The project currently has operations in nine of our larger Technology Centers in Oklahoma. Last year, 343 students completed requirements for a high school credential and 43 participants in Dropout Programs were stabilized and returned to their home high school to continue their education. Another almost 500 students participated in the local Dropout Recovery Projects and will return in the fall to continue their pursuit of a high school credential. The students served through this initiative were out-of-school youth between the ages of 15 and 19 years old. It is the intent of the ODCTE to establish additional sites in the major population areas of the state to serve this out-of-school population.

Students participating in Dropout Recovery are given opportunities to gain academic credit and participate in career-specific training. Counseling services and life skills development are critical components of each project. Typically, students are reenrolled at the high school, but attend all classes at the Technology Center campus. Great partnerships between the Technology Center and the local common school have helped to make this service delivery system a successful strategy for meeting the needs of these hardest to serve youth.

Oklahoma House Bill 2640, the original authorizing legislation, appropriated $1,012,000 to CareerTech for Dropout Recovery projects. Competitive grants were awarded to the original seven projects. Funding has been received through subsequent appropriations bills that have allowed the expansion of the number of projects to nine.

The target established by CareerTech’s administration is to develop new projects and provide funding to serve the number of students equal to 40% of the annual dropouts. Based on past reported dropout figures, the target capacity is 2400. Meeting this goal will require the addition of numerous projects and expanding the capacity of existing ones. CareerTech has proposed that projects be added in areas that represent high population concentrations as well as moderate to high dropout rates. The areas chosen for new projects will be locations that have a Technology Center site and represent both a sizable population as well as a moderate to high dropout number.

Current Projects and Locations

Kent Roof

405-743-5443
Email: kroof@okcareertech.org

Dom Garrison

405-743-5144
Email: dgarr@okcareertech.org