

Tech Prep consortia may have funds available for articulation activities, including reimbursement for travel expenses and substitute pay. Interested schools of faculty should contact regional Tech Prep consortia staff for more information.

Education service centers may charge registration fees within their current, board-approved process governing delivery of professional development services to school districts.

Role of College Faculty

College faculty who teach ATC statewide-articulated technical courses must be directly involved in the professional development of secondary teachers.

• College faculty participating as providers of subject-specific staff development should:
• Participate in an orientation session on statewide articulation that explains their role in the training process;
• Attend the general session (Part I) of the staff development program so they are able to answer questions about the program; and
• Lead discussion sessions on the content of college technical (WECM) courses with high school teachers who are seeking approval to teach the equivalent secondary ATC statewide-articulated course or courses.

Time Line for Training

August 31 - Deadline to train teachers who will be teaching statewide-articulated courses during school year, which are identified with new PEIMS codes specific for these courses.

Contents of State - Approved Professional Development Activities

Completion of training is required for each high school teacher teaching the course (s) in question before a high school can use the new career and technology PEIMS course numbers and abbreviations. The professional development activity must consist of at least the following:

Part I - General Information

A Power Point Presentation for Part I of TEA - required ATC faculty professional development has been developed to assist approved facilitators provide statewide articulation professional development activities.

(May be provided in a variety of formats, including general sessions or break out sessions)

All secondary teachers must participate in a general session of at least two contact hours. Content must include:

• An overview of the Advanced Technical Credit (ATC) Program;
• Specific information on elements of ATC, including criteria for award of articulated college credit, use of unique PEIMS career and technology course codes, and use of the "A" transcript code;
• Overview of the Tech Prep initiative;
• Development and approval of Tech Prep programs;
• Tech Prep program and student definitions;
• Tech Prep student identification and reporting; and
• An overview of the relationship of the Tech Prep programs and ATC

Content may also include:

• Instructional methodologies and student assessment methods;
• Participation of business and industry representatives; and
• Tours of college classrooms and laboratories

Part II - Subject-Area Specific

(May be provided in a variety of formats, including break out sessions, round tables, or one-on-one sessions with college faculty)

Each secondary teacher must participate in one or more sessions led by college faculty teaching WECM-equivalent courses, of at least one contact hour per course. Training for two or more courses is recommended.

These sessions cover specific courses content and expectations, including:

• Subject-specific instruction in TEKS/WECM alignment of articulated courses that includes minimum WECM course requirements (content may also include instruction in local WECM course content enhancement);
• Relationship of the course(s) to articulated programs of study, including Tech Prep programs, and high school-to-college program alignment; and
• Evaluating student performance for college-level equivalence;
• Instruction may also include an overview of appropriate instructional methodologies

The following high school teachers are exempt from meeting with subject-specific college faculty (Part II):

High school teachers that also function as part-time college faculty and teach the college-equivalent course on a college or high school campus; and High school teachers teaching ATC statewide-articulated Cisco courses who have been certified by Cisco Systems to teach the courses in question.

(documentation of Cisco certification should be attached to staff development eligibility forms)

Outcomes of the ATC Professional Development Program

• Secondary teachers completing state-approved training should be able to:
• Describe the Advanced Technical Credit (ATC) process, including how schools and colleges participates;
• List the criteria for award of college credit;
• Explain how to advise a secondary student about an ATC statewide-articulated courses;
• Explain the difference between regular courses and ATC statewide-articulated courses;
• Outline how to enhance the content of the ATC statewide-articulated courses they teach so that they equate to the college WECM course equivalent;
• Describe methods to document WECM-equivalent student competencies, such as competency profiles;
• Describe how to evaluate student performance for college-level equivalence;
• Describe how ATC statewide-articulated courses and locally articulated courses are identified on a high school transcript;
• Explain when ATC statewide-articulated courses count as advanced measures for the Distinguished Achievement Program;
• Describe the relationship of the ATC statewide-articulated course(s) to articulated programs of study, including Tech Prep Programs, and high school-to-college program alignment,; and
• List resources available to help them; including college textbooks and courses syllabi, and have available names, e-mail addresses; and phone numbers of subject-specific college faculty.

 

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The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College

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Phone (956) 982-0197 * Fax (956) 982-0199

Last Updated July, 2006