Update on Statewide Career Pathways Project

March
2007
Member of the Statewide Career Pathways Steering Committee
Member of the Statewide Career Pathways Steering Committee

During the recent Vocational Leadership Institute, attendees heard about a new project.

Statewide Career Pathways: Creating School to College Articulation is a new, faculty-driven project under the leadership of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges and a Steering Committee that includes secondary and community college teachers, administrators, articulation officers and tech prep representatives from across the state. The primary goal is to increase the number, efficiency and transportability of articulation agreements between schools, Regional Occupational Centers and Programs (ROCP) and colleges, for the benefit of our students and our Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. The underlying principle is that when successful school to college articulation is in place, everyone benefits. The project is funded for two years at $4 million and it appears that there will be ongoing funding. Faculty discipline work groups from community colleges, high schools and ROCPs are developing articulation templates (or blueprints) for the CTE courses most commonly offered both at the secondary and college levels. The templates provide suggestions to facilitate and streamline the development of local agreements. Regional faculty from community colleges, high schools and ROCPs will be given opportunities to meet and develop or refresh existing articulation agreements. This project will create processes for ongoing review and renewal of articulation. Approved agreements will be added to a statewide database, making them available to educators, school/college staff, students and their parents.

The project's outreach efforts to students, parents, counselors, teachers and administrators will result in more students taking advantage of articulation opportunities.
The disciplines that have met so far are:

  • Arts & Media/Animation
  • Business/Accounting
  • Child Development
  • Health Occupations/Certified Nursing Assistant
  • Hospitality
  • Information Technology/Web Design
  • Information Technology (IT) Applications
  • Ornamental Horticulture
  • Administration of Justice
  • Automotive Technology
  • Building trades/Construction
  • Computer-Assisted Drafting and Design (CADD)
  • Machining
  • Office Technologies
  • Fashion
    Then in May, the following additional disciplines will begin their work:
  • Agricultural Business
  • Banking
  • Medical Assisting
  • Retail Sales
  • Video Productions
  • Welding
    Once the disciplines have created templates and received ample feedback from faculty in the discipline, the templates will be accessible electronically, and when any local faculty sit down to work on revising previous or writing new local agreements, these templates can streamline their work.
    This spring, the project will also begin to convene regional articulation meetings, providing the opportunity for college faculty to work together with high school and ROCP teachers in their service area.

    Recently local academic senates received an email announcement from the project office which asked for faculty in seven disciplines to review draft templates and provide their input to the discipline work groups (see http://statewidepathways.org). Once the discipline work groups have received input, they will finalize the templates which then can be used to facilitate local articulation discussions. Instead of local faculty having to start from scratch, the template can give them a head start.

    Some of the most frequently asked questions regarding this project are:

    Q. Who will create articulation agreements?

    A. As always, local community college faculty, in cooperation with teachers from their feeder high schools and ROCPs will determine the appropriate skills, competencies and knowledge necessary for students to receive college advanced placement and/or credit. This project will simplify and streamline the process.

    Q. Won't college enrollment suff erifs tudents get college credit for coursework at their highschool or ROCP?
    A. More students can be recruited through effective relationships with schools. If students are well prepared to move into more advanced studies, departments will be able to offer more sections of advanced levels and colleges will realize increased enrollment in certificate and degree programs, including coursework required in other departments.

    Q. How does this project relate to the work of current tech prep or other SB70 articulation projects?
    A. The project builds upon and supports local and regional tech prep agreements and other articulation efforts. This project augments the existing system that tech prep has built over many years and supports current efforts in other SB70 grants responsible for developing career pathways.

    Q. How can I (or my colleagues) volunteer or get more information about this project?
    A. Please see the website http://statewidepathways.org for more information about the project or email julia [at] statewidepathways.org