North Coast Tech Prep Consortium Report
Focus Group
For Students and Parents
October 2005
The North Coast Tech Prep Consortium sponsored a group of 30+ “Tech Prep” students and an equal number of their parents for a Focus Group in October of 2005.
The students were from various schools in the Cleveland metropolitan area. Some schools were inner city, some suburban, as well as rural demographics. In addition to the diversity of the economic community, there was a mix of cultural and racial differences, male and female as well as representation from various Tech Prep programs.
This focus group was held after a dinner and was facilitated by Kordell Norton (330) 405-1950 of Twinsburg, Ohio, who is a professional Graphic Facilitator and change consultant. This report is a summary of the insights from the focus group taken from both the graphic created (see below) and notes.
The key questions asked:
note: The graphic below is a JPEG of a 4 foot by 10 foot chart created from the Focus group of High School Students, Parents and teachers from a TechPrep group on what they felt were the best ways to reach students.
Responses
How many of you have heard of, or are familiar with the term Tech Prep?
There were 6 students who had NOT heard of Tech Prep?
What do you see as the benefits of your involvement with Career and Technical Education?
(It should be noted that the 4 of the first 5 discussion items were financially oriented.)
College Credit
The first three responses were given very quickly. A show of hands showed a major portion saw this as a big benefit.
Experience in my area of interest
Job Opportunities – now and in the future
The majority of the responses show the main motivation and benefit of TP to be financial.
Internships 4 College
The students and parents saw Career Tech as a way to not only go to college but to help pay for additional education.
Ahead of Others
Comments were made on making more money than their peers who were going to traditional high school and that they did not feel they had a lesser education than the traditional K-12 track.
Group-working Skills
In contrast to previous focus groups for these students, they expressed frustration at fellow students who did not work harder at their education in individual Career & Technical programs. These students felt they had opportunities to work in a group and learn how to interact with others in a real world environment. They felt like they had a better relationship with their fellow students than their friends in the traditional school.
Free Training
A student pointed to the visits of business leaders who attended their classes as speakers and their visits to companies as “free training” that was valuable.
Scholarships
A big plus for participants. It should be noted that not all attendees were aware that there were scholarships from Tech Prep.
What to do with my life. . . .Career choices
Two different attendees pointed out that they felt like they had a better grasp on what they wanted to do in their job pursuits and that their friends in more traditional schools struggled with this question.
Free Trips.
The state and national competitions that several students participated in were seen as a way to do something different and travel.
Certification
Contacts for Later
Because of their association with businesses who are involved in the TP education tracks, they felt it gave them connections for when they left school and pursued a career.
What are the negatives to Tech Prep/Career & Technical Education?
“Not Known”
They did not know about the programs and offerings early enough. Would have like to heard about Career Tech a few years earlier in their schooling
Commitment
Removing themselves from the traditional High School and some of the activities involved there.
Not Serious Credits for the College Bound
Concern that perhaps their college/university studies would not recognize their schooling in TP.
The Perception that TP was for Non-College Bound Students
Number of Students Hurts the Program
This comment came from some cosmetology students who were in a fairly crowded program.
A Lot of Time
The issue here is the large commitment of time that has to be dedicated to a TP track.
Too busy for college with a job to boot
With the demands of TP and regular academic classes, some expressed a concern that they were too busy.
Guidance Counselor Discouragement/Teachers don’t share it.
Some felt that they were just “seen as a number” and that the counselors don’t understand TP and what its benefits are. In addition, they felt that if the traditional teachers did indeed know about TP, they were not sharing it with potential students.
Resume
They wondered if TP efforts might be seen negatively on a resume
Not Your Fathers Buick
There was some discussion about the bias against TP. “They just don’t understand” that this is a more sophisticated program than the old vocational education”, said a few parents.
How would you suggest we communicate to potential future students?
Seniors and Juniors used as Ambassadors
Using the seniors to get the message to the lower classes might have more of an impact. They suggested you get them wrapped in a cool t-shirt that would allow them to talk about TP to their friends and younger kids. In addition they brainstormed that having a canned PowerPoint presentation on TP and the program benefits would be helpful. In addition a budget for pizza or some other event might be helpful.
Use an Outside Speaker (with an entertainment/motivational capability) to go to the Home Schools and speak on behalf of TP
Jokingly they suggested have Kordell go speak to the schools (well, half way joking). Another suggestion was to have more proactive messaging on TP occur with the PTA organizations.
Do marketing to locations where TP Students would frequent
Example was putting up recruiting/educational materials at MicroCenter and CompUSA to make the kids who are techie, familiar with the programs offered.
Start Educating Students on TP Earlier
They suggested you start with the kids in 8th Grade. They thought that 9th or 10th grade might be too late. At best they thought that every Freshman Orientation should have a document that explains the options and benefits of TP. One individual felt that an essential question be answered in theses materials, “What is TP and why does it matter?” Another suggested a Pre-Orientation Catalog of TP offerings.
Make the TP/Career Tech materials stand out more
The group felt like a lot of education materials and materials got lost in the junk mail. They indicated that if materials were positioned to parents about their children, perhaps it would get noticed more. One suggestion was a letter. Another was a CD disc with a Flash or PowerPoint presentation on it that the adult might put into their computer and get insights on TP.
Salary Chart/Longevity
Since jobs, money and opportunities were the top interests of these students, a marketing tool that they felt would connect with both potential parent of student of TP would be some research and information on the types of incomes and job opportuntities for the various TP programs.
Guidance Counselors
Both parents and students were perceptive in expressing that the school guidance counselors should make the TP possibilities available to all. This point was brought up multiple times.
Not Your Fathers Buick
Several parents felt that the misconception of TP was a disservice. That some problem students were indeed shuffled into TP might be reconfirming this perception.
Recommendations:
Marketing of TP should be focused on the outcomes that the student and parent are looking for, i.e. – jobs, money, and college credit. In addition the value of the content of individual TP courses was not of interest. The result of that education was what got mind share and attention.
School Counselors needed to be informed that they were being seen as a deterrent to those who went into TP
TP should have a more active marketing effort at the 8th and 9th grade level.
Marketing/communications needed to be more bold to stand out. New methods of delivery of the message should also occur like TP CD’s, PowerPoint, personalized letters to the homes of potential students.
The current TP students should be given tools that would allow them to be more involved in recruiting their peers and friends into TP. There should also be more proactive efforts and programs to engage current TP students in recruiting.
Report prepared by:
Kordell Norton
Synergy Solutions LLC
3262 Darien Lane
Twinsburg, Ohio 44087
(330) 405-1950
About Kordell Norton - The Top Line Guy
Your organization has a strong interest in the "top line" for growth. As a consultant, speaker, author, Kordell Norton works with corporate, association, education and government organizations who want to focus on branding, sales, marketing, strategic planning/leadership, team building, and customer service.
Kordell was an executive with several multi-billion dollar corporations with executive suite positions in sales, HR, marketing and call centers. As a certified Graphic Facilitator, he uses highly visual processes, along with humor, and entertaining methods for powerful, high energy presentations.
Author of Throwing Gas on the Fire - creating drastic change in Sales and Marketing
He can be reached at (330) 405-1950 or at kordell@kordellnorton.com or at his website - www.KordellNorton.com
Copyright 2006, all rights researved