Harlingen Teachers Learn to Build a More Skilled Workforce
Friday, July 3, 2009

By Eileen Mattei, for "Harlingen Today"

The eight teachers and counselors from Harlingen high schools who are interning with local businesses this summer have an unusual objective. They are getting hands-on experience of the skills needed in the modern workplace with the expectation they will incorporate those skills into their lesson plans in the fall.

The educators are the first in Harlingen to participate in the Academic Learning Alliance (ALA) which is directed by Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley and being funded by the Harlingen Economic Development Corp. Tech Prep and its partners--the McAllen Economic Development Corporation and Region One Education Service Center--launched the ALA program in Hidalgo County in 2004 in response to employers who complained that high school graduates did not have the skills to become good employees and were unprepared to enter the job market. Supported by the business community, the highly successful program expanded to Brownsville last year.

“The workforce is the number one issue in our field, period,” said Bill Martin, Harlingen EDC Director, explaining why the EDC decided to fund the Tech Prep initiative. While Harlingen has a young and growing workforce, businesses that consider locating in Harlingen have expressed concern about the education level and skill levels of the young adults, he said.

In Harlingen, the benefits of ALA participation are already apparent and will continue to spread. The ALA, through immersion, gives teachers and counselors an updated understanding of the workplace while providing businesses with the educators’ technical skills and experiences. The educators’ input can improve a firm’s competitiveness. In the fall, students will be taught by teachers who can say, ‘I was there and I know you need to be able to do this to be a hired and to succeed.’ The EDC can point out the cooperation between the business community and the education system as well as the increasing quality of employable graduates.

The Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce recruited the participating businesses: Burton Companies, Cardone Industries, Country Inn & Suites, Dish Network, Gulf Aviation, TSTC, United Launch Alliance, and Valley Baptist. Tech Prep staff and the ALA Coordinator matched the eduators’ fields and experience with the businesses.

The matches appear to have worked well. Both teachers and their summer employers were excited and enthusiastic about the intern program.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to have a real world experience so I can help my kids,” Harlingen High School counselor Melissa Kilgore said. She welcomed the opportunity to get out of her comfort zone, and in her first week working at Country Inn & Suites, she learned the right way to make beds, clean a room, and manage the front desk. “You define your objective and how you are going to accomplish it. There is an art and process to cleaning a room that is overlooked (by an outsider),” she said, proud that Housekeeper Alicia Ballesteros taught her how to clean a room in 30 minutes. Kilgore had wanted to start at the bottom and work her way through various positions to see how different parts of the hotel meshed into a cohesive unit.

Organizational, communication and problem-solving skills are among the issues Kilgore will focus on in the PowerPoint presentation she will create for students.

“Our industry is all about customer service,” said Country Inn & Suites manager Tony Silvestro. He hopes Kilgore’s experiences and observations will lead to applicants' being more prepared for entry-level jobs. Kilgore herself is interested in reviving the hospitality cluster in the career and technology program.

After one week with Burton Industries, Monica Ortiz, Harlingen High School BCIS (business computer information skills) teacher, was bubbling with lesson plans as a result of her internship. Her first-week duties included morning sales audits and cash analyses, assembling hydraulic hoses, sprucing up the store, doing deliveries to places she didn’t know existed, filing and talking one-on-one with her immediate boss Jessie Zuniga and Burton CEO Richard Vaughan. (Vaughan chairs the Tech Prep board of directors.)

Come the fall, her students will be using Excel to chart accurate hydraulic hose measurements, quotes on tire purchases, and to figure how much a company grosses and nets per day and per salesman. They might develop a standard Collection letter in Word and improve other communication and organizational skills.

“I really need to implement some of her good ideas. She’s been very helpful and trying to help the company do better. This is a win-win-win situation,”said Zuniga

The ALA lessons plans and presentations must be approved by the employers who expect to see real-world issues tackled in the classroom.

Brownsville Physics Teacher Studies Economic Development
Friday, July 3, 2009

Brownsville physics teacher Ulrich Weisse became an ALA (Academic Leadership Alliance) intern with the Brownsville Economic Development Corp. in June. The internship is a Tech Prep collaboration with the Brownsville Chamber and the Brownsville Business and Education Coalition (BBEC) that helps teachers and counselors understand what skills local businesses require in their employees. The educators are expected to present that information in structured lessons to their students.

Asked to research and compare border MSAs, (Metropolitan Statistical Areas), Weisse soon realized the lesson plans he could develop from that and other experiences during his immersion in the business world.

“Students should know how to work in Excel and how to make a graph,” Weisse said. As an ALA intern, he created graphs comparing MSAs’ employment, income, and population. That visual put differences between the cities in perspective. He has created lessons introducing students to Excel and linear regression analysis.

“Communications skills are everything,” Weisse discovered in the workplace. He plans to have each of his students make oral presentations of information they derived from articles on energy resources. “That is a difficult thing to do, for a student,” but necessary for workplace success.

The Rivera High School teacher traveled with BEDC consultants to regional manufacturers. “I was fortunate to be able to talk informally with community leaders, CEOs, the port director, and maquiladora managers. I had first-hand experience on how decisions are made,” Weisse said. He was surprised by the high levels of technology and productivity of the plants. The teacher thought the border had a reputation for cheap labor, but what he observed was anything but. Robotics, extensive automation and computerization indicated that advanced skills are required for employment.

During his internship, Weisse created brochures for the BEDC to present to prospects, businesses that are considering a Brownsville location. He also learned that people from elsewhere view the Valley as a whole, not separate cities. Now Weiss himself understands that perspective and has gained a new view of business and employment opportunities that he will present to his students.

The BBEC-ALA internship is a collaborative that the Brownsville Chamber and Tech Prep brought to Brownsville in 2008. ALA originated through a collaborative created by the McAllen Economic Development Corporation in collaboration with the Region One Education Service Center and Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley.

Ulrich Weisse, an ALA intern in Brownsville, found that regional manufacturing plants are remarkably high-tech

Harlingen Teachers Participate in ALA for the First Time
Tuesday, June 9, 2009

The Valley’s business community shares a common complaint: high school graduates are not ready for the workplace. To help resolve that problem, this summer eight Harlingen businesses are participating in a program that can improve the skills of students coming out of Harlingen schools for years to come.

Through a partnership of Tech Prep of the RGV and the Harlingen Economic Development Corp eight Harlingen high school teachers will intern with those employers—Gulf Aviation, Valley Baptist Health System, Dish Network, Cardone Industries, Country Inn & Suites, TSTC and Burton Industries.

In the Academic Leadership Alliance (ALA) program, the teachers work in the businesses, gaining firsthand knowledge of what skills are essential to join and succeed in today’s workforce. The teachers must create two lesson plans that incorporate and transmit that knowledge to their students.

While ALA has been placing teacher-interns in Valley workplaces since 2003, Harlingen is participating for the first time thanks to financial support from the Harlingen EDC.

“This project is making the biggest difference in how teachers teach and look at the world,” said Dr. Gloria Crum, ALA coordinator. The interns tell her that they start teaching differently after the intern experience. The teachers gain personal experience of the writing, math, computer, communication, and science skills that employers expect from new hires.

This summer 65 teachers and counselors from eight Valley school districts have been matched with business such as television stations and manufacturers. The ALA program strengthens the educator-employer connection, supplying names and experiences the teachers can refer to.

“Whatever we have our employees doing, we have the teachers doing the same. They go with MEDC staff people during recruitment and business expansion and retention calls,” said Joyce Dean, vice president of the McAllen Economic Development Corp. “We know these interns are going to take this experience back to school and use it in their lesson plans. From this, we’re going to see a workforce that has what is needed to go on to technical training and college.”

The teachers, who must have their workplace-related lesson plans approved by their summer employers, are required to teach the first lesson by October. Interns from previous years have created brochures, expanded computer skills, and prepared news reports for their employers. The workplace immersion, they said, allowed them to point out the relevance of their subject matter to students. It also gives them real life problems to present to students such as creation of a diabetic diet plan, analyzing port statistics, and determining placement of boxes on a shipping pallet.

Richard Vaughan, CEO of Burton Companies and Tech Prep Board Chair said ALA helps to teachers zero in on what is important. “The ALA program helps teachers prepare students for life in the real world.”

Tech Prep RGV Singled Out as Role Model
Sunday, May 24, 2009

Tech Prep of the RGV is a great role model for Texas Career and Technology Education programs, according to Jim Windham, chairman of the Texas Institute for Education Reform. “We’re very impressed with the way education-to-career plans and programs are done in the Valley. We really need to replicate this.”

TIER, which promotes revising Texas education policy to improve outcomes, wants every high school graduate–whether going to college or not-- to be fully prepared for higher education and the 21st century workplace. That can be achieved, Windham said, through accepting multiple educational pathways taught with equal rigor. Students must be held to the same academic standard whatever their career goals.

TIER advocates that all CT curriculum must follow meaningful pathways that lead to a target beyond high school. While the individual’s target can be an industry certification, a commercial license, or pursuing a college degree, TIER advocates that each graduate be primed and positioned to absorb further training and education.

Tech Prep of the RGV brings together the three elements that define TIER’s ideal standard, Windham explained. First, its CT programs are held to the same high standards as academic courses. Second, the courses are part of pathways leading to definite career goals. Third, Tech Prep has the hands-on support of community leaders and business people who are concerned about a skilled, vital workforce.

Texas has led the nation in education standards and accountability in years past, Windham said. “Much of what we have done has been to raise the minium threshold level. The greatest progress has been in elementary schools. But we haven’t raised the bar to get kids ready for post-secondary success.”

High schools are graduating about two-thirds of their students, but only 50 percent of those are ready for their next stage. Those young adults require remedial education to bring them up to a standard competence . “That’s why TIER was founded: to take (high school) standards and accountability to the next level which is proficiency.”

The current challenge that TIER has taken on is to get policies in place that open more pathways like Tech Prep’s CTE, simultaneously improving the curriculum and the graduates’ expectations.

“Not every kid is going to go to college. But for those who do not, don’t you agree that their pathway should be of equal rigor” so they are well-prepared for their future? Windham asked. It’s a disservice to the student and the community if every high school graduate is not held to a rigorous standard that prepares them for the technologically-driven economy.

Tech Prep RGV Board to Meet on May 21
Thursday, May 14, 2009

The quarterly meeting of the TPRGV Board of Directors is scheduled for 12 noon on Thursday, May 21, 2009, in the Board Room of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, 322 South Missouri Avenue, Weslaco, Texas (http://www.valleychamber.com/contact.shtml).

The AGENDA for the meeting is as follows:

CALL TO ORDER: Richard Vaughan, Board Chair (CEO, Burton Companies)
(Invocation; Pledge of Allegiance; Announcements; Public Comments)

BOARD BYTES:
Patricia G. (Pat) Bubb, Executive Director

ACTION ITEMS:

1. Consider/Approve Board Minutes of February 24, 2009

2. Consider/Approve Finance & Bylaws Committee
Reports and Recommendations

3. Consider/Approve Nominations Committee Reports and Recommendations

BRIEFING ITEMS:

3. Committee Reports

3.A Executive and Partnerships
3.B Finance and Bylaws
3.C Lower Rio Grande P-16 Council (Curriculum/Work-Based Learning
Professional Development, and Universities and Colleges)
3.D Marketing and Awards and Technology Initiatives
3.E Nominations

4. Staff Reports

OTHER BUSINESS

ADJOURN

Meetings are open to the public. Contact the TPRGV offices for additional information.

Scholarship Recipients Announced; Additional Opportunity Remains
Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley is pleased to announce that the following students have been named recipients of the Dr. Lauro F. Cavazos Tech Prep Scholarships:

$1,000 United Launch Alliance Engineering Scholarship for Any College or University: Sylvia Samantha Carmona, San Benito High School, San Benito CISD

$3,000 Scholarship for the University of Texas-Pan American:
Karina Susana Monreal, Rio Hondo High School, Rio Hondo ISD

$4,000 Scholarship for Texas State Technical College Harlingen:
Blanca Rosa Vasquez, Harlingen High School, Harlingen CISD

$5,000 Scholarship for Any College or University:
Jacob Lane Dickinson, McAllen High School, McAllen ISD

Due to an unforeseen circumstance, the $3,000 Scholarship for the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College has not been awarded. The application process for that scholarship has been re-opened. Tech Prep Texas Scholar graduates who are interested in continuing their careers at UTB/TSC are encouraged to apply.

Applications will be available beginning May 8, 2009. To obtain an application:
1. Go to the “Downloads” section of this website.
3. Open the file entitled “Scholarship Application for UTB/TSC, May 2009”

Applications for the UTB/TSC scholarship are due no later than 5 p.m. on May 21, 2009. Contact the Tech Prep offices for additional information.

Tech Prep Announces 2009 Counselors of the Year
Friday, February 27, 2009

Counselors play tremendous roles of great responsibility working with students in our public schools. Counselors are responsible for planning and implementing comprehensive development guidance and counseling programs and making sure that students receive the services they need. While they do that, though, these good, caring people also work on content areas such as developing students’ self-confidence, motivation to achieve, decision-making, responsible behavior, and other areas. Tech Prep began honoring some of the hard-working counselors from our region almost 10 years ago. It has been our pleasure over the years to honor dedicated, student-focused individuals who are promoting Tech Prep’s programs and services at the same time they are working hard to be a positive influence in the lives of students in our schools.

The 2009 Tech Prep Elementary Counselor of the Year is CHRISTINA VASQUEZ from Rodolfo “Rudy” Silva Elementary, Weslaco ISD. Career awareness is extremely important at the elementary level. Knowing this, Ms. Vasquez has organized career fairs for her campus. She has also started a “Dress for Success Day” where students wear attire appropriate for their future occupations. This caring professional makes home visits and has found sponsors for children in need at the Christmas season—including volunteers to sponsor whole families. She participates in her students’ extra-curricular events to show how much she cares and is interested in them and has an open-door policy for students, teachers and parents.

The 2009 Tech Prep Middle School Counselor of the Year is LISA JUAREZ, Central Middle School, Weslaco ISD. She has worked hard to help hurting students—students with issues such as bullying, depression, anger, and other negative situations. She helped one student who had issues with cutting herself. That student has now stopped this self-destructive behavior, is passing all her classes, and is looking forward to college. Before becoming a counselor, this individual served nine years as a classroom teacher. She now counsels students for all their needs, but she also provides them with tutoring when they need help in their academic classes.

The 2009 Tech Prep High School Counselor of the Year is JANIE JOHNSTON LOPEZ, Career and Technical Education Counselor, Edinburg CISD. Like most counselors in her field, she is caring, compassionate, and supportive of her students, but an outstanding facet of her work is the collaboration process with the senior counselors to verify Tech Prep Distinguished Achievement Program measures and to make sure that the seniors are taking the classes necessary to become Tech Prep Texas Scholars. If she notices that the students have followed a career cluster throughout high school but have fallen short half a credit to receive the distinguished Tech Prep honor, she discusses this concern with the students and the academic counselors to see if the students can take another Career and Technology Education class in the same cluster area to be eligible to receive the prestigious Tech Prep Texas Scholar award. In an effort to promote Tech Prep, this individual participates in Senior Parent Night, Junior Parent Night, the district-wide Parent Youth Faith, and College Night. She speaks with parents whose children are in elementary and middle school about the benefits of taking CTE classes, especially those that are Tech Prep classes, and organizes a career fair on her campus that she coordinates with the Social Studies teachers.

The 2009 Tech Prep Postsecondary Counselor of the Year is RICHARD KIRK, Director of Student Success, Texas State Technical College. Mr. Kirk works with students at the college level. He can typically be found in his office as early as 6 a.m., doing his part to provide assistance to students and help them bridge the gap from middle school to high school to college. He works hard, and leads others under his supervision to work hard, to help students make good decisions about the future. Once they arrive at the college, he works passionately to retain students, striving to help them stay in school, complete their courses, and graduate with degrees in their chosen fields. This fine man is an individual many students visit during the day seeking assistance—and he works hard to help them. He has a personal library of books that he lends to students who cannot afford to buy them. And for students who wind up on academic probation, he works closely with them, helping them to get back on track and recommence their education. He also coordinates several mentoring programs, both on and off campus.

Tech Prep is pleased to be able to present awards in recognition of these dedicated counselors’ achievements!

Pictured L to R: Richard Kirk, Postsecondary Counselor of the Year, Janie Johnson Lopez High School Counselor of the Year, Dr. Belinda Torres,Tech Prep Coordinator, Christina Vasquez Elementary Counselor of the Year, and Lisa Juarez, Middle School Counselor of the Year

Tech Prep Showcases Education to Career Successes
Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley showcased its ongoing achievements and three successful students at a banquet for regional and state leaders February 23.

Some of the featured speakers at the Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley banquet held at Texas State Technical College Harlingen included, left to right, Tech Prep Board of Directors President and Chairman Richard Vaughan, media technology major Marco Arizpe of Edinburg North High School, Wesley Milum, a registered nurse who graduated from Los Fresnos High School in 2005, Tech Prep Executive Director Pat Bubb and health science major Michael Moreno, a certified nurse assistant from Edinburg High School

“The Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley model is the one we really need to replicate in the state with its Career and Technology Education programs,” said Jim Windham of Houston, chairman of the Texas Institute for Education Reform, an organization seeking improvements in education policies and results statewide, in an interview. “We’re very impressed with the way education-to-career plans and programs are done in the Valley.” He joined more than 50 educators, business representatives, elected officials and government leaders who heard reports from Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley, Texas State Technical College President Dr. Cesar Maldonado, PE, and three students – Michael Moreno of Edinburg High School, Marco Arizpe of Edinburg North High School, and Wesley Milum, RN, a Los Fresnos High School graduate in 2005, who earned the $3,000 Dr. Lauro F. Cavazos scholarship through Tech Prep to enroll in nursing at the University of Texas at Brownsville.

“Everything we do is for the next generation,” said Tech Prep Board of Directors President and Chairman Richard Vaughan, who is president and CEO of the Burton Companies. “I often ask myself, ‘What can we do to better prepare them for their future?’ It’s important for businesses to work with our schools and colleges to develop opportunities for our children. Tech Prep is an effective partnership between many organizations.”

The regional non-profit consortium led by private-sector representatives from Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy and Starr counties involves all colleges and universities in the Rio Grande Valley, more than 30 public school districts, several education agencies and two workforce development entities. The public-private cooperative ventures maximize resources to blend the combination of curriculum and learning experiences into productive careers.

“The career goals for Tech Prep students – and its eventual graduates – are real world jobs for real world kids,” Milum said. “There are no tiny success stories among the students who benefit from Dual Enrollment, distance learning and the related instruction. Everyone in Tech Prep is several steps ahead of other students and we understand that education does not end after college. I thank all of you involved with Tech Prep for dedicating your lives to others.”

Too many students want easy courses with lax teachers to take shortcuts en route to a diploma, said Moreno, a high school senior on a health science major career path. He passed the Certified Nurse Assistant exam and plans to become a pharmacy technician by the time he graduates from high school. “Taking Tech Prep courses allowed me to work with professionals, gain in-depth study materials, and master terms and methods that I will find useful in college and the workforce.”

Dr. Maldonado said that research proves Tech Prep articulation and dual enrollment for high school students into college-level courses saved students’ families at least an estimated $6 million in tuition. Tech Prep alliances cut across economic and academic rivalries, he added, so partners share ideas that could achieve a higher degree of competence for the workforce.



Martha Gutierrez, Worksite Learning Specialist and P-16 Council Coordinator, tells the audience about Tech Prep's many partnerships



Martha Gutierrez, worksite learning specialist and P-16 Council coordinator, and Executive Director Pat Bubb, both with Tech Prep, pointed to Tech Prep high school graduate rates and college retention rates that exceed average statistics statewide. They also provided updated information about summer internships for students and leadership opportunities for teachers. Bubb urged business and government leaders to push for state reforms through the Senate Education Committee to increase the number of Career and Technology Education courses that satisfy requirements for high school graduation, revise apprenticeship laws, simplify dual credit rules and modify state-funded student incentives.


Executive Director of Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley, Pat Bubb, tells audience about the successes of the Tech Prep programs

Story courtesy of Dave Ralph
Communications Writer
Texas State Technical College

Regional P-16 Council Report Available; Financial Aid Awareness Month Activities Underway
Thursday, February 5, 2009

LOWER RIO GRANDE P-16 COUNCIL REPORT AVAILABLE:

The Lower Rio Grande P-16 Council, which is led by TPRGV under the terms of a contract with TSTC and focuses on dissemination of information about state and local initiatives as well as facilitating collaboration between and among leaders from school districts, colleges, universities, businesses, and community organizations. Participation is open not only to superintendents and presidents, but also to outreach staff—including those from out-of-region universities operating in the Valley—and mid-level managers who have an interest in P-16 discussions.

The Lower Rio Grande P-16 Council's interim report is available through the "Downloads" section of this website.

THE TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD ANNOUNCES FINANCIAL AID AWARENESS MONTH:

February is Financial Aid Awareness Month in Texas. Once again, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is joining with TG to conduct a statewide "telethon" to promote a college-going culture in Texas through college readiness and access to financial aid. Phone banks will be set up to answer questions from parents, grandparents, and students from all over Texas about financial aid and applying for college admission.

We would like to invite you to volunteer to answer phones during one or more sessions during the telethon. Join others like you who believe that education is the key to the success of our state. We need bilingual volunteers, in particular, but you don't have to speak Spanish to participate. Volunteer dates and times are:

Tuesday, Feb. 10 5:30 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
9:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 11 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
9:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
Thursday, Feb. 12 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
9:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed

Tuesday, Feb. 17 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
9:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
Wednesday, Feb. 18 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
9:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
Thursday, Feb. 19 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
9:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed

Tuesday, Feb. 24 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
9:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Spanish speakers needed
Thursday, Feb. 26 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
9:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

You may choose to answer phones for any part of the telethon. We request at least a 1.5-hour commitment from each volunteer, but would welcome any additional hours you'd be willing to donate.

Volunteers will work out of the TG offices at La Frontera in Round Rock and will need to be available thirty minutes before each newscast. The Feb. 10 sessions will begin at 6:00 a.m. and will extend throughout the day. Volunteers will be provided meals and unlimited snacks, beverages, and plenty of breaks.

Television stations from Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Tyler, Beaumont, and El Paso will participate to relay information to their viewers during their local newscasts about the availability of student financial aid. Only one station will broadcast at a time.

Please sign up now. You'll be making a great contribution to the future of Texas.

If you have any questions, contact Chris Alvarado at Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 512/427-6207 or chris.alvarado@thecb.state.tx.us

Tech Prep and Valley Partnership Form Job Shadow Days Partnership
Thursday, February 5, 2009

National Groundhog Job Shadow Day represents a partnership of business and education, according to Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos. He presented a resolution commending Job Shadowing Day to Richard Vaughan, Board Chairman of Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley, which organizes the annual event, and to Sergio Contreras representing the Valley Partnership, which this year has joined forces with Tech Prep RGV to promote Job Shadow Day events.

Judge Cascos recognized the importance of students’ experiencing the workplace first hand and talking to professionals at their jobs. The job shadowing concept has become so popular and so productive that it has been extended though the spring by Tech Prep and opened to additional businesses.

Tech Prep of the RGV laid the groundwork for 200 Valley high school students representing 19 campuses to get behind-the-scenes experiences with 29 local employers on Groundhog Job Shadow Day 2009. Additional Job Shadow Day events will occur throughout the spring. Contact Tech Prep RGV or the Valley Partnership for additional information.

Pat Bubb, Tech Prep or the RGV Executive Director, Sergio Contreras, Valley Partnership Board, Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos, and Perry Vaughn, Assocated General Contractors Executive Director

Job Shadowing Students Get One Foot Inside the Door with Future Employers
Thursday, February 5, 2009

Harlingen, Texas
By Eileen Mattei

Harlingen High School students learned that Groundhog Job Shadow Day not only opens eyes. It also opens doors.

Almost 185 Valley high school students participated February 2 in job shadowing which immerses them for a day with an employer. The annual event is organized by Tech Prep of the RGV. Seven Harlingen juniors, who had expressed interest in engineering, architecture and graphic design careers, were matched with SpawGlass, a Texas-wide construction company with Harlingen offices. SpawGlass was named one of the top five best companies to work for in 2008.

Rene Capistran, regional manager, arranged for the students to talk with estimators, project managers, field engineers and computer modelers to get a grasp of the scope of construction industry and the difference between salaried and hourly employees. “Construction is a totally different world than it used to be. It’s not a carpenter with a hammer,” he said.

Kevin Bennett, construction superintendent, and project manager Alfredo Garcia gave the students hands-on time with advanced surveying equipment. “With the equipment we have, you don’t have to take a tape measure. The instruments can measure (data) a mile a way,” Bennet said, as he demonstrated a data collector and a hand-held computer. Garcia suggested the teens look in the back pages of their math book for formulas. “We use formulas all the time in the field. Estimators use them all the time, too.”

Estimator Juan Delgado showed the job shadowers the immense amounts of data required to determine the construction cost for a building such as a university sports complex or a healthcare facility. “The more information I have, the less I have to assume in estimating the cost.” With technology, Delgado said it takes only weeks to prepare an estimate, a task which some years back required months.

Luke Lucio, who plans to be an architect, talked with a project manager and was advised to take as many math classes as possible because, “We use math every day.”

“This was a lot of information. It made me way more interested,” said Aaron Del Bosque, who has taken pre-engineering and architecture classes. “This has helped me decide what I want to do.”

Capistran had the students participate in a debriefing session, discussing their job shadowing in an introduction to real corporate culture. Elizabeth Cruz, who plans to study graphic design, said, “I’d never paid much attention to construction. This has definitely opened my eyes. You all seem to like what you do a lot.”

“This is probably the coolest field trip I’ve ever been on. There’s a lot more to it than I ever realized,” Joshua Leal, future engineer, remarked.

“Use us as mentors,” instructed Capistran, as he and the SpawGlass staff gave business cards to each of the students. “We are a phone call away. If you need us a resource, we’re here to help. It speaks volumes about you guys that you’re taking these steps to prepare for the future. Having you here is so important to us,” he continued. “Our industry is in dire need of good people, people with an education. You can get so much further ahead if you work as team.”

Hosting job shadow students is going to creates many opportunities for SpawGlass as well as for the students, Capistran said. The construction company will send the students its quarterly corporate newsletter and hope, that in six years or so some of them will be wearing a shirt with a SpawGlass logo.

Groundhog Job Shadow Day has been extended through the spring and additional businesses may participate, according Martha Gutierrez at Tech Prep RGV. Valley Partnership has joined with Tech Prep in promoting Job Shadow Day initiatives.

Luke Lucio and Elizabeth Cruz of Harlingen High School's Tech Prep program try out SpawGlass' advanced surveying equipment during Groundhog Job Shadow Day

With guidance from SpawGlass construction manager Kevin Bennett, Luke Lucio and Elizabeth Cruz of Harlingen High School's Tech Prep program try out SpawGlass'advanced surveying equipment during Groundhog Job Shadow Day

Job Shadow Day Kickoff Event Set for February 2 at Rio Grande Valley Partnership
Tuesday, January 27, 2009

This Groundhog Day, Tech Prep RGV and the Rio Grande Valley Partnership Chamber of Commerce will host a “kickoff” press conference event in honor of a different kind of shadow, the Annual Groundhog Job Shadow Day Program. Starting on Monday, February 2, 2009 and continuing throughout the spring, hundreds of Rio Grande Valley students will participate in Tech Prep RGV’s job shadow program and gain valuable perspective on working life.

On a Job Shadow Day, a student "shadows" an employer or employee as he or she works through a normal day on the job. Students have the opportunity to observe daily life in a wide variety of fields. The program is supported by mayors, county elected officials, school districts, colleges, universities, local business leaders, television stations, and other media. Students' experiences with employers during these events help Valley students to understand the relevance of their academic studies, so that students are motivated to excel. In addition, employers emphasize the importance of education, encouraging students to pursue higher-level academics and postsecondary education.

Sergio Contreras, chairman of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership Chamber of Commerce, stated that “Job shadowing is a terrific way to give students exposure to professional life and help them understand how developing productive habits in school can facilitate future success.” Contreras, who serves as external affairs director for AT&T, is well-versed in the benefits of this type of program through his involvement with AT&T’s successful Aspire/Job Shadow program aimed at reducing high school dropout rates.

Tech Prep RGV, which is a partnership between education and business that prepares young people for today's skilled workforce, has been spearheading Job Shadow initiatives in this region for several years. State Representative Armando “Mando” Martinez praised the efforts of Tech Prep RGV and the other participating organizations, commenting “Tech Prep has done a tremendous job organizing and developing this program, and the high level of support and participation within the business community has been critical to its success. The Annual Groundhog Job Shadow Day Program presents an opportunity for students to gain access and insight into what could be their future careers.”

You can contribute to Job Shadow Day activities in any of the following ways:

• By participating in the Groundhog Job Shadow Day "kickoff" press conference at the Rio Grande Valley Partnership in Weslaco on February 2, 2009.

• By having a personal "student shadow" for all or part of Groundhog Job Shadow Day activities or a Job Shadow Day event.

• By encouraging other Rio Grande Valley Partnership officials throughout the region to host students for Groundhog Job Shadow Day and/or other Job Shadow Day events throughout the spring.

• By working through your network to help us secure additional employer placements for all Job Shadow Day activities

Event Details:

What: Groundhog Job Shadow Day "kickoff"

When: Monday, February 2nd at 10 a.m.

Where: The Rio Grande Valley Partnership Chamber of Commerce Board Room at 322 South Missouri Avenue; Weslaco, Texas 78596

Finance and Bylaws Committee to Meet on January 30
Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Tech Prep RGV's Finance and Bylaws Committee will meet in Harlingen in the Board Room of the TSTC Learning Resource Center at 10 a.m. on January 30, 2009. Meetings are open to the public. Contact the Tech Prep offices for additional information.

TPRGV Board to Meet on February 24, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The quarterly meeting of the TPRGV Board of Directors is scheduled for 12 noon on Tuesday, February 24, 2009, in the Board Room of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, 322 South Missouri Avenue, Weslaco, Texas (http://www.valleychamber.com/contact.shtml).

The PRELIMINARY AGENDA for the meeting is as follows:

CALL TO ORDER: Richard Vaughan, Board Chair (CEO, Burton Companies)
(Invocation; Pledge of Allegiance; Announcements; Public Comments)

BOARD BYTES AND SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS:
Patricia G. (Pat) Bubb, Executive Director

Jim Windham, Board Chair, Texas Institute for Education Reform
(http://www.texaseducationreform.org/home)

Drew Scheberle, Senior Vice President for Education and Talent Development, Austin Chamber of Commerce
(Click here for more information)

ACTION ITEMS:

1. Consider/Approve Board Minutes of November 25, 2008

2. Consider/Approve Finance & Bylaws Committee
Reports and Recommendations

BRIEFING ITEMS:

3. Committee Reports

3.A Executive and Partnerships
3.B Finance and Bylaws
3.C Lower Rio Grande P-16 Council (Curriculum/Work-Based Learning
Professional Development, and Universities and Colleges)
3.D Marketing and Awards and Technology Initiatives
3.E Nominations

4. Staff Reports

OTHER BUSINESS

ADJOURN

Meetings are open to the public. Contact the TPRGV offices for additional information.

Lower Rio Grande P-16 Council Meeting Set for February 24
Thursday, January 22, 2009

The Lower Rio Grande P-16 Council will meet at the Best Western Palm Aire in Weslaco at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 24, 2009. This meeting is open to the public, and interested individuals are encouraged to participate.

There are currently four P-16 Council/Network groups active in this four-county region:

• The Upper Rio Grande Valley P-16 Council, which is led by UTPA in collaboration with South Texas College and focuses on communication between superintendents and UTPA/STC leaders on topics such as alignment of curriculum, alignment of calendars, and other agreed-upon topics

• The UTB/TSC P-16 Council, which is led by UTB/TSC in collaboration with TSTC and focuses on communication between superintendents and UTB/TSC and TSTC leaders on topics similar to the council led by UTPA

• The Lower Rio Grande P-16 Council, which is led by TPRGV under the terms of a contract with TSTC and focuses on dissemination of information about state and local initiatives as well as facilitating collaboration between and among leaders from school districts, colleges, universities, businesses, and community organizations. Participation is open not only to superintendents and presidents, but also to outreach staff—including those from out-of-region universities operating in the Valley—and mid-level managers who have an interest in P-16 discussions.

• The South Texas Border P-16 Network, which is coordinated by UTPA and brings together leaders from the above three P-16 Councils plus a P-16 Council based in Laredo.

The Lower Rio Grande P-16 Council is chaired by these three individuals:

Linda Fossen, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Planning, UTB/TSC;

Dr. Norma Salaiz, Superintendent of Schools, La Villa ISD; and

Gonzalo Salazar, Superintendent of Schools, Los Fresnos CISD.

This P-16 Council’s work is supported by Martha Gutierrez, P-16 Council Coordinator, and Dr. Belinda Torres, Tech Prep Coordinator.

The Lower Rio Grande P-16 Council meeting on February 24, 2009, will feature:

* A short College Readiness Standards presentation by DR. WALLACE (WALLY) JOHNSON of South Texas College

* Presentations by JIM WINDHAM, Board Chair, Texas Institute for Education Reform, and DREW SCHEBERLE, Senior Vice President for Education and Talent Development, Austin Chamber of Commerce, about the Texas Coalition for a Competitive Workforce.

A time of dialogue with out-of-town guests will follow.

PREREGISTRATION IS REQUESTED to help with planning of the meeting. Contact the TPRGV offices to obtain a registration blank.

United Launch Alliance Generosity Provides New Scholarships
Wednesday, December 31, 2008

by Eileen Mattei

Times are tough all over. Yet when United Launch Alliance in Harlingen reviewed the scholarships it has offered through Tech Prep of the RGV, the leadership of the space launch vehicle company decided this was the time to boost the scholarship amount more than tenfold to $5,000 annually.


ULA, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing, places a high value on partnering with the community, according to Ernest Roybal, Director of Harlingen Operations. Because ULA actually does rocket science--providing expendable launch vehicles and services, they have a vested interest in supporting math, science and technology programs.

“Tech Prep is a cool program that makes every dollar count,” said Roybal, as he presented Pat Bubb, Executive Director of Tech Prep-RGV, with checks totaling $5,000. Tech Prep motivates and supports students to pursue post-secondary education in technical fields.


“ULA has been a wonderful partner for Tech Prep initiatives for several years,” Bubb said. “It’s a wonderful experience awarding ULA scholarship to Tech Prep students who pursue engineering careers. Your generosity, particularly with the current economic situation in America, is overwhelming.”


ULA emphasizes the importance of human as well as financial contributions to the community. “Always look at us as a resource,” Roybal told Bubb. “We’re doing our darndest to get out and help where we can. Our people like to reach out and mentor.”


In fact, ULA provides a technical advisor to TSTC’s Aviation Technology program along with several scholarships. It has provided Tech Prep students with job shadowing opportunities in production and supply chain management. It underwrites a Math Camp and is also credited with the initiative which led to an articulation agreement between TSTC and the UTPA Engineering Department.


Next summer ULA is expected to host a teacher/intern who will work at the facility and later be able to tell students which skills new ULA employees must have.


Roybal and Robert Leftwich, Tech Prep Board member and ULA employee, agreed that effective corporate citizenship builds on an on-going culture of giving back to the community.

ULA Director of Operations Ernest Roybal, Tech Prep Executive Director Pat Bubb, and Tech Prep Board member Robert Leftwich are all smiles following ULA's presentation of $5,000 for Tech Prep scholarships

EDC Funding for Tech Prep Acknowledges Need for Skilled Workforce
Tuesday, December 9, 2008

A new $75,000 grant from the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation, or EDC, is going to expand Tech Prep of the RGV’s impact in Harlingen. The funding reflects the business community’s recognition of the need for a skilled workforce. The grant aims to motivate more students to transition from high school to college and become part of a trained workforce moving into well-paying jobs.

The EDC funding will bring Tech Prep’s Summer Educator Internships to Harlingen. Already established in McAllen and Brownsville, the program next summer will place 12 Harlingen high school teachers in local businesses and institutions relevant to their subject matter. Teachers learn what employers expect of new hires: computer literacy, communication skills, math skills and problem-solving capabilities.

These teachers go back to the classroom able to say, “I was there and this is where math competency is essential; this is where you have to be able to write a report to do the job.” Recent examples include a math teacher who worked at the Port of Brownsville and saw math used for logistics and statistics, and the health sciences teacher who worked with in hospital nutrition and later had her students developing diets for diabetics. When shown the relevance of high school courses to future employment and income, students become more engaged in their studies.

The EDC-Tech Prep partnership will put 120 local students in job shadowing scenarios. The high school students spend time with professionals on-the-job in career fields that the students are considering. The job shadowing experience has convinced numerous students that they want to pursue higher education to work in their chosen field. Even the students who realize that the job they shadowed is not for them benefit because they haven’t wasted college tuition on a field that doesn’t suit them.

Additionally the EDC will contribute to Tech Prep’s annual Labor Market Information Report which identifies labor market trends and well-paying locally in-demand careers. The report is used in schools because it describes salary ranges and projected demand for specific industry jobs. Industry leaders contribute data on current employment, job projections and training requirements.

The EDC funding also will support the annual Education & Career EXPO and a Online Career Counseling system being tested in collaboration with Harlingen CISD, TSTC and Tech Prep.

Getting the Word Out in Los Fresnos: Successes Highlighted at Tech Prep Conference
Friday, December 5, 2008

“We want all of our students to have some post-secondary education. That’s why they make six-year plans,” says Adrian Dorsett, Los Fresnos Career and Technical Education Director. To simplify decision-making for students and their parents, the Los Fresnos High School Programs of Study workbook was developed, collecting in one place the relevant information to plan for a future career.

The workbook helps teens and their parents put education plans in perspective. It lists the job titles and salaries in each field, depending on the level of education–unskilled, technical college degree/certificate, or a four-year college degree. Following the 16 Achieve Texas clusters, it suggests graduation plans for various careers within each cluster. It provides descriptive course listings of those classes that qualify for college credit, both for technical and academic dual enrollment.

“Course descriptions are the meat of the booklet, ”says Monica Ramos, Special Populations facilitator. Information on the course, credits, grade placement, dual enrollment and articulation are included as well as how the class fits in specific career plans. Human Services courses, for example, lay the foundation for going into law enforcement, child care, hospitality, education, and psychology.

The workbook guides students to make a seamless transition from secondary to post-secondary courses through college Tech Prep, according to consultant Blanca Munoz. “You have to take the time to explain it and let the students know how it helps. The purpose is to get youngsters motivated and show them classes they could take,” to achieve their goals. “This lets kids see the whole picture that a six- year or eight-year plan will give them.” And then revisit the plan to maintain focus.

“What excites kids?” Munoz asked. “Dual credit,” she answered. “It shows them they could be graduating with 15 to 30 credits.” That is equivalent to one to two semesters of college. Without cost to the student, the credits give a head start on a college education, saving them time as well as money.

The publication, which is continuously upgraded, becomes the students’ documentation of where they are going and how they are going to get there. Parents and students bring the ‘bible’ to meetings with counselors.

Los Fresnos’ electives are the ones that apply locally, Dorsett explained. “There is no right or wrong pathway. The youngsters know the programs exist and leave nothing to chance. They know what dual enrollment credits they are receiving.” Once the teens have established the college connections, either in high school or on a college campus, they are more open to continuing with college. He and the Los Fresnos staff believe having enough of the right information is going to facilitate students’ transition to college. That should lead to fewer dropouts.

Created with input from teachers, counselors, students, parents, businesses, and post- secondary schools, the Programs of Study book is achieving its goal of getting the word out in Los Fresnos.

At the Tech Prep Regional Conference Blanca Munoz, Adrian Dorsett and Monica Ramos revealed they have reason to be proud of the Los Fresnos High School's publication that lays the groundwork for students to transition to post-secondary education

1st Generation Program Distributes Laptops to Worthy High School Seniors
Friday, November 14, 2008

The First Generation In-School Youth Program a mentoring and advocacy program directed by Melinda Morales has the privilege of distributing 14 Dell Laptop Computers provided by Workforce Solutions Cameron.

The First Generation Program emphasizes academic success and incorporates advocacy to help students succeed in high school and then succeed in transitioning successfully to college. Students who applied to receive a laptop had to be in good standing with the program, a senior in good academic standing in high school, and must be pursuing a high school career pathway leading to one of the target industry sectors identified by the Texas Governor’s office or the Workforce Solutions Cameron Board (or both). The computer allows them access to web sites to assist in class work, the ability to search for college information, including scholarships, and gives them a way to prepare professional looking papers to turn in for class projects.


This year the following students are to be presented with laptops.

Harlingen High School, Christina Arredondo

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KEYS Academy, Jose Navarro

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KEYS Academy, Josue Navarro

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Los Fresnos High School, Maira De Leon and her mentor
Manuel Almanza

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Los Fresnos High School, Mary Lee Orozco


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Santa Maria High School, Aristeo Limon with his mentor
Leslie Lazaro

Not Pictured
Harlingen High School, Yanette Torres
KEYS Academy, Sonia Esquivel
Harlingen High School,Yanette Torres
Santa Rosa High School, Nestor Macias
La Feria High School, Lucy Ochoa
Lopez High School, Esteban Flores, Aaron Hernandez, Jose D.Trevino and Lydia Villegas

State ATC Leader Shares Important Information
Monday, November 10, 2008

Dr. Bill Wilson, Coordinator for the Advanced Technical Credit Program, has asked Tech Prep consortia to help spread the word about the important announcement given below. All Rio Grande Valley ATC stakeholders are requested to read and understand this important information. Dr. Wilson's announcement is reproduced in full below:

ATC Training Announcement

As you are aware, all secondary courses, including Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses, are currently undergoing a major TEKS rewrite. The rewriting teams are scheduled to complete their work during this school year (2008 – 2009) and the State Board of Education will approve the final version next summer so that they will be in effect for the following school year (2010 – 2011).

Since these new TEKS will likely bring changes to courses listed on the ATC Course Crosswalk, the ATC State Leadership Committee on the recommendation of TEA has adopted the following policies:

1. All ATC approvals expiring July 31, 2009 will automatically be extended an extra year so that they will expire July 31, 2010.

2. ATC training for new teachers and currently approved teachers needing additional course approvals will be scheduled as needed from November 2008 until September 18, 2009. PLEASE NOTE: THESE APPROVALS WILL BE FOR ONE YEAR ONLY (8/1/2009 – 7/31/2010). Training dates and locations will be posted on the ATC web site (www.atctexas.org) as they are scheduled.

3. ATC training will resume October 2009 based on the new Crosswalk for 2010 – 2011.

These steps will provide time needed for a careful review of the new TEKS and the development of the ATC Course Crosswalk for 2010 – 2011.

If you have questions or need additional information please contact:

Bill Wilson, Coordinator
Advanced Technical Credit Program
College of Education
Stephen F. Austin State University
P. O. Box 13071, SFA Station
Nacogdoches, TX 75962

wilsonwe@sfasu.edu