UC Merced project to improve college readiness data completes first phase

UC Merced Interim Associate Vice Chancellor Orquidea Largo, left, and Professor Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz lead research efforts on the “Advancing Educational Opportunities in California” project.

‘Despite significant growth in dual enrollment

participation rates in Central Valley, disparities persist ’

 

BY TOM URIBES
CVHEC Communications Coordinator

A University of California, Merced research team has completed the first phase of a two-year project project to create a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of college readiness among high-school students in the San Joaquin Valley, particularly those from underrepresented and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds.

The UC Merced Advancing Educational Opportunity in the Central Valley Project, announced earlier this  year and led by Professor Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz, principal investigator, focuses on surveying and analyzing college-readiness data, policies and infrastructure to determine how certain academic pathways and access disparities impact student populations — including Latinx, Black, Native American and English learners — and their preparedness for higher education.

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UC Merced is a member of the Central Valley higher education Consortium that is made up 28 colleges and universities in the valley’s 10-county region.

In the “What the CV-Hec is Happening Blog” for this November issue of the CVHEC e-newsletter, Aguirre-Muñoz writes that in October, the research team completed the first phase of the project with an in-depth analysis of student and districtwide data on dual enrollment and Advanced Placement (AP) access and participation for key demographic groups in the Central Valley.

“The analysis highlights significant growth in dual enrollment participation rates across the Central Valley, with a rise from 3.3 percent in 2015 to 11.1 percent in 2021 among 11th and 12th graders,” she blogs. “This rate has now surpassed participation levels in other parts of the state, reflecting a local commitment to increasing college readiness opportunities for students. However, disparities persist.

The project is a collaboration between the UC Merced, Language, Learning, and Teaching Lab led by Aguirre-Muñoz and the UC Merced Center for Educational Partnerships led by Dr. Orquidea Largo, CEP interim associate vice chancellor and chief outreach officer who is the project’s co-principal investigator. It is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation whose $500,000 grant first announced in February is the foundation’s first award to UC Merced.

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“High-school students in this region, on average, encounter more barriers in accessing dual enrollment or AP (Advanced Placement) courses compared to students in other areas of California,” explained Aguirre-Muñoz when the grant was first announced last spring.

“This grant funding will contribute valuable insights and practical solutions that can shape state policies aimed at addressing the persistent disparities in equity and academic achievement, which hinder the upward mobility of underrepresented, minority students as they progress through high school.”

In a supplemental summary of the first phase she provided this month for the blog, Aguirre-Muñoz said the project’s findings will support state policy makers and regional leadership in continuously improving evidence-based pathways for accelerating college readiness rates in the Central Valley’s most vulnerable student populations.

She said this first phase summarizes key findings from the Strategic Landscape Analysis that provides descriptive detail of both dual enrollment and advanced placement (AP) availability and participation for key demographic groups in the Central Valley, adding that “a mixed effects hierarchical modeling analysis also was completed to identify critical factors affecting dual enrollment access in the Central Valley, focusing on geographic, socioeconomic and demographic variables.”

In the summary, Aguirre-Muñoz broke down these highlights from the project’s Strategic Landscape Analysis:

Dual Enrollment Growth: Between 2015-2021, dual enrollment rates in the Central Valley increased significantly, surpassing non-CV rates by 2020-2021. Although schools in the CV now offer dual enrollment at rates comparable to other parts of California, AP course access remains lower, with the gap widening over time.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities: While dual enrollment participation has increased, underrepresented minority (URM) students, especially Black and Latinx students, continue to enroll at lower rates than their White and Asian/Pacific Islander peers. This disparity persists even in schools that offer dual enrollment, suggesting that simply increasing availability does not fully address access inequities.

AP Participation: Central Valley schools lag behind the state in AP course offerings and student participation. For example, AP enrollment among Asian/Pacific Islander students in the region decreased slightly, resulting in a narrower but still present racial/ethnic gap.

“The analysis indicates the need for targeted interventions, particularly in rural and high-poverty schools, to further bridge these educational gaps and enhance college readiness across the Central Valley,” she said.

Aguirre-Muñoz’s summary also reports that the first phase presents this analysis of Central Valley dual enrollment availability:

Model Structure — three models were developed to examine dual enrollment factors, gradually incorporating geographic (e.g., location and urbanicity), socioeconomic (e.g., poverty rates), and demographic (e.g., race and ethnicity) elements.

Significant Findings:

  • Regional Trends: Schools in the Central Valley are generally less likely to offer dual enrollment than other regions, though local initiatives have improved access over time.
  • Urban-Rural Divide: Urban schools have a higher likelihood of offering dual enrollment than rural schools.
  • Socioeconomic Factors: Schools with high Black student populations showed an increase in dual enrollment availability, while high-poverty and high-URM schools faced more access challenges.

Interaction Effects — notable interactions include:

  • Central Valley and Year: Positive trends over time indicate regional improvements and positive impact of local efforts to increase access.
  • URM and Poverty: High-URM, high-poverty schools saw improved dual enrollment access under certain conditions, suggesting that targeted support may benefit these schools.

Model Fit: Model 3, incorporating interaction effects, was the strongest predictor of dual enrollment variability, offering the most comprehensive insights into access disparities.

“The analysis suggests a need for targeted support in high-poverty, rural, and URM-focused schools to enhance dual enrollment accessibility and improve educational equity across the Central Valley,” Aguirre-Muñoz said in her summary.

In her blog, she declares that, “as educational leaders and policymakers digest these insights, the path forward becomes clear: invest in dual enrollment for underserved communities, prioritize high-poverty areas with significant Black and Latinx populations, and bridge the gap between urban and rural school districts.

“By expanding these opportunities, we can create an educational environment that empowers every student to reach their fullest potential, regardless of race, geography, or socioeconomic status,” Aguirre-Muñoz wrote. “This is the promise of dual enrollment, and it’s a promise that Central Valley students deserve to see fulfilled,”

She told CVHEC that two more phases will be complete in spring 2025.

See:

Project media inquiries: Alyssa Johansen, UC Merced Public Information Officer, at 209.413.9330 or ajohansen@ucmerced.edu

 

 

 

 

 

Kern Master’s Upskill Program launches new English cohort

Successful dual enrollment teacher program

awarded funding for 15 more high school teachers

 

To schedule an information session:  individual OnDemand appointments

BY TOM URIBES
CVHEC Communications Coordinator

The success of the Kern Master’s Upskill Program has resulted in the creation of an additional English cohort of 15 slots that will begin in March 2025 – meaning more Kern high school teachers can obtain funding to earn a master’s degrees qualifying them to instruct dual enrollment courses at Kern County high schools as well as to become adjunct community college instructors.

The program by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, in partnership with the Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative through the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS), provides eligible high school teachers with a grant and tuition reduction through two consortium members:  Fresno Pacific University offers a Master’s degree in Mathematics education and National University offers a Master’s degree program in English.

For this new fourth cohort, English Single Subject credential holders who are interested in pursuing a Master’s degree in English with a specialization in Rhetoric can receive a $14,400 grant from the Kern K16 Collaborative and CVHEC and a $3,978 (20%) “employee tuition reduction” per student because of National University’s partnership with CVHEC.

Jessica Gladney, program coordinator for National, said interested high school English teachers may learn more about the program and apply by attending information sessions available through individual OnDemand appointments to fit their own schedule.

Additionally, mentors are assigned to each of the 15 students to counsel them during the course of their postbaccalaureate degree studies as well as help access adjunct hiring pools at the local community colleges.

The Kern Master’s Upskill Program is part of an $18 million statewide competitive grant in June 2022 to improve student progress from high school to postsecondary education and ultimately into the workforce under KCSOS, which serves as the administrative agent for the Kern K-16 Collaborative.

CVHEC was awarded $1.7 million to produce, over three years, up to 100 qualified dual enrollment teachers to teach English and Math.  Tom Burke, a CVHEC regional coordinator and chancellor-emeritus of the Kern Community College District, was appointed the consortium’s Kern Masters Upskilling Program lead.

Burke recently reported that in the past academic year since the Kern program’s inception, 48 students earned their master’s degrees: 32 English master’s degrees have been conferred in three cohorts to date with nine still in progress and 16 math master’s degrees have been conferred from the first of three cohorts. (In the math program, cohort two currently has 11 students on course to graduate in May 2025 while cohort three commenced this current fall semester with 22 master’s candidates scheduled to complete requirements in spring 2026).

He added that this newly-funded fourth Kern English cohort, combined with the first three, will increase the number of high school teachers with a English master’s degree in Kern County by 56, just a little over half of the intended goal.

“We are appreciative that the Kern K-16 recognizes the success and value of CVHEC’s Master’s Upskill Program that inevitably supports dual enrollment opportunities for our students and professional advancement for our high school teachers,” said Burke.

KCSOS spokesperson Kimberly Graham said Kern K-16 approved the additional funding for the CVHEC Upskilling project “to support the formation of an additional cohort because it addresses limitations the first three cohorts faced in achieving maximum participant outcomes.”

She calls it a strategic move because increasing the number of qualified high school teachers who can teach dual enrollment English courses aligns with the overarching goal of the Kern K-16 program as well as a long-term strategy for educational equity and success in the region.”

“The Kern K-16 program aims for greater educational access and equity, and the continued investment in the CVHEC project will support this by upskilling teachers and expanding dual enrollment opportunities for students,” said Graham who is the chief leadership support officer for the KSOS Local, Regional and Statewide Systems of Support.

“Adding a fourth English cohort contributes to the educational development of the region by preparing students for college-level coursework earlier in their educational paths.”

She added that by collaborating with National University, the project ensures that high school teachers receive flexible and rigorous online master’s degree programs, making them eligible to teach at the community college level.

The consortium has also implemented the program in two Central Valley K-16 regions:  the Fresno/Madera K-16 Collaborative where the program was first launched in 2021 with a  $1,830,500 grant and this fall with the WE Will! K-16 Collaborative in the North Valley under two $400,000 state grants.

It includes the CVHEC Mentor Program pairing each enrolled high school teacher with an English or math professor from a local community college district to help navigate the process to becoming an adjunct community college faculty member and provide other support along the way.

In Kern, the Mentor Program coordinators are Dr. Liz Rozell (math) and Dr. Vikash Lakhani (English). Burke said the program is currently recruiting for math mentors.  English mentors will be recruited in the spring.  They receive a $2,000 stipend.

For questions about enrollment, please contact Jessica Gladney at jgladney@nu.edu or 310.968.5805.

For questions about CHVEC and its Master’s Mentor Program, Burke may be contacted at tburke5@att.net.  

 

 

 

 

See:

·  Kern Master’s Upskilling Program: 2nd cohort graduates – next cohort recruitment underway

 

Math Task Force AB1705 collaborations to continue

Central Valley’s math professionals go above and beyond  

 

BY TOM URIBES
CVHEC Communications Coordinator

A “unique collaboration” was the vibe for more than 60 community college math educators and other education officials who met last month at the third meeting of the “Central Valley Way to AB1705 Success and Beyond” convening where they shared ideas and perspectives addressing implementation of Assembly Bill 1705 curriculum.

Presented by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Math Task Force with the Charles A. Dana Center (University of Texas at Austin), the Oct. 25 convening continued two years of discussion as Central Valley community colleges and their counterparts statewide prepare to meet the requirements of the state law related to equitable placement, support and completion practices for STEM programs.

Plans are already underway for the next math gathering in spring 2025 with a tentative March 28 date, said Dr. John Spevak, CVHEC regional coordinator who oversees the consortium’s Math Task Force and co-facilitator with Dr. Tammi Perez-Rice, Dana Center course program specialist.

“At that 2025 meeting, we will continue the vibrant conversation for even more intersegmental collaboration related to improving success for students in STEM math courses,” Spevak said.

In three virtual and three in person sessions beginning in early 2023, the task force addressed the various options available to the state’s community colleges for AB1705 implementation, a unique situation that the consortium has dubbed “The Central Valley Way” because of its innovative approach of bringing the region’s math community together for the first time.

“This confluence of thought and individuals of math faculty and math professionals is unique to California,” said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director and president-emeritus of Merced College.

“This was truly a boots-on-the-ground campaign, and we commend the folks who rolled up their sleeves and crossed territorial lines to collaborate for a great impact on our students,” Durán said. “As many excellent educators are driven to do, some went above and beyond the call of duty, even working through the summer, to prepare for this culmination and beyond.”

After the various previous sessions leading up to the Oct. 25 gathering, which was held at the Clovis Community College Herndon campus, the task force narrowed its focus to three strands with cross-institution teams developing reports regarding:

  • calculus 1 corequisite design and implementation,
  • designing and implementing an innovative pre-calculus course,
  • evaluating the efficacy of the courses in the path to calculus as reported out by strand leads.

Spevak said each community college has worked on its own plan to comply with the new legislation, for implementation in fall 2025, but the collaboration gave them the opportunity to see what sister Central Valley campuses were doing and feed off each other.

“Each college benefitted from the ideas presented by fellow college math educators,” Spevak said. “The comment most frequently heard was ‘I appreciated the opportunity to learn what other community colleges are doing and to share what my college is doing’.”

Joan M. Zoellner, the Dana Center’s Launch Years Initiative lead who also delivered a presentation, “National Best Practices in Math Student Success,” at the event summarized the outcome.

“Despite taking different approaches, all of the participants displayed dedication to student success, discussing a wide variety of topics including active learning, flipped classrooms, scheduling with other STEM departments and creatively leveraging existing campus resources such as MESA programs,” she said.

Spevak also noted that the spirit of collaboration extended to math educators from other segments who participated in the math gathering, including three Central Valley high schools and representatives from the California State University System and the University of California as well from UC campuses at Merced and Davis.

Dr. Erik Cooper of the California Community College Chancellors Office briefly discussed the AB1705 guidance.

Zoellner said of the vice chancellor’s Zoom appearance, “Attendees had the opportunity to pose several logistical questions that are still ambiguous.”

Sharing updates on work in progress throughout the Central Valley as well as statewide to enhance math education research, teacher training and student support were Dr. Lynn Cevallos of College Bridge, Dr. Ted Coe of the California Mathematics Education Collaborative, Dr. Fred Uy from the CSU Chancellors Office, Dr. Liz Rozell of the Kern Master’s Teacher Upskilling Project. Rolin Moe of UC Online sent comments presented to the group by Spevak.

Several high school officials and other higher education representatives also offered input throughout the day, highlighting the impression the Central Valley Way has made on the Dana Center representatives who work with several education organizations throughout the nation on math issues. In California, they have worked with CVHEC since 2018, when AB705 was initially being implemented and more recently into the current partnership focusing on the AB1705 implementation.

“We have been honored to work with the dedicated math faculty in the Central Valley over the course of these past years,” Zoellner said. “We have witnessed the thoughtful and intentional work by the faculty to design corequisite supports that will best support their local student populations, even when buy-in to the overall guidance was mixed.”

She echoed Duran’s assessment saying the cross-sector collaborative work happening in the Central Valley — including high schools, community colleges, CSUs and UCs — is unique in the state and in the country.

“The collaboration of many Central Valley community colleges, including small rural colleges, to share ideas, strategies and data will help identify and make the case for scaling effective ways of implementing AB1705 for similar schools in the state,” Zoellner said.

Perez-Rice said that this collaboration will be highlighted in a presentation by the Dana Center at the annual conference of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) in Atlanta Nov. 14-17 that will include two of the three CVHEC Math task Force strand leads who will share the CVHEC story addressing AB 1705 the past two years.

Set to participate in that national presentation are math professors Jeremy Brandl of Fresno City College and Shelley Getty of Taft College.

“So really the nation is seeing what is happening in the Central Valley of California and how CVHEC is leading the way showing what it means to convene like this; what it means to work across sectors to this caliber,” Perez-Rice said.  “We hope the story behind the ‘Central Valley Way to Math Success’ collaboration will serve as a template for similar regional collaboration throughout the state and nation. It’s quite exciting.”

This national attention is possible “thanks to all the math professionals in our region for their dedication to math success for our Central Valley students,” Durán said in a recorded welcome for the group.

“You are all doing something unique — a collaboration of math educators working closely together to create the ‘Central Valley Way to Math Success.’ Now the work of your partnerships is being noticed nationally.”

AB1705 update: Math Task Force Convening draws state higher ed officials

Oct. 25: “The Central Valley Way to

AB 1705 Success and Beyond”

 

BY JOHN SPEVAK

Math and English Task Forces Coordinator – Central Valley Higher Education Consortium

 

With our Oct. 25 math gathering, “The Central Valley Way to AB 1705 Success and Beyond,” in Clovis a few weeks away, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium presents our agenda for the day that includes a few new developments for the dedicated and persevering math educators of our Math Task Force who have been engaged in hearty discussions regarding implementation of AB 1705 the past year-plus for the benefit of our region’s students.

Dr. John Spevak, CVHEC Math and English Task Forces coordinator.

First a reminder for those who haven’t already, please register as soon as you reasonably can for the free convening, which I again have the honor of co-facilitating with Tammi Rice-Perez, Ed.D., of the Charles A. Dana Center (University of Texas at Austin).

And thank you to the 61 who to date have registered for this free event which will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Clovis Community College Herndon campus (390 W. Fir Ave. in Clovis) and includes breakfast (8 a.m.) and lunch.

The task force’s successful discourse has drawn great interest not only around our region but in the state and even nationally and we are pleased to announce that representatives of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and University of California Presidents Office will participate.

And, the task force has gained national math attention evidenced by the invitation for our three strand leaders  to present about the “Central Valley Way to Math Success” collaboration at the annual conference of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) in Atlanta Nov. 14-17 though the Dana Center.

Shelley Getty – Taft College

Making the trip will be Jeremy Brandl of Fresno City College and Shelley Getty of Taft College.

So, what do we have in store for this fourth in-person convening in this mission of math educators from CVHEC’s member community colleges and K-12 partners — in addition to great discussions along the way with significant time for sharing in the afternoon?

First, notice the title of our event — you’ll see something a little different this time around: “… and Beyond.”

Our primary focus remains AB 1705, but as our mission winds down, we will look ahead to our  CVHEC Math Task Force  continuing the collaboration energy that has effectively been established and maintaining this momentum for future math issues of common concern.

And, I understand that task force members will have developed the curricula for courses beginning in the fall of 2025 so there will be time to talk about and share curriculum ideas. But there will also be time for talking about delivering the curriculum, through innovative pedagogy and best teaching practices.

Additionally, our discussions have grown to include many guests/partners on the agenda from the state’s three segments of higher education as well as representatives from the California Mathematics Education Collaborative (CMEC) who will participate first by observing what we’re doing as well as sharing what they are doing in relation to teaching math and, in particular, to teaching STEM math.

Jeremy Brandl – Fresno City College

The session will open with a general introduction acknowledging the state leaders who will participate:

  • Dr. Erik Cooper, California Community College vice-chancellor will join us by Zoom to represent CCC Chancellor Sonya Christian;
  • Rolin Moe, executive director of UC Online in the University of California Office of the President will make the trip to Clovis to represent UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D.
  • FredUy, director of Systemwide California State University Education and Leadership Program;
  • Ted Coe, vice president, Content Advocacy – Mathematics of Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), and a member of the California Mathematics Education Collaborative (CMEC).

At 9:30 a.m. for the Math Strand Report Outs, our three strand leaders will present and lead discussion on work undertaken with other Math Task Force members from throughout our 15 community college CVHEC members since our April 19 meeting – including ongoing strategizing over the summer – on three strands and discussion regarding Chancellor office guidance:

  • Developing a single-course prerequisite to calculus – Jeremy Brandl, Fresno City College
  • Developing a calculus course with a corequisite – Shelley Getty, Taft College
  • Verifying single-course prerequisite – Nathan Cahoon, Taft College
  • Profs concerned about C.O. guidelines – Tina Akers-Porter, Modesto Junior College

Vice Chancellor Cooper will take the virtual stage from 10:30 to 11 a.m. to present “Reflections from Chancellor’s Office.” He first joined us a year ago in our second session of what will now be seven AB1705 meetings by the Math Task Force since mid-2023.

Next, we will present the “Updates on Regional and State Math Innovations” segment with these topics:

  • Innovation in Central Valley High Schools — College Bridge (5 mins)
  • K-16 Collaborative Math Mentorship Program – Liz Rozell, CVHEC Kern Master’s Upskilling Program math faculty mentor coordinator (10 mins)
  • UC-CCC Dual Enrollment: Enhancing Transfer Opportunities Through Online Collaboration” – Rolin Moe, UC Office of the President (20 mins)
  • Update from CSU: Statewide Math Initiatives – Fred Uy, director of Systemwide CSU Education and Leadership Program (20 mins)
  • Update from the California Mathematics Education Collaborative (CMEC): “What CMEC is Currently Doing” – Ted Coe, CMEC (10 mins)

Following a 40-minute lunch break, we will hear a discussion about “National Best Practices in Math Student Success,” by Joan Zoellner, M.A. and Dr. Rice-Perez, both from The Dana Center from 12:40-1:10 p.m.

The afternoon breakouts session, “Sharing, Discussion Primarily on Pedagogy and Data,” will follow up the three stand topics (above) led by the three strand leaders

Report-outs from the breakout sessions will be presented before the day wraps with the topic “Where do we go from Here? Setting the Date for Spring 2025” presented by Tammi and myself from 2:45 – 3 p.m.

This closing discussion will serve to bring our work on AB1705 to a close and begin looking to what lies ahead.

I am impressed with two observations about the past year and half of intense work by the Central Valley Math Task Force that I have mentioned before: I believe we are in the midst of a “math tsunami” in our state and our country. And we in the Central Valley are not only in it, but we are in many ways leading the way via “The Central Valley Way” to student math success.

Our Math Task Force members have been going above and beyond duty for the sake of students and their success so we are preparing for a good turnout Oct. 25. The more math brains involved, the better the outcomes.

AGENDA – Oct. 25, 2024

Event questions:  contact Ángel Ramírez, director of operations and finance, at angelr@csufresno.edu or 559.292.0576.

Media inquiries: Tom Uribes, text 559.348.3278 or cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu.

Dr. Eric Cooper – CCC Vice Chancellor

 

 

 

 

Joan Zoellner, M.A., and Dr. Tammi Rice-Perez, both from the Charles A. Dana Center (University of Texas at Austin), with Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, at the first in-person MTF/AB1705 Convening last year.

 

 

 

 

CVDEEP Task Force sets dual enrollment convening for educators in 10-county region

 

 CVDEEP Convening planned for Feb. 3, 2025

 

[UPDATE DEC. 18, 2024]: This event is rescheduled for Feb. 3, 2025. See updated story: https://bit.ly/CVHEC-DualEnrollConv25

bit.ly/DualEnrollment25cvhec-REGISTER

North Valley Masters Upskilling Program begins recruiting — info sessions set

The WE Will! K-16 Educational Collaborative held its “All Partner Collaboration Convening” at Stanislaus State Sept. 26 including partners in two CVHEC initiatives funded for the North Valley: the Masters Upskilling Project, which is now recruiting high school teachers and the Central Valley Math Bridge Program.

WE Will! funding helps North Valley high school teachers

offset tuition for Masters Upskilling Program  

[UPDATE 10/31/24: Additional information sessions have been added Nov. 5 and 19 — both at 4:30 p.m. REGISTER]

Recruitment is now underway for a cohort of North Valley high school teachers interested in earning a master’s degree that will qualify them to teach college dual enrollment. Information sessions are available this month.

The North Valley Master’s Upskilling Program is presented by the  Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC)  thanks to a $400,000 grant by the WE Will! K-16 Workforce and Education Collaborative. 

In partnership with two CVHEC-members — Fresno Pacific University and National University along with CVHEC member community colleges and their service-area high schools — the program recruits and helps fund tuition for existing high school math and English teachers to earn a master’s so they can teach dual enrollment courses in those subjects on their high school campuses.

The grant is one of two awarded to CVHEC that will serve northern CVHEC member counties over the next three years. It  supports 12 high school English and 12 high school math teachers to offset much of the cost of this upskilling coursework and provide them with community college mentors to support them in their role as college instructors, said Tom Burke, CVHEC’s  Master’s Upskilling Program coordinator.

CVHEC is now working with Merced, San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties Superintendent of Schools Offices to recruit high school teachers seeking this opportunity as well as with regional community colleges to identify mentors for the participating teachers.

The first cohorts are set to begin in spring 2025 and high school teachers may learn more about admission at these upcoming information sessions:

For its online MA degree program in Mathematics Education, FPU has set information sessions for Oct. 8 and 22 from 4:40-5:40 p.m. each session: Math Info Session registration. [UPDATE 10/31/24: Additional information sessions have been added Nov. 5 and 19 — both at 4:30 p.m. REGISTER]

Courses cover a range of mathematics topics such as advanced algebra, geometry and calculus. The program includes courses like Math for Social Justice and Data Science. Students will read the research in math education and complete a series of three comprehensive exam papers embedded in the coursework.

The cohort will take two courses per semester for completion in summer 2026 with synchronous Zoom meetings on Wednesdays from 5:15 to 9 p.m.

The We Will!/CVHEC funding provides $12,500 per student and AIMS Education foundation provides an additional $5,000 per student. Students are also eligible to apply for the Federal TEACH grant.

Contact: Manjula Joseph, Ph.D., program director at manjula.joseph@fresno.edu or 559s.453.2096. (Also: Graduate.Studies@fresno.edu or 559.453.3690).

For its online Master of Arts degree program in English, National University has set information sessions for Oct. 8 and 23 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. each session:  English Info Session registration

The program curriculum covers major approaches to literature, including theoretical, historical, comparative, thematic, multicultural and genre studies. Coursework provides students with the critical vocabulary, tools and research ability to produce literary scholarship of professional quality and to participate in ongoing scholarly discussions of issues in literary study.

The Rhetoric specialization offers a program of graduate study in literature, as well as a wide range of cultural productions—from classical oration to contemporary cinema—with a particular emphasis on how language and image are used to produce various effects and meanings. The curriculum contains several variable-topic courses, allowing students to pursue broad program goals in topic areas matched to their interests.

With 12 students per cohort, the program offers 10 courses (45 quarter units) in a one course per month format with fully online, asynchronous instruction for program completion in 12-months or less.

The WE Will!/CVHEC funding provides $12,500 per student and a $3,978 (20%) tuition reduction scholarship per student from National University due to its partnership with  CVHEC.

Each cohort student will be paired with an English professor from a local community college district.

Contact: Jessica Gladney, program director, at jgladney@nu.edu or text 310.968.5805.

CVHEC and its partners are aiming to accomplish the success it has already had throughout the valley with the Master’s Upskilling Program which is the result of CVHEC’s dual enrollment task force, Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP).

The innovative program has produced over 160 master’s graduates qualified to teach dual enrollment college courses in partnership with the Fresno-Madera K-16 Collaborative in the mid-valley region and the Kern K-16 Collaborative in the south valley area.

 

 BACKGROUND

Established in 2019 to identify and establish the best elements of an intentional and sustainable strategy for dual enrollment, the Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force is made up of more than 150 Central Valley secondary and postsecondary education leaders who gather annually for CVHEC dual enrollment convenings.

The Master’s Upskilling Program was the outcome of CVDEEP’s second convening in 2022 where participants from member colleges throughout the 10-county region identified an urgent need showing that many high schools, especially rural schools, are unable to offer dual enrollment courses on their campuses because they lack teachers who meet the community college minimum qualifications – a master’s degree.

(NOTE: CVDEEP’s valley-wide convening is set for Nov. 14 in Fresno open to educators, administrators with free registration [reg link to come ] now available).

The other $400,000 state grant CVHEC received from the WE Will! Collaborative will expand the Central Valley Math Bridge Program presented in partnership with College Bridge which has established the imitative that involves in the mid-valley area.

Funding for both consortium projects, which involve improving access to dual enrollment college courses for high school students, is from a $18 million grant the WE Will! Collaborative received from the Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives Grant Programs last fall as part of the statewide drive to strengthen the K-16 education-to-career pipeline.

The dual enrollment aspect supports CVHEC’s mission to increase college degree and certificate attainment rates for valley students throughout the nine-county Central Valley region as well as helps fulfill the collaborative’s education-to-career pipeline goal, said Dr. Benjamín Durán, consortium executive director.

ABOUT The North Valley Tri-County Workforce and Education (WE Will!) K-16 Collaborative

 The North Valley Tri-County Workforce and Education (WE Will!) K-16 Collaborative is a multi-sector and intersegmental collaboration uniting Merced, San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties with CVHEC-member University of California, Merced as the lead agency and includes four other fellow CVHEC members: Merced College, Modesto Junior College, San Joaquin Delta College and California State University, Stanislaus. The collaborative also includes K-12 school districts, county offices of education, economic development agencies and local and regional employers.

WE Will! K-16: CVHEC dual enrollment projects in North Valley

Math Bridge and Master’s Upskilling

heading north via WE Will! K-16 funding

 

‘Together, we are creating pathways for success
that will benefit our communities for generations to come.’

 

BY TOM URIBES
CVHEC Communications/Media Coordinator

[NOTE: see updates below]

Two $400,000 state grants in partnership with the WE Will! K-16 Workforce and Education Collaborative will expand Central Valley Higher Education Consortium initiatives into the North Valley: the Master’s Upskilling Project and the Central Valley Math Bridge program.

Funding for both consortium projects, which involve improving access to dual enrollment college courses for high school students, is from a $18 million grant the WE Will! Collaborative received from the Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives Grant Programs last fall as part of the statewide drive to strengthen the K-16 education-to-career pipeline.

McKenna Salazar — WE Will!

The North Valley Tri-County Workforce and Education (WE Will!) K-16 Collaborative is a multi-sector and intersegmental collaboration uniting Merced, San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties with CVHEC-member University of California, Merced as the lead agency and includes four other fellow CVHEC members: Merced College, Modesto Junior College, San Joaquin Delta College and California State University, Stanislaus. The collaborative also includes K-12 school districts, county offices of education, economic development agencies and local and regional employers.

“CVHEC is excited to join the WE Will! K-16 Collaborative as an initiative partner,” said Dr. Benjamín Durán, consortium executive director, when he learned of the CVHEC funding decision in April that will extend its programs already underway in other parts of the valley into the northern region.

CVHEC’s two programs already in place are through the Fresno-Madera K-16 Collaborative in the mid-valley region and the Kern K-16 Collaborative in the south valley area.

“Our south and mid-valley efforts have laid a solid foundation for the programs to succeed when scaled and replicated throughout our region to better serve all Central Valley students,” added the president-emeritus of Merced College who after his retirement in 2012 joined CVHEC in 2016.

Dr. Benjamín Durán,  CVHEC  

The dual enrollment aspect supports CVHEC’s mission to increase college degree and certificate attainment rates for valley students throughout the nine-county Central Valley region as well as helps fulfill the collaborative’s education-to-career pipeline goal.

McKenna Salazar, executive director of the Office of K-20 Regional Alliances and WE Will! K-16 Educational Collaborative, said the North Valley Collaborative sought partners whose initiatives would equitably enhance K-16 career pathways in healthcare and education.

“We are thrilled to partner on these initiatives, which represent a critical step toward ensuring that students experience seamless transitions across the educational spectrum,” Salazar said.

“Our partnership with CVHEC is an exciting endeavor that will empower students to thrive in both their academic and professional pursuits. Together, we are creating pathways for success that will benefit our communities for generations to come.”

 

Upskilling high school teachers to teach dual enrollment

The first $400,000 grant that CVHEC was awarded will support the extension of the consortium’s Master’s Upskilling Project into the northern CVHEC member counties over the next three years, said Elaine Cash, CVHEC’s grants and programs coordinator who secured the consortium funding.

The program — a collaboration of two CVHEC-members: Fresno Pacific University and National University with CVHEC member community colleges and the service-area high schools — recruits and helps fund tuition for existing high school math and English teachers to earn a master’s so they can teach dual enrollment courses in those subjects on their high school campuses.

The innovative program that has already produced over 160 master’s graduates qualified to teach dual enrollment college courses was the result of CVHEC’s dual enrollment task force, Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP), established in 2019 to identify and establish the best elements of an intentional and sustainable strategy for dual enrollment. CVDEEP is made up of more than 150 Central Valley secondary and postsecondary education leaders who gather annually for CVHEC dual enrollment convenings.

“An urgent need identified by CVDEEP is that many high schools, especially our rural schools, are unable to offer dual enrollment courses on their campuses because they lack teachers who meet the community college minimum qualifications – a master’s degree,” Cash said.

As in the other valley locations, FPU plans to offer the WE Will! regional high school teachers holding a bachelor’s degree in mathematics an online MA degree program in Mathematics Education. National will offer the WE Will! regional high school English teachers an online Master of Arts degree program in English.

“Over the coming three years, the funding will support 12 high school English and 12 high school math teachers to offset much of the cost of this upskilling coursework and provide them with community college mentors to support them in their role as college instructors,” Cash said.

CVHEC will work with Merced, San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties Superintendent of Schools offices to recruit teachers seeking this opportunity as well as with regional community colleges to identify mentors.

(UPDATE Sept. 18, 2024) — Master’s Upskilling Project: recruitment campaign for 24 slots (12 English/12 Math) is now underway with MA classes to begin in January. CVHEC is working with WE Will! and county superintendent of schools officials to promote the program to county high school teachers.

 

Math Bridge — closing the equity achievement gap 

For the second $400,000 grant funding the Central Valley Math Bridge Project, WE Will! joins efforts by CVHEC with project-founding partner College Bridge to close the equity achievement gap of underrepresented students entering college.

“In the junior and senior years of high school, underrepresented students have the opportunity and support to successfully complete the critical gateway requirements in transfer-level college math while mapping their chosen pathways to and through the CV colleges and universities of their choice,” Cash explained.

The high school students are enrolled in dual enrollment college Math Bridge courses, she said. These transfer-level math courses include a College Transition Bridge (CT Bridge) curriculum that offers students a comprehensive college-readiness experience, including an introduction to Pathway Program Mapper in coordination with the CVHEC Transfer Project.

PPM is a public internet-based software application that presents students with pre-approved course sequences aligning the community college Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) agreement with the upper division requirements by major for successful degree completion.

Several high schools in the WE Will! region have already added the CV Math Bridge course, Cash said, adding that CVHEC and College Bridge will focus the WE Will! Collaborative funding to:

1) expand the Pathway Program Mapper to include pathways for seamless ADT transfers from San Joaquin Delta, Modesto and Merced community colleges to UC Merced and CSU Stanislaus, and

2) expand the CV Math Bridge project, adding additional high schools in the Modesto Community College region.

“CVHEC is delighted to receive funding to support the expansion of the Central Valley Math Bridge program into the WE Will! collaborative region,” Cash said.  “We look forward to working with the North Valley collaborative to achieve regional goals that support our students’ college and career successes.”

The first phases for the two programs once the funding is in place is to begin collaborating with high schools for the Math Bridge program and working with county superintendent of schools offices to begin recruiting master’s candidates.

(UPDATE Sept. 18, 2024): Math Bridge officials are presently meeting with county school officials to plan implementation. Recruitment of students is tentatively set for next spring with the first cohort to begin instruction in the fall 2025. Additional updates to come.

 

See:

UC Merced-led Collaborative Awards $10.6 Million to Community  (May 9, 2024)

UC Merced-led Regional Education Collaborative Awarded $18.1 Million in State Funds (Nov. 22, 2023)

MEMBER NEWS: North Valley, East Sierra CVHEC members partner for K-16 Collaboratives (Nov. 16, 2022) 

HIGHER ED NEWS: College Bridge to expand Math Bridge; CVHEC Transfer Project

AB 1705: Math Task Force sets Oct. 25 reconvene with 3 strands

Math Task Force ‘Central Valley Way’

gains national math attention

 

REGISTER

As a July 1, 2025 deadline approaches regarding implementation of Assembly Bill 1705, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Math Task Force prepares for its next convening of valley math minds Friday, Oct. 25 in Clovis amidst several new developments.

The group has now met five times since October 2022 – three in person and two virtually – as Central Valley community colleges prepare to meet the requirements of AB 1705 related to  equitable placement, support and completion practices for STEM programs.

The free convening Oct. 25, again co-facilitated by John Spevak, Ph.D., CVHEC regional coordinator who oversees the consortium’s Math Task Force, and Tammi Rice-Perez, Ed.D., of the Charles A. Dana Center (University of Texas at Austin), will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Clovis Community College Herndon campus (390 W. Fir Ave. in Clovis).

At the April 19 gathering attended by about 70 that Spevak described as “filled with energy, synergy and productivity,” math professors and deans shared ideas about how best to meet AB 1705 requirements.

That conversation will continue on Oct. 25 with the focus narrowed to three strands and discussion of a new direction provided recently by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.  

Spevak said the task force, with the help of the Dana Center, has been working over the summer to present reports on these three updated strands:

  • “Developing a Single-Course Prerequisite to Calculus,” led by Professor Jeremy Brandl of Fresno City College
  • “Developing a Calculus 1 Course with a Corequisite,” led by Professor Shelley Getty of Taft College
  • “Verifying the New Prerequisite Course,” led by Professor Nathan Cahoon of Taft College.

“The Oct. 25 math gathering in Clovis will continue to focus on the Central Valley Way to Math Success in light of AB 1705,” said Dr. Spevak. “Math professors will be giving updates on the development of new courses that will be taught starting in fall 2025, including a new calculus prerequisite course and a calculus with corequisite course.”

Spevak said another group of professors is working on ways to deal with the challenges presented in the Chancellor’s Office guidelines to implementing AB 1705.

He added that the Central Valley’s pursuit of best math practices is gradually expanding as representatives from the California State University and the University of California are expected to attend on Oct. 25 and provide updates.

That gathering will also include expanding representation from K-12 partners, who are also working on finding the best paths to math success in the Central Valley.

Dr. Spevak also announced that this collaborative endeavor by CVHEC, the Dana Center and consortium member institutions of higher education – convening community college math educators, administrators and researchers as well as K-12 representatives to address AB1705 – is getting national attention with the invitation of two strand leads of the Math Task Force, Jeremy Brandl and Shelley Getty, to present at a national math conference in Georgia this fall.

They will join Rice-Perez of the Dana Center to make a presentation about the “Central Valley Way to Math Success” collaboration at the annual conference of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) in Atlanta I Nov. 14-17.

“We continue to thank all the math professionals in our region for their dedication to math success for our Central Valley students,” said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director and president-emeritus of Merced College.

“You are all doing something unique — a collaboration of math educators working closely together to create the Central Valley Way to Math Success. Now the work of your partnerships is being noticed nationally.”

He noted the AB1705 collaboration on the Central Valley front is providing an added benefit: the establishment of an ongoing network between the consortium’s math community.

“This is one of the primary purposes of our consortium, to convene our members on issues of higher education affecting our region and to unify as one voice when needed,” Dr. Duran said. “That’s why we call this CVHEC Math Task Force endeavor ‘the Central Valley Way.’”

Registration for the event is now open.

See also: 

 

Kern Master’s Upskill Program nears half-way mark 

The drive is on to place the program’s master’s grads

in Kern community college adjunct spots

 

The Kern Master’s Upskill Program continues to forge ahead as four cohorts of high school teachers are halfway to its goal of 100 new master’s degrees which qualifies the teachers for instruction of dual enrollment courses at Kern County high schools.

Formally known as the Dual Enrollment Teacher Upskilling Pathway for English and Mathematics, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium initiative is in partnership with the Kern Regional K-16 Education Collaborative that was funded as part of an $18 million statewide competitive grant in June 2022 to improve student progress from high school to postsecondary education and ultimately into the workforce under the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS), which serves as the administrative agent for the Kern K-16 Collaborative.

CVHEC first started the Teacher Upskilling component in Fresno County in 2021 with similar state funding through the Fresno/Madera K-16 Collaborative before teaming up with its Kern partners for $1.7 million to produce, over three years, up to 100 qualified dual enrollment teachers to teach English and Math.

This year, the CVHEC program is also expanding into the North Valley with two $400,000 state grants in partnership with the WE Will! K-16 Collaborative with 24 slots – 12 in English and 12 in math (see the We Will story in this issue).

CVHEC’s Teacher Upskilling program is in partnership with two consortium members:  Fresno Pacific University offers a Master’s degree in Mathematics education and National University offers a Master’s degree program in English.

In the past academic year, 48 students earned their English and math master’s degrees and now the program is in full gear for the next step, said Tom Burke, CVHEC’s Kern Masters Upskilling Program lead.

“Our faculty mentors and mentor coordinators are currently working with the graduates to get them into the adjunct hiring pools for Bakersfield College, Cerro Coso Community College, Porterville College and Taft College.  “This is the initial step toward teaching dual enrollment at Kern County high schools.”

He provided this breakdown of the current Kern progress since the program began in 2022:

 

English MA Summary:

  • In three cohorts to date, 32 students have graduated.
  • Also from those first 3 cohorts, nine master’s candidates have received in progress grades and are working to complete their capstone course towards meeting their full degree requirements.
  • A fourth cohort in English is in development.

 

Math MA Summary:

  • Sixteen (16) students from cohort 1 have graduated.
  • Cohort 2 currently has 11 students on course to graduate in spring 2025.
  • Cohort 3 commences this semester (fall 2024) with 22 master’s candidates and will complete in spring 2026.

The project also includes the CVHEC Mentor Program that pairs the master’s candidates with a community college mentor to support them along the way and help them navigate the process to becoming an adjunct community college faculty member.  In Kern, the mentor coordinators are Dr. Liz Rozell (math) and Dr. Vikash Lakhani (English).

Burke said the program is currently recruiting for math mentors while mentor recruitment for the new north valley We Will  initiative will begin lagter in the fall semester.

 

See:

 

CVHEC’s Mid-Year Review 2024

Read more
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