The idea for this high school model began in 2010 in New York City when then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a public-private partnership of the New York City Department of Education, the City University of New York, the New York City College of Technology, and IBM to develop a new approach to secondary and postsecondary education. The result was P-TECH High School, which opened in Brooklyn in September 2011. The school provides students with an enriched curriculum that is aligned with actual employment opportunities with industry partner IBM and that enables them to earn both a high school diploma and a cost-free Associate in Applied Science degree in six years. Students have professional mentors, workplace experiences, and internships. Graduates are to be first in line for entry-level job openings at IBM.

Since the first P-TECH Grades 9-14 school opened in 2011, an additional six schools have opened in New York City, all with different sponsoring employers and themes. The model has also proliferated across New York State, nationally, and internationally.

The NYC P-TECH Grades 9-14 high school model is a multifaceted approach that represents a contemporary vision for career and technical education. It is a hybrid model, combining elements of several other models that have produced strong impacts, including New York City’s Small Schools of Choice, Career Academies, and Early College High Schools. By combining academic study with a strong career focus that begins in high school and extends into postsecondary education and the workforce, the model aims to prepare students for college and career ― not one or the other ― which is a different approach to contemporary high school reform. Employer partners support the schools in many ways, primarily by providing work-based learning experiences linked to real career opportunities. In addition, the high schools collaborate with local colleges to provide students with an opportunity to earn a college credential while simultaneously earning a high school diploma.