ZHS-Tech Prep Program Information

Zillah High School is a member of the Yakima Valley Tech Prep Consortium which is a union of YVCC and 14 local school districts working together to provide opportunities for high school students to earn college credit. Students can earn college credit at YVCC while taking articulated courses at Zillah High School or at the Yakima Valley Technical Skills Center (YV Tech)

When enrolled in a Tech Prep articulated class, students in high school must meet the same requirements as students who take the class at the college. At the end of the course, the high school teacher notifies the Tech Prep coordinator at the college of all students who passed the class with a grade of "B" or higher. Credit is not available to students who earn below a "B."

In order to establish a YVCC transcript and get the credit and grade, each student must send in a registration form to the YVCC Tech Prep Office with a one-time $15.00 transcription fee. Students who complete additional Tech Prep courses or students enrolled in Running Start with an established YVCC transcript do not need to submit another transcription fee, but still need to send in a registration form for the class(es) they have successfully completed.

Tech Prep is a pathway to higher education and career success for students in high school. Tech Prep offers classes in high school that are jointly designed by high school and college instructors to link high school and college education. Tech Prep students can earn college credit for work they complete while attending high school. Completing Tech Prep credits while in high school generally is applied to earning a two-year associates degree at a community or technical college. Tech Prep classes enable high school students to reduce the length and cost of a college education.

The Yakima Valley Tech Prep Consortium includes fourteen upper and lower valley school districts, Yakima Valley Community College and the Yakima Valley Technical Skills Center. There are thirty-two courses offered at YVCC for local area high schools to develop Tech Prep classes. These articulated courses include classes in Agriculture, Allied Health Technologies, Business Administration, Business and Office, Early Childhood Education, Engineering, and Information Technology. In addition, The Yakima Valley Technical Skills Center offers Tech Prep articulated courses in Automotive Technology, Dental Assisting, Computer Electronics, Fire Science, Legal and Medical Support, Medical Sciences, Office Skills, and TV/Video Productions.

There is no cost to take a Tech Prep class in high school. The only cost that a student is responsible for is a one-time $15.00 transcription fee at YVCC. A student can take multiple Tech Prep classes with the one-time transcription fee. If a student does not pay the $15.00 fee, the Tech Prep classes taken in high school are not recorded on a YVCC transcript and therefore the student does not receive college credit.

Each high school determines which classes it will articulate with Yakima Valley Community College. Articulation agreements are in place to allow students to complete courses in the Agriculture Science and Business Education programs at ZHS and earn YVCC Tech Prep Credit. If the student completes the identified competencies at a "B" level or higher YVCC college credit may be earned. Review course descriptions and discuss options with the ZHS CTE program instructors (Mrs. Camarata and Ms. Tveter).

ZHS Course	YVCC Tech Prep Course
AGR 100 Intro to Agriculture	AG 101 Intro to Agriculture (1 Credit)
AGR 120 Plant Science	AGSCI 101 Intro to Plant Science (5 Credit)
BUS 105 Digital Communications Tools	BTECH 101 Beginning Keyboarding (5 Credit)
BUS 100 Microcomputer Operations	IT 120 PowerPoint Introduction (3 Credit)

Tech Prep provides interested students with an academic plan that combines high school and college course work focusing on specialized career paths. By combining an articulation with Yakima Valley Community College, high school students are able to receive academic and technical skills in specialize career areas that will enable them to save both time and money in attaining the training and educational degrees that they need for today's high skilled/high-wage careers.

The number of Tech Prep credits a student can earn in high school will vary from high school to high school. It will also depend on the career path that a student chooses. Students need to discuss the Tech Prep options in their school with counselors and teachers that offer Tech Prep classes.

If a student pays the one-time $15.00 transcript fee to YVCC while he/she is taking Tech Prep credits in high school, all the credits the student earns will be automatically posted on their YVCC transcript. Students entering YVCC after they graduate from high school can then apply Tech Prep credits to degrees at YVCC where the credits are applicable. It will be the responsibility of the student to ensure that Tech Prep credits apply to the programs they will be taking at YVCC.

Yes, Tech Prep credits save students both money and time. Students earning Tech Prep classes in high school can reduce both tuition and book expenses. Students can also reduce the amount of time it takes to complete their training at YVCC.