Benchmark 1: School Design

Purpose of School Design

The P-TECH program must offer open enrollment and flexible scheduling structures that enable students to combine high school, postsecondary courses and work-based learning, at no cost to participating students.

Design Elements

All P-TECHs must implement and meet the following requirements:

1. The P-TECH location shall be:
   1. In a high school, or
      1. as a standalone high school campus or
      2. in a smaller learning community within a larger high school
   2. At a central location, such as a CTE Center where students are enrolled at their home campus, or
   3. On a college or university campus
2. P-TECH staff shall include:
   1. A building level leader who has scheduling, hiring, and budget decisions
   2. Industry/Business partner liaison with decision making authority who interacts directly and frequently (in person or virtually) with P-TECH leader
   3. An Institute of Higher Education (IHE) liaison with decision making authority and interacts directly and frequently (in person or virtually) with P-TECH leader
   4. Highly qualified P-TECH teachers who work directly with the students, which may include adjunct high school faculty capable of teaching college- level courses
   5. Counseling staff who support P-TECH students, including activities such as: coordinating with Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) for registration, monitoring of students’ high school and college transcripts, and monitoring high school and college courses to ensure all requirements are met
3. The P-TECH shall establish a leadership team that includes high-level personnel from the school district, campus, industry/business partners, and IHE with decision-making authority who meet regularly and report to each organization. Regularly scheduled meetings must address the following topics:
   1. Identification of members and the role each member will play in the design, governance, operations, accountability, curriculum development, professional development, outreach, sustainability, and continuous monitoring and improvement of the P-TECH
   2. Share responsibility (between the school district, campus, industry/business partners, and IHE) for meeting annual outcomes-based measures and providing annual reports to their respective boards as well as to the public
   3. Monitoring of progress on meeting the Blueprint, including reviewing data to ensure the P-TECH is on-track to meet outcomes-based measures
   4. Mid-course corrections as needed
   5. Sustainability structures to address and minimize the challenges of staff turnover and potential fluctuations in funding
4. The leadership team shall include and meet regularly (in person and/or virtually) with the leaders from the school district, campus, business/industry, chambers of commerce, non-profit foundations, and IHE who have decision-making authority:

   District leaders (may include):

   1. Superintendent
   2. Assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, or equivalent position
   3. P-TECH principal or director
   4. CTE Director (if applicable to the P-TECH model)
   5. Department chairs
   6. School counselors

   Business/Industry Partner (may include):

   1. CEO/President
   2. Education/Community Outreach Specialist/Community Organizations such as a Chamber of Commerce and Non-Profit Foundations

   IHE leaders (may include):

   1. College or university president
   2. Provost
   3. Department chairs for core academic disciplines
   4. P-TECH liaison
5. Implement an annual professional development plan for teachers and staff, focused on research-based instructional strategies that focus on rigor, build college- and career-readiness, are based on needs assessment of student data, and includes both high school and dual credit teacher Professional development may include, but is not limited to:
   1. A mentoring and induction program for newly hired staff, providing them with the instructional and interpersonal skills and capacities needed for success in an advanced academic setting
   2. An externship program to expose teachers, counselors, and/or administrators to content in careers in the pathways identified by the P-TECH
   3. Opportunities for teachers to collaborate, plan and engage in relevant professional development
6. Provide opportunities for P-TECH teachers to receive extensive training and support through regularly scheduled formative peer observations and collaboration opportunities with feeder pattern focus groups, industry/business and/or IHE partners
7. The P-TECH program shall provide flexible, individualized scheduling that allows students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma, industry certifications, an associate degree, and engage in appropriate work-based learning at every grade level
8. The P-TECH students shall be cohorted into core classes to the extent possible; this does not exclude non-P-TECH students from enrolling in the same class
9. The P-TECH program shall be offered at no cost to students

Activities

1. All products shall be published on the P-TECH website and be made available to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) upon request
2. All products shall be maintained in accordance with local retention policy

Products

1. Mentor/induction program plans
2. Annual training or professional development plan with P-TECH and IHE faculty
3. P-TECH leadership meeting agendas and notes