SPOTLIGHT: Pathways to College Completion in the San Joaquin Valley

 

California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV) has the lowest college enrollment and completion rates in the state, which both reflects and perpetuates the region’s economic challenges. Yet it could be on the verge of dramatic improvements. How can institutions, educators, and policymakers expand support for its college-going pathways?

Last month, PPIC senior fellow and director of the Higher Education Center Olga Rodriguez presented new findings and led a discussion with valley higher education leaders Aug. 20 to answer this question including Dr. Benjamín Durán, executive director, of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium. They were joined by Tressa Overstreet, Fresno Unified School District’s executive director of college and career readiness, and Dr. Orquidea Largo—associate vice chancellor and chief outreach officer at UC Merced’s Center for Educational Partnership

“The single largest obstacle for SJV youth is the transition from high school to college,” Rodriguez said. “The second is the transfer from community college to four-year institutions.” She stressed that districts with the best outcomes have expanded access to dual enrollment courses and made the A–G coursework needed to qualify for California’s public four-year colleges an integral part of high school curricula. Even so, only 39% of valley high school graduates complete the requirement.

Most SJV high school graduates who go on to postsecondary education start out in community college, but their transfer rates are 5 percentage points lower than in the rest of the state. “Parents and students in the valley see a college education as a key to a brighter future,” Rodriguez said, “including greater career and economic opportunities. Ensuring they have access to the information they need is critical to their success.”

Tressa Overstreet, Fresno Unified School District’s executive director of college and career readiness, agreed. Citing the importance of introducing college and career readiness well before ninth grade, she said, “We need to spend time with our families and our youngest students, to develop the mindset that I am college material.” To facilitate student success, Fresno Unified made A–G its default high school curriculum, expanded access to dual-enrollment courses, prioritized data, and last year added transition counselors. “We have a full department focused on monitoring and meeting the needs of every student,” Overstreet said. “This year our students earned over 12,000 credits through dual enrollment.”

Asked what advice she had for students, Orquidea Largo—associate vice chancellor and chief outreach officer at UC Merced’s Center for Educational Partnerships—said that improved policies and procedures have rendered today’s students more aware and assertive than in the past. But more needs to be done to ensure they arrive at high school academically well prepared, with a sense of where they are going. “I want to remind them we are working for them. It is not an inconvenience to approach their teachers, their counselors, their principals and declare what path they want to follow and how they expect our educational system to support them in pursuing their college aspirations.”

Benjamin Duran, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, addressed the challenge of improving transfer rates. As an example, he talked about the Central Valley Transfer Project—a collaborative effort between his organization, valley community college and California State University (CSU) campuses, and UC Merced. Among other improvements, an associate degree can now qualify students for the region’s public four-year colleges. Duran is especially excited about the Pathways Mapper application. “We think it’s going to have a huge impact on the transfer numbers we already see,” he said. “Youngsters involved are transferring at greater numbers than those seeking their own pathways.”

All the panelists pointed to data sharing as an essential aspect of such collaboration. Largo emphasized the importance of real-time district-level data in making adjustments to policies and practices that might be creating barriers for students. Overstreet agreed, noting that data is essential not only to building Fresno Unified’s master schedule but also to monitoring student progress in such a way that interventions can be made. She emphasized the need to break out of silos of all kinds: “We truly believe we are stronger together. This is going to take a community lift, to shift our regional socioeconomic status. Our students deserve pathways to hope.”

 

SeeL

NEWS RELEASE: Durán joins Aug. 20 panel examining new PPIC findings

SPOTLIGHT: CVHEC transitions – a new look

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SPOTLIGHT ON CVHEC: Priscilla Arrellano

CVHEC appoints Arrellano new admin specialist

 

Joining the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium  core team is Priscilla Victoria Arellano, who was named the consortium’s fulltime administrative specialist effective June 10.

She will oversee and provide high-level support in all consortium administrative needs, budgeting and special events/meetings, said Ángel Ramírez, CVHEC finance and operations manager, as well as provide support to Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director.

An experienced professional in medical administrative services, Arellano said she welcomes the challenges of translating her experience to the educational field and contributing to furthering the consortiums’ mission of increasing the degree attainment rate of the Central Valley’s nine-county  region from San Joaquin to Kern.

“I am especially enthusiastic about this new journey with an organization that brings together college executives and educators who are helping residents of our valley get a college education and improve their lives,” said Arellano. “I enjoyed working with medical professionals the past six years and all they do for healthcare. Now I look forward to applying that experience at CVHEC working with educators and all they do for higher education in our area.”

Ramirez said the addition of Arellano is a major organizational step as the consortium’s work continues to expand.“We are impressed with the extensive experience Priscilla brings from the medical field and look forward to her completing our team,” he said. “We are only a month in, and I can already feel the relief of having her onboard full-time.”

He also extended heartfelt gratitude to outgoing admin specialist Priscila Villanueva who worked parttime for the consortium since 2018.

“We now call her our first Priscila and we are forever grateful for the crucial role she played, even in a part-time capacity, helping launch the new direction CVHEC has undertaken in recent years,” Ramirez said. “I am sure we will continue to see her around, once a CVHEC-er always a CVHEC-er.”

 

See BIO-Priscilla Arrellano

SPOTLIGHT ON CVHEC: #DualEnrollmentWeek 2024

CVHEC joins dual enrollment partners

in statewide digital campaign

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium participated in the Digital Dual Enrollment Week social media campaign conducted statewide Feb 26-March 1 by the California Alliance of Dual Enrollment Partnerships (CADEP).

The weeklong campaign followed the 2nd Annual California Dual Enrollment Equity Conference held Feb. 20-23 in Long Beach presented by CADEP, Career Ladders Project, and The Education Trust–West with fiscal agent the Foundation for Los Angeles Community Colleges.

The California Alliance of Dual Enrollment Partnerships is an affiliated chapter of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP), is a unified coalition committed to the advancement of equity, student success and quality in dual enrollment programs in California.

Its vision is to unite individuals, state agencies and organizations committed to dual enrollment in California to promote and advance quality dual enrollment programming across the state.

For the social media campaign, dual enrollment partners were asked to promote a specific theme each day:

MONDAY – Feb. 26: Celebrate Dual Enrollment Success

TUESDAY – Feb. 27: Dual Enrollment Myth Busting

WEDNESDAY – Feb. 28: Dual Enrollment is an Equity Strategy – Widening the Front Door to College

THURSDAY – Feb. 29: Families, Communities and Dual Enrollment

FRIDAY – March 1: Innovations in Dual Enrollment

“We were able to incorporate several of our projects and dual enrolment student interactions over the past few years into the social media campaign,” said Tom Uribes, CVHEC communications/media coordinator.

CVHEC featured its Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Projects and outcomes: Master’s Upskilling Project recent graduates; the consortium’s dual enrollment video; the Math Bridge project in collaboration with College Bridge; students who participated in the video and at CVHEC convenings sharing their success stories as well as their families; and visiting the dual enrollment classroom of Jade Martinez, a Sanger West High School English teacher  who completed the innovative Master’s Upskilling Project that qualified her to teach the community college courses at her high school.

CVDEEP is now looking ahead to its annual convening that will be held in the fall this year. Details will be forthcoming in future CVHEC newsletters.

For more info on CVHEC Dual enrollment work please visit. https://cvhec.org/dual-enrollment-in-the-central-valley/

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SPOTLIGHT ON CVHEC: Farewell to Priscila – CVHEC search underway

Priscila Villanueva at the 2023 CVHEC Summit with Angel Ramirez and two student panelists, Hailee Guerra (left) and Jesús López Nuñez (right).

 

This issue brings another melancholy moment as we bid farewell to a key star of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium team, Priscila Villanueva, our administrative coordinator since 2018.

Priscila will start a new position as community associate for Equitable Bank Standards, Beneficial State Foundation supporting community engagement for the Equitable Bank Standards initiative.

She has been instrumental in CVHEC’s mission with a focus on increasing educational equity in the Central San Joaquin Valley, said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director.

“Priscila became an important part of our CVHEC family and will be dearly missed,” Durán said. “Her dedication and commitment to our mission was evident in all she did for us.  We wish her and her family all the best.”

Ángel Ramírez, director of operations and finance and Priscila’s immediate supervisor, credited her with playing a major role in the consortium’s increased growth the past eight years.

“Priscila always took care of the everything behind the scenes that most people don’t get to see, but her role with CVHEC allowed us to run smoothly, efficiently, and worry-free these last eight years,” Ramírez said. “I am eager to see where this new position takes her.”

Priscila said that from day one, “Dr. Durán and Angel set the pace for a dynamic and collaborative team. I have been privileged to have had a front seat to the CVHEC initiatives and all the good CVHEC has done in the Central Valley.

“I cannot thank Dr. Duran and Angel Ramirez enough for their leadership, constant support, care and love. I leave CVHEC having built invaluable relationships and connections. I will treasure and miss my work and team, but I am excited to see where they go next!”

CVHEC has announced a job search to fill the position as soon as possible, Ramirez said.

See Application.

 

CVHEC SPOTLIGHT: Consortium at national DREAM Conference with CVCF

Ángel Ramírez (right) represented CVHEC in the Central Valley Community Foundation delegation of area leaders attending the Achieving the Dream Conference in Orlando Feb. 19-22 (from left): Carlos Castillo; Phong Yang; Estefania Avalos Chavez; Vianey Barraza Chavez; Julie Vue;  Ángel. Not in picture: SCCCD Chancellor Carole Goldsmith.

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium is participating this week in the 20th anniversary convening of DREAM, which brings together thousands of practitioners from hundreds of colleges “to exchange evidence-based approaches to accelerating student success in a manner that champions equity and drives economic vibrancy.”

Ángel Ramírez, director of operations and finance, is representing CVHEC in the Central Valley Community Foundation delegation of area leaders led by Julie Vue, CVCF senior program officer, attending the four-day event in Orlando, Florida

Other CVCF delegation representatives are Carlos Castillo, chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Fresno Unified School District; Phong Yang, associate vice president for Strategic Enrollment Management at Fresno State; Estefania Avalos Chavez, board member, Higher Education For All; Vianey Barraza Chavez, director of Education Programs and Special Projects for the Education and Leadership Foundation; and Dr. Carole Goldsmith, State Center Community College District chancellor who also led a SCCCD delegation to the conference.

The conference is presented by Achieving the Dream, a national organization of  more than 300 community colleges across the country partnering to build customized growth plans to address the unique challenges each institution faces.

It embodies Achieving the Dream’s longstanding belief in advancing community colleges as accessible hubs of learning, credentialing and social mobility that eliminate inequities in students’ educational and workforce outcomes.

Through plenary sessions with critically acclaimed scholars, educators, and activists and breakout sessions with higher education thought leaders at the Orlando gathering, a nationwide network of colleagues are sharing 20 years’ worth of lessons learned in the student success field and promoting a vision of higher education as an engine for equity and a catalyst for community transformation.

The Central Valley Community Foundation, the only accredited community foundation in the region, drives strategic investments and offers best-in-class charitable tools to connect donors to the causes they care most about with $140 Million in assets under management.

CVHEC SPOTLIGHT: Math Task Force Convening Jan. 26 in the news

Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Executive Director Benjamin Duran and Orosi High School Principal Marlene Celaya discussed the Jan. 26 “Central Valley Way To AB1705 Success” Convening with Emily Erwin on the KSEE24 Central Valley Today live on Jan. 23: https://bit.ly/CVHEC-MathTFJan26-KSEECVT012324

Dr. Duran presented the CVHEC Math Task Force work of the past few months leading up to the Jan. 26 covening in Fresno of math professionals collaborating on implementation of AB1705. Principal Celaya, a former Dinuba High School math teacher, articulated the perspective of the secondary segment of education and the impact on high school students. The task force meets again April 19 in a diligent effort for compliance when the law goes into effect July 1.

The CVHEC Math Task Force media team of Dr. Benjamin Duran,  Marlene Celaya and Tom Uribes, CVHEC media/communications coordinator, visited Emily Erwin on the KSEE24 Central Valley Today set Jan. 23.

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