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Frequently asked questions
How is the P-TECH Model different than other early college models?
The P-TECH Model depends on a strong partnership between a school district, a community college, and an Industry Partner. The P-TECH Model is distinct for a number of reasons:
- ⏤ It extends the typical four-year high school to create a seamless six-year academic experience that provides students the education they need to earn an industry-recognized, two-year postsecondary degree, as well as a high school diploma.
- ⏤ It incorporates employers as a full partner and includes a six-year sequence of Workplace Learning from 9th grade on as a fundamental component of students' experience.
- ⏤ It targets specific degrees that have direct connections to entry-level STEM jobs that connect to a career ladder. As a result, graduates of P-TECH schools are first in line for jobs with their Industry Partner.
- ⏤ It is open to all students and is specifically dedicated to providing college and industry access to historically underserved students. Applicants are unscreened, with no tests or grading requirements for admission.
What is the Industry Partner Commitment?
Industry Partners serve as a core component of the P-TECH Model, the commitment is not supplementary. Below is a list of the kinds of investments industries need to make to support a P-TECH school.
- Industry liaison an employee at the school full-time to implement commitments
- Work experiences that include mentoring, site visits, speakers, project days, paid internships
- Commitment to first in line for jobs
- Collaboration with high school and college partner to ensure that work experiences are integrated with high school and college coursework
What is the monetary investment of each partner, school district, community college, and Industry Partner?
P-TECH schools are public schools, funded through public school funding. Partnerships decide how to pay for college credits, and there are different funding models that P-TECH schools have used. Additional information can be found on the Funding page.
Do we need permission to call ourselves a P-TECH school or use the logo?
Although IBM is a co-founder of the model, the P-TECH brand is independent of IBM and any partners.
P-TECH schools include a clear set of defined characteristics that distinguish them from other public schools and other early college schools. This site outlines the Key Tenets that comprise the P-TECH Model.
I am interested in bringing P-TECH to my state. Where do I start?
Education is a state function in the United States and even as the balance shifts among local school districts, state education agencies and the federal government, it is at the state level that critical policy and operational decisions are made that impact the launch of a P-TECH school. Therefore, government buy-in at the highest level is the first step to bringing P-TECH to your state.
Details can be found here.
When do you issue high school diplomas, and when do you issue degrees?
Different localities have different ways of making the six-year model work with public funding; however, most students stay on the high school roster for all six years or until they graduate with the associate degree. At this point, students would receive both their high school diploma and their AAS degree. Read more on our Funding Page.
What are years 13 and 14?
Years 13 and 14 are two years of extended high school and are also referred to as years five and six. During these last two years of the model, most students are taking majority college classes toward their AAS degree. Learn more about each year of the model on our Roadmap page.
Our school is a P-TECH school. How do we become part of the network or become featured in a case study?
Please submit your request on our Contact page. We will work with you to determine whether your school should be added to the list of P-TECH schools. Please be aware that we update the site on a periodic basis.
I’ve reviewed the website, but I still have questions about the P-TECH Model. Who can I contact?
Please submit your specific questions on our Contact page. We will get back to you shortly with more information.