UC & CTE: The Why & How Behind CTE for A-G
Monica H. Lin, Ph.D. Associate Director Undergraduate Admissions UC Office of the President
CALCP / CAROCP CTE Fall 2015 Conference Access this PPT at http://www.ucop.edu/agguide/getting-started/trainings/index.html
Carolina Reyes UCCI Resources Coordinator High School Articulation UC Office of the President
▪Background: UCOP High School Articulation
▪Context: new A-G Course Management Portal & improvements to “a-g” course review
▪Examples: integrated courses approved for college-preparatory elective (“g”) subject area
▪Collaboration efforts: UC Curriculum Integration (UCCI)
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Overview
The “Why” Half: Explaining the background and vast
changes behind CTE for A-G
Our mission:
▪Curriculum alignment– Communicate and implement UC faculty “a-g” policy– Annually review high school courses for alignment with
college-preparatory (“a-g”) curriculum expectations
▪Academic preparation– Support California educators and administrators to
prepare students for college and career
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UCOP High School Articulation
▪California’s Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
▪CTE Model Curriculum Standards
▪Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
▪Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC)
▪Local Control & Accountability Plan (LCAP)
▪Specialized Secondary Programs (SSP)
What about UC & “a-g”?
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Changes in K-12 Landscape
▪Academic/theoretical *and* (vs.) applied/practical
▪Integration of traditional academics and CTE
▪Applying content knowledge and skills → project-based/experiential learning
▪Understanding “rigor” as coming in different forms
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College & Career Readiness
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Why take this course? Outlook on learning & knowledgeWays of thinking & acting
What will a student learn in this course?
Skills, abilities, competencies, proficienciesDepth, breadth, mastery of understanding
How do students achieve the intended learning outcomes of the course?
Evidence of skills & content learned (in key assignments)
A-G Course Reviews
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BEFORE NOW
Role of UC Gatekeeper Facilitator
Approach to Reviews
Checklist/quantitative approach Holistic/qualitative approach
Level of Analysis Detailed, narrow, ground level Broad strokes, flexible, high level
Expectations of Course Content
Traditional subject area courses Traditional subject area coursesInterdisciplinary/integrated/ innovative courses
Feedback Philosophy
“This course is not approved for XYZ reasons.”
“This course can be approved if…”
Course Review Outcomes
Inefficient policy implementationSelectivity
Streamlined policy implementationAdvocacy
Changes in UC Articulation
https://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agcmp
▪Reduced response times on approved courses from several weeks/months → 2-4 weeks
▪Keeping pace with submission surges at the close of each phase of UC’s annual “a-g” submission period (February 1–September 15)
▪High overall “a-g” course approval rates for 2015-2016 “a-g” course submission period
– 24,547 submissions total (~90% approved)
– 813 resubmissions total (over 80% approved)
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Highlights of Improvements
The “How” Half: Reviewing the updated way to submit
CTE courses for “a-g” approval
What is an Integrated Course?
Courses that blend the content and skills of academic (“a-g”) disciplines and CTE sectors/pathways.
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All elective courses must satisfy the following “g” criteria: 1. Be academically challenging;
2. Involve substantial reading and writing;
3. Include problem-solving (lab work, as appropriate);
4. Show serious attention to analytical thinking and factual content;
5. Develop students’ oral and listening skills; and
6. Incorporate learning to develop skills and cultivate interest in the academic enterprise.
UC College-Prep Elective (“g”) Criteria
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1. Unit Overview: WHAT are students learning
- Summarize the topics and skills students learn
1. Key Assignment Description: HOW students acquire understanding and skills from both CTE and “a-g” disciplines
- Briefly describe one major assignment – the product students turn in to demonstrate learning
- Include the parameters and purpose of the assignment
New Submission Form
For every unit of the course, you must include:
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▪ Medical Terminology
▪ Social Networking and Social Media
▪ Before: Build, Maintain & Repair PC Hardware & Software
▪ After: Build, Maintain & Repair PC Hardware & Software
Courses in the New Submission Form
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The course is academically challenging, in that it develops and extends critical thinking skills and habits of mind that prepare students for college-level work by:
❏ Involving substantial reading and writing
❏ Developing students’ analytical thinking and research skills, including attention to factual content
❏ Including opportunities for problem-solving
❏ Developing students’ oral communication and listening skills
Where does it meet the “g” criteria?
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▪ Achieves authentic, logical integration between academics and CTE throughout the entire course
▪ Designed to incorporate the content & skills of both disciplines
▪ Maintains a high level of rigor – texts and projects challenge students in “authentic” CTE tasks
Hallmarks of a UCCI Course
http://ucci.ucop.edu/integrated-courses/cte-table
UCCI Institutes
▪ Collaborative course development
▪ Organized regionally, by request
▪ Courses designed, with UCCI staff support, to meet “a-f” criteria
▪ Courses availabe for any school to use
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UCCI Programs
UCCI Teacher Exchanges
▪ Preparation for teaching UCCI courses
▪Organized regionally, by request and critical mass
▪Customized to meet participant needs
▪ Led by teachers for teachers
A-G Course Management Portal (CMP): submit courseshttps://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agcmp
A-G Guide: quick-start guide, submission tools, course list tipshttp://ucop.edu/agguide
A-G Course List: repository of UC-approved courseshttps://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agcourselist
UCCI: view course catalog, request an Institute or Exchangehttp://ucci.ucop.edu
UCCI Monthly Newsletter: sign up for integrated/CTE newshttp://eepurl.com/vujHH
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