Today, MBAE is releasing a discussion paper, The P-TECH Model of Early College High School: A Timely Opportunity for Massachusetts? The paper dives into the details of the roles of key stakeholders in launching and sustaining a P-TECH initiative, the results of P-TECH programs to date, and why the time is right for Massachusetts.

Our goal is to lead a conversation about how we can bring P-TECH, a game-changing high school model that prepares students for careers in STEM, to Massachusetts and put more students on a path to upward economic mobility and stability.

The acronym P-TECH stands for Pathways in Technology Early College High School.  P-TECH high schools specifically prepare students for technology careers and offer the STEM high school and college courses needed to help them qualify for those jobs.  Students enroll for as long as six years, allowing them to earn a high school diploma and a no-cost industry-aligned Associates degree that will enable them to secure a competitive entry-level position in a growing STEM field and to continue, if and when they choose, to complete further study in a four-year higher education institution.

The Massachusetts economy demands strategies like P-TECH to fuel the STEM workforce pipeline. In addition, creating pathways to these opportunities, particularly for Black and Latino students who are underrepresented in these fields, is essential to closing wage and wealth gaps that plague our society.

Launching a P-TECH school would build on our state’s successful Early College initiative, help address long waiting lists for our vocational technical high schools, and expand opportunities for students to earn credentials in high demand fields.  Put simply, P-TECH is another tool the state can use to meet educational equity, workforce development and diversity goals.

P-TECH Resources:

Read our paper, The P-TECH Model of Early College High School: A Timely Opportunity for Massachusetts?

View our October 12, 2021 webinar exploring the P-TECH model of Early College high school and featuring national and state leaders from education, business and government.

Check out MBAE’s presentation on P-TECH high schools and the fit for Massachusetts.

Learn more about the ambitious P-TECH effort in Dallas, TX being led by webinar panelist Dr. Michael Hinojosa, Superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District.

Find out more about what it means to be an industry partner.