WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (April 2024): AB1705 – Dana Center analysis of CCCCO memo

This month’s “What The CV-HEC Is Happening” guest blog is presented by Joan Zoellner, M.A., Launch Years Initiative lead for the Charles A. Dana Center (University of Texas at Austin), co-facilitators of the CVHEC Math Task Force AB1705 Compliance Convenings held the past six months. She provides the task force with an analysis of the validation memo issued Feb. 27 by the  California Community College Chancellor’s Office outlining options for community colleges to consider by a July 1 deadline. The memo and this analysis will be discussed at the upcoming MTF Convening April 19 in Fresno. The CVHEC blog features perspectives about the higher education community and issues. Submissions are welcome for consideration: Tom Uribes, cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu.

 

AB1705 Memorandum and CVHEC plan

 

The Feb 27, 2024, memorandum from the CCCCO (California Community College Chancellors Office) about validating STEM calculus prerequisites will have an impact on the plan to develop the “Central Valley Way” of complying with AB1705. To that end, key takeaways from the memo are listed below, followed by a suggestion for both the content of the April 19 workshop and the prep work assigned to campuses in advance.

According to the memo, no more than one transfer-level prerequisite shall be offered prior to calculus. The options for that prerequisite course are limited by the memo and validation options as well.

As of Jul 1, 2024, the only students that institutions can require to enroll in a validated STEM calculus prerequisite are those who (a) intend to pursue a STEM degree, and (b) have a high school GPA below 2.6, or (c) did not pass high school trigonometry, precalculus, or calculus with a grade of C or better. All discussion below is only about these students.

Institutions will have four options to comply with AB1705 and must select one by July 1, 2024. The least likely option for schools that are part of CVHEC, based on prior meetings and discussions, is Option B. In order to choose Option B, schools must show that their current prerequisite course meets the three requirements laid out in the law: (1) Students are highly unlikely (less than 15% throughput) to succeed if placed directly into STEM calculus, (2) taking the prerequisite course increases the student’s likelihood of passing STEM calculus, and (3) taking the class improves the student’s persistence to and completion of calculus 2 (if required for their program). The RP group did not find any institutions that met all three criteria. However, the Dana Center suggests that institutions review the reports provided by the RP group and work with their IR departments to check the calculations and results with the institution’s data.

Option C is also not a likely path for most institutions, as it requires that institutions first show that the throughput rate for a single existing prerequisite and calculus 1 is at least 50% over a 2-year period. These schools are then allowed to offer the prerequisite through July 1, 2027, to show that the prerequisite (now as a stand-alone prerequisite as opposed to one component of a multi-course prerequisite sequence) meets the three requirements of the law. While this work aligns with the work of the “Validating prerequisites” strand, the options for validation are now precisely described and do not permit several of the strategies under consideration by this strand.

Options A and D both align more closely with the bulk of the work in the central valley.

Option A removes all prerequisites for Calculus 1 and allows institutions to require a corequisite support course of up to two credits. This effort could include parts of the work happening in the “Math support outside the classroom” and “Building an AB 1705 campus team” strands.

Option D allows institutions to devise a new single-semester, 4-credit prerequisite course (with a possible 2 units of corequisite support) for STEM calculus. This course can be offered through July 1, 2027, at which point institutions must show that it meets the three requirements of the law. This work aligns with that of the “Designing Precalculus for 2025” strand.

Unfortunately, none of the options allow for validation using a survey or other measures.

In preparing for the April 19 event, the Dana Center proposes the following pre-work for institutions:

  1. Institutions review the individualized report provided by the RP group. They then work with IR to repeat and confirm the calculations using local data.
  2. Institutions will work with IR to calculate the 2-year throughput of the highest STEM calculus prerequisite and calculus 1 over the course of 2 years. If this is at least 50%, Option C may be available.

The agenda for April 19 will include a discussion of the validation memo, having institutions to pick the Option they wish to pursue, confirm the data they will need to submit (options B and C), begin collaboratively designing a corequisite (option A), or continue designing a new prerequisite (Option D) course. The goal is to have several institutions using a similar prerequisite course to enable continuous improvement, trouble shooting, and (potentially) larger sample sizes for evaluating the three requirements before July 1, 2027. Similarly, while not needing to meet the three requirements for the corequisite, schools can work together to design, implement, and improve the corequisite to support student success.

 

See:

CCCCO Validation Memo (Feb. 27, 2024)

Math Task Force resumes AB1705 curriculum planning April 19

Something extraordinary is happening in math in California’s Central Valley

 

 

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (March 2024): Kern education leadership

This month’s “What The CV-HEC Is Happening” Blog takes a unique look at an unprecedented wave of leadership at five major Kern County education institutions:  California State University, Bakersfield; Kern Community College District; Bakersfield College; Kern County Superintendent of Schools; and Kern County High School District. This perspective is provided by a Kern education leader who has been in the thick of the South Valley academic scene himself for many years including his own stint as KCCD chancellor and interim, Tom Burke who now is the Master’s Upskilling Lead for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium. Chancellor-emeritus Burke provides a farewell of sorts to outgoing CVHEC Board of Directors members Dr. Sonya Christian and Dr. Lynnette Zelezny and welcomes new board members Dr. Vernon J. Harper Jr., Dr. Steven Bloomberg and Dr. Jerry Filger. The CVHEC blog features perspectives about the higher education community and issues. Submissions are welcome for consideration: Tom Uribes, cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu.

Unprecedented educational leadership

changes in Kern County

New leaders at largest Kern County educational institutions within one year

 

By TOM BURKE
Chancellor-emeritus, Kern Community College District
CVHEC Kern Master’s Upskilling Lead

The winds of change have swept over Kern County’s education leadership scene in the past year providing a unique opportunity to review and count our blessings while we look ahead to exciting growth for our region’s academic scene.

From the Kern County Superintendent of Schools to the presidency of California State University Bakersfield, we have literally seen the proverbial changing-of -the-guard at our five largest educational institutions in less than 300 days.

Perhaps the most unique situation was in the Kern Community College District where I had the privilege to serve as chancellor from 2017 to 2021 when I retired. At the time, the KCCD Trustees selected then-Bakersfield College President Sonya Christian to step up into its top position. However, so good is Dr. Christian as an educational leader, within two years she was tapped to step even higher when she was named chancellor of the California Community Colleges statewide system prompting KCCD’s second chancellorship search in 22 months.

Both of the positions she vacated have now been filled and her successors started this week so we welcome them here: KCCD Chancellor Steven Bloomberg and BC President Jerry Filger.

Both will also serve on the CVHEC Board of Directors that is made up of the chancellors, presidents and campus directors of 28 institutions of higher education in the Central Valley’s nine-county region. They will soon undergo an onboarding orientation by Dr. Benjamín Durán, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, and attend their first quarterly board meeting later this spring.

Here is a summary of the new leadership in Kern County, with a link to their bios, and a brief highlight of the outgoing leaders who all made significant contributions toward advancing education in Kern County:

 

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, BAKERSFIELD PRESIDENT

Dr. Vernon B. Harper Jr. began serving as interim president when Dr. Lynnette Zelezny retired Dec.31, 2023. Among many accomplishments, President-emeritus Zelezny — the first woman to lead CSUB — will be known for allowing the co-location of a Bakersfield College Outreach center on the CSUB campus fostering a smoother transition for transfer students and leading her campus to be the first CSU to partner with CVHEC’s Central Valley Transfer Project and its Program Pathway Mapper software that has now been adopted by the statewide California Community Colleges system.

KERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT CHANCELLOR

Dr. Steven Bloomberg began his term as KCCD chancellor March 1 after Dr. Sonya Christian became state chancellor for the California Community College System June 1, 2023. Dr. Christian is to be lauded for implementing early college and rural initiatives throughout Kern County as well as spearheading the development of the Program Pathway Mapper software used in the CVHEC Transfer Project.

BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE PRESIDENT

Dr. Jerry Filger reported to service as BC’s 11th president March 11 replacing Steve Watkins and Dr. Zav Dadabhoy who both ably served as interims after Dr. Christian was named KCCD chancellor and later CCC system chancellor.  

KERN COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT

Dr. John Mendiburu began his term as the new KCSOS Superintendent July 1, 2023 replacing Dr. Mary Barlow who retired June 30 after making significant contributions to the local education scene through such measures as the Kern Education Pledge and K-16 Higher Education Collaborative Grant Program that includes CVHEC’s Kern Master’s Upskilling Project.  

KERN HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT  

Dr. Michael Zulfa began his term as KHSD superintendent when Dr. Bryon Schaefer retired on Feb. 1. Superintendent-emeritus Schaefer worked hand-in-hand with KCCD to expand dual enrollment programs throughout the Kern High School District.

 

Now it might seem a bit unsettling to see this much change in the leadership of an education sector over the course of a single year. However, several of these Kern institutions had deep benches providing a roster of new leaders to choose from immediately.

In fact, I can speak directly to the KCCD case in which the former chancellor — yes, that would be me – was available to step in and help provide a smooth seamless transition to the new leadership for KCCD. I was able to finally step back into retirement when Chancellor Bloomberg began his term this month (although not quite full retirement as I resume my regional coordinator position with the CVHEC here in the South Valley where I will have the opportunity to continue working with this new generation of Kern education leaders).

Speaking of these new leaders, I know each will provide significant continuity for their respective institutions and associated programs. Without question, they now have huge “shoes to fill.” I am confident that they, like their predecessors, are up to the task and will advance their respective institutions to greater educational accomplishments.

I believe one of the key strengths of education in Kern is that all of the institutions Pre-K thru 16 understand that to be successful in providing outstanding educational opportunities and success we all have to work together and communicate with each other regularly. The Kern Pledge is an outstanding model that provides the united platform needed to help Kern educational entities achieve educational excellence for their respective students throughout Kern County.

Kern is blessed to have had the talented and dedicated leadership who have moved on in the past 12 months but we are moreso blessed to have these fantastic new educational leaders stepping up. I encourage you to meet them and support their exciting visions for each level of education.

 

See:

Dr. Sonya Christian Named Eleventh Permanent Chancellor of the California Community Colleges

‘Honor of my career:’ President Zelezny announces retirement

Mary Barlow is a schools chief who ‘gets it’

Kern High School District Superintendent Dr. Bryon Schaefer Bids Farewell

Chancellor Emeritus Tom Burke December 16, 2021

Interim Chancellor Tom Burke looks to the future

Recognizing Tom Burke

What the CV-HEC Is Happening Blog: Math Bridge Update

Read more

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (January 2024): CVHEC 2023 — surging forward for Central Valley students

To kick off our 2024 “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blogs, CVHEC Regional Coordinator Stan Carrizosa, Sr. follows up the year-in-review published in our December newsletter issue by offering a perspective of the consortium’s progress in 2023 that sets the stage for a productive new year. Carrizosa, who is president-emeritus of CVHEC member College of the Sequoias and an integral part of the CVHEC team, serves as the lead for the consortium’s Central Valley Transfer Project. The CVHEC blog features perspectives about the higher education community and issues. Submissions are welcome for consideration: Tom Uribes, cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu.

Propelling successfully, purposefully like a guided rocket

 

BY STAN A. CARRIZOSA, SR.
CVHEC Regional Coordinator
(President-emeritus, College of the Sequoias)

 

As a child, I remember watching a weekly science show called “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau” that explored the ocean and marine biology.

One fascinating episode depicted how an octopus at any moment could be moving wildly with all eight legs and not advance at all. But once the octopus contracted its core by simultaneously snapping all eight legs in the same direction, a burst of air coming from the fish propelled it successfully and purposefully through the water like a guided rocket.

Stan Carrizosa, Sr. (left) and CVHEC Central Valley Transfer Project team partner Tom Burke presented at the Community Colleges League of California in November along with UC Merced grad student Araceli Tilley who discussed her success with the project’s Program Pathway Mapper software and Jennifer Johnson of the Foundation for California Community Colleges (right).

Over the course of the past 12 months, CVHEC has flexed its octopus legs and undertaken otherwise separate projects like Math Bridge and Master’s Upskilling (dual enrollment) and the Central Valley Transfer Project. By aligning them and their sub-parts, CVHEC has achieved the snapping of its octopus legs successfully surging us forward in the form of real achievement results for higher education in the Central Valley and for our region’s students specifically.

As we move into 2024, the work of CVHEC continues to be more aligned in ways that leverage each element and make the wholistic effort more cohesive and successful. This reminds me how effective it was to do this same thing as a college president. It was important to have clear goals and objectives and planned actions designed to address specific aspects of an issue to ensure greater success.

This past year, CVHEC acted like an organization with big-picture goals for improving student achievement region-wide and a measured plan of actions all designed to work together as a system to achieve success.

The two key drivers of this system for CVHEC success are strong intersegmental partnership commitments to:

  • a robust dual enrollment;
  • increasing successful community college transfers to higher education institutions.

 

Biggest DE challenge: qualified instructors

Armed with direct feedback from our first Dual Enrollment Summit held three years ago, we heard that one of the biggest challenges to implementing dual enrollment courses was the ability to find qualified instructors to teach college courses on high school campuses.

CVHEC responded by creating an upskilling project where high school teachers in math and English could earn a master’s degree in their content areas and be qualified to apply for and teach dual enrollment college courses on their high school campuses.

Early results from dual enrollment courses showed that students were more successful when the teacher for their college courses was a member of their regular high school faculty. Under the leadership of Dr. John Spevak, CVHEC regional coordinator and vice-president emeritus of Merced College, who facilitated an impressive package offering high school teachers the opportunity to earn a MA degree in their content areas through our partner universities, this opportunity had many residual benefits such as:

  • improving the quality of teaching for their high school classes,
  • earning higher salaries at their high school,
  • creating a professional learning community between high school and community college teachers,
  • and most importantly, changing teacher attitudes about the ability for high school students to succeed in college-level work.

The benefits for high school students are enormous.

Those enrolled in college dual enrollment courses experience pass rates of 80-plus percent while mainstream college students pass rates are in the 50 percent range. Finally, dual enrollment has proven to be a game-changer for first-generation college students in closing the equity gap among them and their college prep peers.

If students are able to take their college math and English courses before graduating high school, they start their college career on a level playing field by having completed their first required courses in transfer-level math and English. This enables them to get on the right pathway and stay straight toward their degree completion.

 

Incentivizing the efforts to increase transfers

The second key driver for CVHEC in 2023 and moving into the new year is the Central Valley Transfer Project!

The breakthrough moment in this project came when UC Merced agreed to review the CSU ADTs and approve these lower-division sequences as meeting the requirements for successful transfer to UCM. Central Valley CSU’s including Bakersfield and Stanislaus have bought in to the Transfer Project as well.  Over the past three years CVHEC has worked to complete implementation in eight of our CV community colleges with three more joining the project this year.

Again the student benefit stands clear: early results show that students in the Transfer Project increase their percentages of on-path course completion each semester by 20 points to 80-plus percent. The same students also reduce their number of units to degree from a high of 85 down to 62.

Meanwhile the new statewide Student Funding Formula starts to provide enhanced per/FTES revenue for successful transfers to four-year institutions, further incentivizing the efforts to increase transfers.

We know that of all the successful graduates earning degrees from CSU’s, 50 percent started their education at a community college. Most recently, California Community Colleges Chancellor Dr. Sonya Christian unveiled her VISION 2030 which includes the Central Valley Transfer Project as a Demonstration Project for the entire state. As a result, CVHEC is now being recruited in both southern and northern California to share the success of the CV Transfer Project with those regions through presentations at various convenings.

 

Thoughtful and effective continuum creating unprecedented leverage for success

In summary, in addition to tracking and assessing our efforts as individual projects, it is equally if not more important to step back and see the bigger picture in the CVHEC body of work for 2023 that sets the stage for promising 2024.   We can see there is a thoughtful and effective continuum that links these efforts together creating unprecedented leverage for success:

  • CVHEC started by looking at the data and listening to the practitioners in the field to develop an agenda of work to support our colleges.
  • Dual enrollment shows great promise but needs more qualified instructors.
  • High school students in dual enrollment courses can close the equity gap between them and their peers thus advancing their personal confidence and capacity to succeed in college.
  • Most higher ed students start in our community colleges and now through the Transfer Project they have a clear pathway of courses to take for a successful transfer to four-year universities.
  • Once our community college students successfully complete their transfer, statistics show that they represent 50 percent of all university graduates.

So, looking back over the past 12 months, CVHEC – like the octopus snapping our legs to successfully surge forward – has successfully linked together major initiatives to build upon and strengthen each other allowing students to experience a continuum of effectiveness and success in achieving their higher education goals and objectives. To close out 2023 and look ahead, our executive director Dr. Benjamín Durán sums up the CVHEC spirit best in his newsletter director’s message published in our December issue:

“This year we are happy to salute and greet our K-12 partner districts who have joined us in creating meaningful pathways from middle school and high school to college.  As we prepare to welcome 2024, stay tuned as we continue to nurture many roads leading to one destination – getting students to and through college in a timely manner!”

CVHEC’s Year-In-Review 2023

Many strands coming together into one fabric
— a glimpse at the past 12 months

By CVHEC TEAM
(Tom Uribes, Dr. John Spevak and Stan Carrizosa)

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium completes our 21st year with this 2023 Year-In-Review as seen through the headlines of our monthly e-newsletter, now in its 35th edition. (A special summer edition covers June-August).

While much was accomplished the past 12 months, perhaps our main achievement was a combination of many accomplishments, with the CVHEC team working simultaneously on many strands that come together into one fabric. We have remained committed to building a road to educational and career success for all students, especially those in grades 9 to 14, by continuing to focus on efforts with these major strategies throughout 2023:

  • For community college transfer students, we expanded our Central Valley Transfer Project and its Program Pathways Mapper software, inspiring the California Community Colleges to adopt the program as a demonstration project for possible system-wide implementation in the future;
  • For high school students, we have encouraged the ongoing growth of dual enrollment, most notably by partnering with College Bridge to help initiate and develop the Central Valley Math Bridge Program involving many of our community college members and their respective feeder high schools as well as expanding our Master’s Upskilling Program initiated two years ago into Kern County;
  • We are fostering a Central Valley approach to the understanding of Assembly Bill 1705 through our English and Math Task Forces that are now in full swing with an eye to a productive 2024 and the implementation of this legislation that focuses on student success in math and English.

On a broader state and national scale, we closed the year this month with two major conferences: the Talent Hub Convening in Mobile, Alabama by the CivicLab where we revisited how partnerships between industry and education, working off the same playbook, are vital to cross-collaboration success for both landscapes; and the Complete College America conference in Las Vegas, Nevada where we explored “a clear-eyed vision for leading systems change” in higher education throughout our nation.

See this look back at the CVHEC 2023 story:

 

JANUARY

 

CVHEC Partners with College Bridge for Grant Supporting DE Courses from Six Rural Community Colleges at 21 Valley High Schools

In January, we announced that the Dual Enrollment Math Bridge Project — a partnership between the  Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, College Bridge and the Rand Corporation — was awarded a five-year $4 million federal grant in late December. The project, with a total budget of $6.7 million, involves six CVHEC community college members providing college-level math classes at 21 rural high schools that will improve and support college readiness for underprepared students in those colleges’ respective service areas beginning next fall. UPDATE: A kickoff for the participants has held in May. The participating CVHEC colleges are: Cerro Coso, Columbia, Madera, Reedley, Taft and West Hills College Coalinga.

‘First of its Kind’ CVHEC Transfer Project Gaining Statewide Interest 

The CVHEC Transfer Project with the Program Pathways Mapper that began in 2019 was invited to present at several state and national events as the consortium continues to lead a concentrated effort to increase the number and success of community college transfers from the nine-county region to four-year colleges and universities.  The project has grown to nine community colleges and three four-year institutions early research compiled for the project showing a direct correlation between students using the Program Mapper and important student success metrics.

CVHEC Website Feature: Professional Staff Page

CVHEC continued featuring the revamp of its website undertaken in the past year with a new section presented each month including the staff page in January. CVHEC’s 11 team members includes several who are retired from careers dedicated to serving students at their respective institutions of higher education – a service that now continues through CVHEC. All lend their energy, enthusiasm and experience to enhance student success and achievement throughout the region by collaborating with the consortium’s member institutions and the CVHEC Board of Directors. 

 

FEBRUARY

CVHEC Board Member Dr. Christian Makes History as CCC’s First Woman, Asian-American Named Chancellor

Feb. 23, Dr. Sonya Christian, CVHEC board member who is featured in this summer issue with a vlog, made history when she was appointed as chancellor of the California Community Colleges System — the first Asian-American and the first woman to serve as chancellor for the largest and most diverse system of public higher education in the nation as well as a first-generation college graduate. Chancellor Christian began her term July 1 and for our Mach issue, she is featured in our “What the CVHEC is Happening” Blog discussing her time in the KCCD where she was president of Bakersfield College before serving as KCCD chancellor until her new assignment.  In this issue, she is featured in the vlog discussing what lies ahead for the CCC.

Drs. Lakhani, Rozell Named Kern Faculty Mentor Coordinators; MA Upskilling Project Hires Community College Professors to Mentor HS Teachers

Two veteran Kern County educators were named faculty mentor coordinators for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium’s Kern Master’s Upskilling Project that was launched last year to help high school teachers earn master’s degrees in Math or English so they can teach dual enrollment courses on their campus: Dr. Liz Rozell (math) and Dr. Vikash Lakhani (English). UDPATE: The first cohorts of 21 math students and 25 English students in the Kern Master’s Upskill Program are underway through Fresno Pacific University and National University respectively.

CVHEC Website Feature: Dual Enrollment Page

The February issue’s website feature presented the CVHEC Dual Enrollment Page with the strategies undertaken by CVHEC’s Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Task Force 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 secondary and postsecondary education leaders who gather annually for dual enrollment convenings.

MARCH

The Central Valley Math Bridge Kick-off set for May 18 

In March CVHEC announced that the movement to promote equity and college-readiness in mathematics via dual enrollment courses for underprepared students at rural Central Valley high schools next fall will formally launch May 18 with the Central Valley Math Bridge Kick-off in downtown Fresno presented by co-hosts College Bridge, Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and the Rand Corporation. UPDATE: 95 representatives of the first cohort of 13 Valley high schools in the new Central Valley Math Bridge Program convened with nine community college members for the May 18 kick-off where they began planning the program’s implementation. Rural high schools may still sign up for groundbreaking project that is ‘a model for meaningful dual enrollment pathways that can be replicated statewide.

Recruitment of community college mentors for HS teachers in Kern MA Upskilling Project is underway

The Kern Master’s Upskilling Project announced the recruitment of community college professors to serve as mentors for high school teachers enrolled in the project. The teachers can earn master’s degrees in math or English qualifying them to teach dual enrollment course at their high school campus.

Historic CVHEC Transfer Project/Program Mapper Featured at CSSO

The historic Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Transfer Project and its Pathways Program Mapper continues to break ground across the state for transfer reform with a presentation at another statewide convening: the 2023 Chief Student Services Officers Association (CSSO) Annual Spring Conference March 15 in Los Angeles.

APRIL

New Dual Enrollment Math Bridge Project provides support for Central Valley non-traditional rural students

(APRIL 20, 2023) — A new state-funded math dual enrollment program will “positively impact” approximately 630 non-traditional students at seven rural high schools next fall through four area community colleges that are members of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium. The Dual Enrollment (DE) Math Bridge – a partnership between CVHEC, College Bridge, the Fresno-Madera K-16 Collaborative, the Tulare-Kings College & Career Collaborative and CVHEC-member Fresno Pacific University – will provide equitable access to transfer-level math courses with embedded support for high school students who are disproportionately impacted and/or are not traditionally college-bound.

CVHEC leads California delegation at CCA Day on the Hill 

(APRIL 20, 2023) — Dr. Benjamin Duran, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, joined Complete College America for its CCA Day on the Hill in Washington, D.C.  May 16- 17 where “a network of higher education experts shared strategies and lessons for the implementation of higher ed strategies at scale.” Complete College America is a national non-profit alliance of state and higher education leaders. He met with Valley Congressmember Jim Costa.

CVHEC Summit re-scheduled for October 2023

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Higher Education Summit 2023, originally set for May, has been rescheduled for Oct.  20, 2023. The CVHEC Board of Directors will meet the day before the summit (Thursday, Oct. 19).

Recruiting for second cohort of Kern Math/English HS Teachers for Master’s Upskill Program supporting dual enrollment with Kern K-16 Collaborative

Recruitment for the second cohort of Kern high school math teachers to enroll in the  Kern Dual Enrollment Teacher Upskilling Pathway for English and Mathematics that qualifies them to teach dual enrollment courses began in April with classes set to begin this August.

FCC: Motherlode ‘Enrollment Growth & Pathways: Strategy Session’ features CCC Chancellor-Select Sonya Christian

Dr. Sonya Christian, California Community College system chancellor, was the guest speaker for the Central Mother Lode Regional Consortium’s “Enrollment Growth & Pathways: A Strategy Session” April 25 hosted by Fresno City College President Robert Pimentel. CVHEC’s Angel Ramirez, operations and finance manager, and Elaine Cash, grants and programs coordinator, presented on the regional dual enrollment efforts taking place across the Central Valley.

MAY

CVHEC board to appoint ZTC/OER Task Force Spring board meeting: strategic planning, Transfer Project/Math Bridge convergence

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium’s new Zero Textbook Costs/Open Educational Resources Task Force will form in the coming months, West Hills College Lemoore President James Preston reported to the CVHEC Board of Directors at its quarterly meeting May 11 in Fresno. The action highlighted a full agenda of information for the board made up of the chancellors, presidents and campus directors of 28 institutions of higher education in the Central Valley’s nine-county region. The next CVHEC board meeting is set for Oct. 19.

Central Valley Math Bridge: kickoff event brings K-16 partners to the table for stronger math programs that would help preserve STEM careers opportunities

Representatives of the first cohort of 13 Valley high schools in the new Central Valley Math Bridge Program convened with nine community college members of the  Central Valley Higher Education Consortium May 18 in Fresno to formally launch the program and plan for its implementation. Presented by co-hosts College Bridge, Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and the Rand Corporation, the event drew 95 participants to kickoff the project that promotes equity and college-readiness in mathematics via dual enrollment courses for underprepared students at rural high schools in the region next fall.  Dr. Lynn Cevallos, founder and president of College Bridge, warned in her keynote, “The State of Mathematics in California,” that the dire reality of academic disjuncture which has culminated in a pending crisis could see “the doors to STEM careers closing for our students. Fortunately, the Math Bridge project is designed to keep those pathways open,” she said.

Broadband for All Digital Equity and BEAD Planning Workshops CVHEC co-sponsors Broadband Planning Workshop; featured on Radio Bilingual nationwide

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium was featured nationally on Radio Bilingue April 13 as a co-sponsor of one of 20 Broadband for All Digital Equity and Broadband Equity, Adoption, and Deployment (BEAD) Planning Regional-Local Workshops being held throughout the state by the California Department of Technology. CVHEC Executive Director Benjamín Durán served as a spokesperson at the Merced event held April 14 and was interviewed the day prior for the Spanish-language show Linea Abierta on Radio Bilingüe, the nation’s only daily Spanish-language talk show in public radio. 

Merced College milestones:  60th Commencement and first in Los Baños

Merced College observed the 60th anniversary of its Commencement Ceremony held May 26 by presenting a full commencement ceremony at its Los Baños campus May 25 for this first time. The Los Baños ceremony was the latest in a series of investments and initiatives to grow the campus and give Westside students a complete educational experience close to home.

 

SUMMER EDITION

(Published July 19, 2023)

 

Supreme Court ruling is not the death of Affirmative Action but rather a challenge  

Statement by Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, on the June 29 United States Supreme Court Affirmative Action ruling: ‘in one week — after decades of progress — equity, diversity and access in higher education were simultaneously under attack.  However, I offer that this Supreme Court ruling is not the death of Affirmative Action but rather a challenge to renew and reinforce its spirit and outcomes.”  See July Director’s Message.

‘Merced Promise Pathway’ streamlines path for Modesto JC, Columbia College student transfer to UC Merced

Students at Modesto Junior College and Columbia College will have increased access to University of California, Merced thanks to an agreement signed July 11 between the university and Yosemite Community College District: the Merced Promise Pathway Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the three Central Valley Higher Education Consortium members that provides a clear, streamlined pathway to UC Merced for MJC and Columbia students as well as a variety of supports to help them prepare for life at a four-year university. See Merced Promise Pathway story.

SOFT START program awarded $2.4M for two CVHEC members in ‘Internet for All’ funding

A collaboration that prepares at-risk students and low-income residents for careers in IT-cybersecurity is set to launch this fall by Central Valley Higher Education Consortium members Fresno State and Fresno City College in partnership with the Fresno County Public Library as part of a two-year, $2.4 million federal grant by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program announced in February. Fresno State was one of five minority-serving institutions to receive a portion of over $18.5 million in “Internet for All” funding meant to expand community technology hubs, upgrade classroom technology and increase digital literacy skills as California faces a shortage of about 73,000 cybersecurity professionals. See CVHEC story and KSEE-24 NBC “Education Matters” report.

UPDATE: Registration is available for two new Fresno State SOFT START Cybersecurity cohorts that begin Jan. 31, 2024: the Beginning Certificate session and the first Intermediate Certificate session. FCC certificate programs will be rolled out in fall 2024.

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG Pt. 2: CCC Chancellor Sonya Christian

For this summer edition of our “What the CV-HEC is Happening” blog, we feature part two of California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian, Ph.D, with this podcast interview.

See CVHEC CCC Chancellor Blog.

 

SEPTEMBER

(Published Sept. 7, 2023)

 

CVHEC Summit Oct. 19-20 features keynote

Dr. Sonya Christian, chancellor of the California Community Colleges, will return “home” Oct. 20 when she delivers the keynote for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Summit 2023 in Fresno. With the theme “Student Success through Equity and Inclusion — Thriving in the Central Valley,” the summit will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, at the Fresno Convention Center’s Ernest E. Valdez Exhibit Hall.  See summit keynote story.

Open Educational Resources movement launched with $580,180 K-16 grant to CVHEC members

The pioneering Open Educational Resources Improvement Project – a collaboration of Central Valley Higher Education Consortium members and partners – kicks off with a $580,180 state grant as well as a new CVHEC OER Task Force and convening planned for later this fall. CVHEC-member West Hills Community College District recently announced the Fresno-Madera K-16 Collaborative Mini-Grant Award for the groundbreaking initiative that is poised to usher in a new era of educational opportunities by revolutionizing learning, teaching and research materials across the Central Valley. The project is in collaboration with the State Center Community College District and its campuses — Fresno City College, Madera Community College and Reedley College (all consortium members) — and CVHEC. See OER story.

UPDATE: plans for the OER convening and task force announcement will be forthcoming in early 2024.

CVHEC 2022 Mini Grant funds FPU Tri-Alpha Honor Society for first-generation students

A Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Mini-Grant awarded to member Fresno Pacific University earlier this year helped establish a local chapter of the Alpha Alpha Alpha Honor Society (Tri-Alpha) that recognizes and engages first-generation college students. The $6,477 CVHEC grant created undergraduate research fellowships that allows the university to provide research stipends for students and faculty as well as covered student membership fees; two induction ceremonies; and speaker honoria and refreshments for monthly chapter meetings. The CVHEC Mini-Grants, funded by the College Futures Foundation, are awarded to member institutions in support of the consortium’s mission to increase degree attainment rates. See FPU Mini-grant story.

CVHEC website feature: English and Math Task Forces 

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium launches two new web pages this month featuring its two intersegmental task forces consisting of math and English educators representing the 15 community college members in the region that are part of the 28-member consortium. First formed in 2019 under the leadership of Dr. John Spevak, a CVHEC coordinator and a former Merced College vice president, the mission of the English and Math Task Forces is to streamline math and English pathways for students by examining topics and issues of those disciplines and recent legislation as part of CVHEC’s mission: improve certificate and degree completion rates in the nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern. See the English Task Force and Math Task Force stories.

Tachi Yokut Tribe donates $3 million to West Hills College Lemoore for Native American Studies Program

The Tachi Yokut Tribe donated $3 million to the West Hills Community College Foundation for a comprehensive Native American studies program at West Hills College Lemoore. See Tachi donates story.

UCSF Fresno celebrates new doctors for Central Valley/state

It takes 11 years or more to produce a practicing physician after high school, depending on the specialty. On June 15, UCSF Fresno celebrated the completion of years of training for more than 100 graduates. See UCSF Fresno new doctors story.

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (September 2023): Teachers

As students return to classrooms for the fall semester, this month’s “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blog is a message about the lifelong impact that teachers deliver for their students by Dr. John Spevak, a former teacher who is a vice president-emeritus of Merced College and currently a regional coordinator for CVHEC.  See Teachers Blog.

 

OCTOBER

(Published Oct. 10, 2023)

 

Summit of college leaders takes on valley’s higher ed issues

Several community college chancellors and presidents lead the charge Oct. 20 when the heads of 28 valley colleges and other educators and policy makers convene for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Summit 2023 in Fresno that includes a student panel discussing their higher education experiences and a federal education legislative update by U.S. Congressman Jim Costa. CVHEC released its line-up of panelists for the summit which features a keynote address by Dr. Sonya Christian, California Community Colleges chancellor with the theme “Student Success through Equity and Inclusion — Thriving in the Central Valley,” at the Fresno Convention Center’s Ernest E. Valdez Exhibit Hall. See the CVHEC Summit panelists story.

UPDATE:  At the Central Valley Higher Education Summit, Chancellor Christian announced an historic new initiative, the Central Valley Transfer Pathways Demonstration Project, in a partnership with and modeled after CVHEC’s Transfer Project.

CVHEC Math Task Force meets in-person Oct. 13 for AB 1705 follow-up

With two convenings this month, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Math Task Force is tackling questions regarding California Assembly Bill 1705 requiring that California’s community colleges expand their efforts to enroll and support students in transfer-level math courses in the face of implementation deadlines looming in 2024. In partnership with the California Community College Chancellor’s Office and the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin, CVHEC presents a virtual sessions Oct. 6 to addressing areas of confusion regarding the bill and its implementation and an in-person session, “AB1705 Student Success Workshop,” Oct. 13 to  explore how to best support students within the framework of AB1705 — a follow up to AB 705, previous legislation that fundamentally reshaped placement and remediation at the community colleges. See MTF AB1705 story.

Historic Transfer Project spurs statewide movement to increase transfer rates

As we enter the third phase of the Central Valley Transfer Project, we are pleased to report great progress has been made ranging from its infancy two years ago to nationwide interest — including possible expansion into another region of California in the near future — as our team is invited regularly to present at state and national conferences as well as  at the  Central Valley Higher Education Consortium’s 2023 Summit Oct. 20. Originally born out of dissatisfaction with Central Valley community college transfer rates to University of California, Merced, this effort has spurred a statewide movement at multiple levels to increase the number of successful community college transfers to four-year institutions with the Program Pathway Mapper software and laid the groundwork for the California Community Colleges’ Central Valley Transfer Pathways Demonstration Project announced at the summit. See Transfer Project update story.

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG: Master’s Upskill Program Success Story

Sanger West High School teacher JADE MARTÍNEZ recounts road to a post-bac degree and her first dual enrollment class.  See Master’s Upskill blog.

Reedley and Merced Colleges host Math Bridge orientation for feeder high schools  

Central Valley Higher Education Consortium members Merced and Reedley community colleges hosted high school math educators and administrators from their respective service area schools Sept. 21 for an orientation about the Central Valley Math Bridge Program that is now in full swing. See Math Bridge story.

 

NOVEMBER

(Published Nov. 6, 2023)

 

CVHEC Summit leaves myriad of takeaways for participants

For Araceli Tilley, an alumna of Merced College, the Program Pathway Mapper used by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Transfer Project proved to be not only useful for her transfer to UC Merced in fall 2022, it provided her an easy way to map her college courses for her final two years of college at UC Merced that is leading up to graduation in May 2024 with a degree in psychology. Araceli shared her experiences on the student panel at the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Summit 2023 held in Fresno Oct. 20 where the breadth and depth of CVHEC activities such as the Transfer Project were showcased.  Joined by four other students who shared their experiences in activities CVHEC has sponsored and how much their success could be attributed to those initiatives, Araceli’s remarks at the summit “earned” her a trip with the CVHEC team to share her transfer experiences statewide.  Presented by CVHEC and sponsored by the College Futures Foundation, the summit attracted 184 higher education officials and educators, legislators and partner representatives for a full day of discourse surrounding Dual Enrollment, Transfers, Math Pathways and Open Educational Resources with several panels introduced and moderated by CVHEC board members.  See CVHEC Summit 2023 story and photo gallery.

 CCC Chancellor announces Transfer Pathways Demonstration at CVHEC Summit

The California Community College Chancellor’s Office will launch a new initiative, the Central Valley Transfer Pathways Demonstration Project, Chancellor Sonya Christian announced at the 2023 Central Valley Higher Education Summit in Fresno Oct. 20. In a partnership with the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, the CV Transfer Pathways — modeled after CVHEC’s Transfer Project — entails developing and publishing 2 + 2 transfer pathways using the Program Pathways Mapper software to clarify the path to four-year colleges for transfer students as well as for campus staff in creating clear paths for transfer students to reach their educational goals while closing equity gaps. See the CCC Chancellor Transfer Announcement story.

Math Task Force begins discussion of AB1705 implementation – Nov. 17 next

With an eye towards ensuring the success rates of their students enrolled in corequisites to gateway math courses, community college members of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Math Task Force kicked off a series of convenings in October to begin preparing for implementation of Assembly Bill 1705 in the 2024-25 academic year. CVHEC announced that follow up meetings are set for Nov. 17 and Jan. 26 to continue a year-long discussion of ideas and options with the task force members and other educators in an ongoing quest for equitable mathematics under AB705 and AB1705. See Math Task Force AB1705 covenings summary story.

 

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG: Expanding the Reach of the Central Valley Math Bridge 

College Bridge Vice President Owynn Lancaster updates the Math Bridge project and, after successful College Orientation meetings in September, the College Bridge team has been darting up and down the San Joaquin Valley meeting with interested feeder highs schools to onboard and launch them for the coming academic year’s CV Math Bridge Project. See Math Bridge update blog. 

The San Joaquin Valley Broadband Summit Nov. 9 seeks affordable internet across the region

The San Joaquin Valley Affordable Broadband Summit Nov. 9 will bring key community leaders together to strategize for the adoption of affordable internet across the region. The California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) is hosting the virtual summit that includes a pre-summit Nov. 1 to address broadband barriers, resources and solutions such as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). At the summit, a diverse group of experts, community leaders, and advocates will share their insights and experiences in addressing Broadband Access in the San Joaquin Valley as they seek to bridge the digital divide in the San Joaquin Valley. See Broadband Summit story.

Comcast pledges $100,000 in scholarships to 5 CVHEC CC members

Comcast California presented a $100,000 donation to five Central Valley Higher Education Consortium-member community colleges ($20k each) to support the next generation of students eager to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM): Fresno City College, Clovis Community College, Madera College and Reedley College all in the State Center Community College District and College of the Sequoias.  See Comcast STEAM story.

Community College CEOs first caucus: area state legislators address policy issues  

The newly-formed Central Valley Community College CEO Caucus held its first convening Oct. 26 with valley legislators to discuss a variety of policy issues facing community colleges. The CVCCCEO Policy Summit and Legislator Convening, which brought together Central Valley state legislators, chancellors and presidents, was hosted at Madera Community College by President Ángel Reyna and led by Merced College President Chris Vitelli, chair of the Central Valley Community College CEO Caucus, and West Hills Community College District Chancellor Kristin Clark, board chair for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium. See CVCCCEO Caucus story.

KCCD receives ACCT 2023 Pacific Region Equity Award 

The Kern Community College District was awarded the 2023 Pacific Region Equity Award from the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) at ACCT’s annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada last month. ACCT is an organization representing more than 6,500 community college trustees throughout the United States. See the KCCD equity award story.

CVHEC In The News 2023: Affirmative Action OP ED 

https://cvhec.org/cvhec-in-the-news-affirmative-action-oped-fresno-bee/

Following the historic Supreme Court June 29 decision that severely limited, if not effectively ended, the use of affirmative action in college admissions, Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Executive Director Benjamín Durán wrote of his reaction and that of many colleagues, family and friends in his Director’s Message for the CVHEC summer newsletter edition. Dr. Durán’s message also served as the basis for this op-ed column that was published in the Valley Voices section of The Fresno Bee Opinion page July 24.

CVHEC In The News 2023: Bee panel examining decline of Latino higher ed enrollment features CVHEC leader

Dr. Benjamín Durán, executive director, of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, will participate on a virtual panel presented Nov. 8 (6-7 p.m.) by The Fresno Bee’s La Abeja staff, “Central Valley Latinos and higher education completion: Is there a growing gap?”  The hour-long panel, presented in three 20-minute breakouts, features state and Central Valley education leaders examining the barriers to Latino student success and opportunities available. Dr. Duran will be joined by Michele Siqueiros, president of the Campaign for College Opportunity as well as Olga Rodríguez, director of the Public Policy Institute of California Higher Education Center who recently presented at the CVHEC summit in Fresno, and Carlos Nevarez, interim provost and vice president of academic affairs at Sacramento State.  Fresno State students Crystal Navarro and Joseph Aquino also will discuss their experiences. See story.

CVHEC In The News 2023: CETF helps Planada establish digital community  

Together with Comcast, California Emerging Technology Fund provided a $15,000 grant for the Planada Elementary School District to replace 3 laptop carts and purchase 40 Chromebooks for their students.  Dr. Benjamín Durán, executive director, of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium and Merced College president-emeritus, returned to his hometown for the presentation. See story.

CVHEC In The News 2023:  Valley college leaders unveil plan to increase university transfers  

The recent Central Valley Higher Education Summit and announcement of the California Community College Central Valley Transfer Pathways Demonstration Project, by Chancellor Sonya Christian was featured by KVPR Radio and GV Wire. See story

 

DECEMBER

(Published Dec. 20, 2023)

Happy Holidays from CVHEC!

CVHEC’s Year-In-Review 2023

“The CVHEC Way to Math Success — Implementing AB1705” – Jan. 26 convening set

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (September 2023): Gift of Math

Merced College: DR. BENJAMÍN T. DURÁN BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER

Fresno Bee panel: “Central Valley Latinos and higher education completion: Is there a growing gap?”

New CVHEC board members: Bloomberg named Kern CCD chancellor; Sanders is Modesto Junior College president 

CVHEC takes unified Central Valley voice to national/state higher ed conferences

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (December 2023): The gift of math

For our year-ending “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blog, here’s a holiday story of sorts by Dr. John Spevak that was published in his column for the Los Baños area (Merced County) newspaper,  The Westside Express, Dec. 19. Dr Spevak, who is a vice president-emeritus of Merced College and currently a regional coordinator for CVHEC, coordinates the English and Math Task Forces for the consortium — all champions for student support through such measures as dual enrollment. He provides a personalized window into the founder of College Bridge which is partnering with CVHEC for the Central Valley Math Bridge Program, a math intervention that is utilizing dual enrollment in bringing together consortium community college members with their respective high schools across the central valley.

The gift of math … for students who don’t think they’re mathematical

 

BY DR. JOHN SPEVAK
CVHEC Regional Coordinator
Vice President-Emeritus – Merced College

Here’s a good question for the Christmas season: What’s the most unusual gift you’ve ever heard of?

I think I have a gift that can top your answer — the gift of math. And I know how that gift can be given—through an innovative program called “Math Bridge,” which before long will be coming to Pacheco High School in Los Banos and later to Dos Palos High School and perhaps Firebaugh High School, too.

Now before all of you who hated math or felt you weren’t good at math skip the rest of the column or sigh in skepticism, let me explain.

Imagine that before you graduated from high school someone had told you that you could be good at math. And imagine further that they enabled you not only to be good at math but to enjoy it and even become passionate about it.

That could have well happened to you if you were a high school student in the Central Valley Math Bridge Program. And your success in math could have opened all kinds of doors for you, in careers related to science, engineering, accounting and computer science, to name a few–careers that are in high demand and pay well.

If you’re still with me, dear reader, your curiosity may have been stirred to the point where you’re now asking, “How in the world can Math Bridge do that?”

Before I answer that question I need to tell you a story. Once upon a time there was a girl in high school, named Lynn, who liked math but didn’t like school, at least the part about being confined to a desk hour after hour each day. She had had some tough times as a teenager, including a period when she was homeless and dropped out of high school at age 15.

One day Lynn, who had decided she should at least get a high school diploma equivalent, started studying math to pass the math section of the GED test and that rekindled her love for math, so much so that after earning her GED, she went on to college and majored in math.

She earned good grades in her college math classes. Along the way she  remembered what some middle school and high school teachers had told many students when they said, “You’ll never be good at math.” Sometimes this was said to girls like her, when some male math teachers didn’t think girls could succeed at math.

Not only did Lynn earn her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and secondary education from Boston College, she also went on to earn a master’s degree and then a doctoral degree (an E.D. from UCLA). She soon discovered her purpose in life as she sees it: to show high school students who don’t think they are good at math that they could indeed succeed in math.

She was determined to give them the gift of math.

Dr. Lynn Ceballos, president of College Bridge, presenting on the Math Bridge Program at the CVHEC Summit in October.

Dr. Lynn Cevallos eventually started a nonprofit organization called  College Bridge about 10 years ago and created a partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District and California State University Los Angeles, calling it SLAM, the South Los Angeles Math Project, and initiated a nine-year longitudinal study. More than 160 students from six cohorts in three urban LAUSD high schools participated in the project.

In this project Lynn wanted only students who weren’t considered good at math to participate. She needed and received extensive and significant help from high school math teachers and university math professors who worked collaboratively to help students succeed.

They created a program called Math Bridge in which high school students enrolled in a dual enrollment transferable math class while they were in high school.

The results were astounding. The six cohorts of high school students had an average pass rate of 75 percent in a transferable math course compared with an average of 71 percent for the same course taught at CSULA. And the program increased the students’ confidence, with 92 percent considering themselves after completing the program ready for college.

Now Lynn has brought her project to the Central Valley. She has helped create a partnership that involves College Bridge, the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC), Fresno Pacific University and the Rand Corporation to develop the Central Valley Math Bridge Program with eight Central Valley community colleges and many of their feeder high schools.

The colleges who have so far signed on to the project are Cerro Coso, Columbia, Madera, Reedley, San Joaquin Delta in Stockton, Taft, West Hills-Coalinga and Merced.

A number of high schools in Merced County have signed on to the project, including Pacheco High School in Los Banos. Dos Palos High School plans to sign on next year. More might be joining later.

Since West Hills College Coalinga is part of Math Bridge, it’s a good bet that at some point Firebaugh High School will also participate.

The Math Bridge project requires a lot of work not only by Lynn and others who are now part of the College Bridge staff, but also by many high school math teachers and many college math professors.

For this project to work, high school educators need to identify students struggling in mathematics, then design interventions using a blend of college and high school math courses, and then create college and high school instructional teams working collaboratively to analyze student work for continuous improvement.

I’m excited about the project. Over the years as an educator, I’ve heard so many people, young and old, say they’re not good at math and never will be. I believe Math Bridge will change the perceptions of the high school students who will be a part of the project. They will realize they can be good at math.

That will be good for them and their families. And for the state and the country.

We need more young people to go on to college and then into math-based careers, especially in computers, science, and engineering, if we want our country to be the world’s innovative leader in these fields. This will be good for our country’s strength–and its security.

See Westside Express columns by Dr. John Spevak.

What the CV-HEC Is Happening Blog: Math Bridge Update

This month’s “What The CV-HEC Is Happening” guest blog is an update of the Math Bridge program presented by Owynn Lancaster, vice president for Academic Strategy with College Bridge, a California non-profit based in Los Angeles County dedicated to forging a path towards both college access and success for underrepresented students.  College Bridge is a partner with the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium in the innovative program designed to improve math outcomes for struggling 11th and 12th graders and streamline Math pathways into college. Funded by a five-year $4 million grant through the US Department of Education’s Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program in January,  this ambitious endeavor was kicked off in May with a convening of more than 150 valley K-16 educators in Fresno to begin the onboarding process for this historic intersegmental collaboration between CVHEC member community colleges and high schools in their respective service areas. That initiative was followed in April with a $1.1 million state grant to CVHEC/College Bridge partnership through the Central San Joaquin Valley K-16 Partnership creating the Dual Enrollment (DE) Math Bridge that will provide equitable access to transfer-level math courses with embedded support for high school students who are disproportionately impacted, and/or are not traditionally college-bound.  This fall, the College Bridge and CVHEC Math Bridge teams have been visiting campuses to continue the onboard process in preparation for the program’s launch next fall.  

 

Expanding the Reach of the

Central Valley Math Bridge

 

BY OWYNN LANCASTER
College Bridge

 

After our successful College Orientation meetings in September, the College Bridge team has been darting up and down the San Joaquin Valley, meeting with interested feeder highs schools to onboard and launch them for the coming academic year’s CV Math Bridge Project.

Inspiring our efforts, two amazing CVHEC member colleges have “jumped to lead the pack” as Dr. Lynn Cevallos, our College Bridge president, often says. The first of those with an impressing showing come from Merced College where their team has helped us garner interest from seven possible high schools! Showing the region’s commitment to opening options for their students in math and the impressive connecting power of the college’s administration.

In equally exciting efforts, San Joaquin Delta College helped to secure two committed high school partners from Stockton Unified, with interest from others in their region. Those two Stockton schools, Amos Alonzo Stagg High School and Captain Charles M. Weber of Applied Science and Technology have been two of the smoothest schools to onboard so far! More importantly addition of these schools and the partnership with Delta College now helps us open the CV Math Bridge Project across the breadth of the Valley.

With schools as far north as Stagg High School and as far south as Taft Union High School the reach of this project is now slightly smaller than the state of South Carolina! This means several more flights and drives are still ahead for our College Bridge team to continue to onboard and launch these high school partners, but in the end, we are excited by this transformative work.

The CV Math Bridge’s first cohort of schools will be starting in the coming academic year, 2024-2025, and there’s still room for more in the second cohort starting in academic year, 2025-2026. We invite high schools interested in participating to reach out and contact me at Owynn.Lancaster@college-bridge.org.

 

Also see: https://bit.ly/CVHECblog1223-GiftOfMath 

CVHEC Blog: Master’s Upskill Program Success Story

 

This month’s “What The CV-HEC Is Happening” guest blog is presented by Mrs. Jade Martinez, an English teacher at Sanger West High School in Sunnyside (east Fresno) who earned a master’s degree from National University in December 2022  through CVHEC’s Master’s Upskilling Program. Jade earned her bachelor’s degree at Fresno State in 2020 and began her teaching career at SWHS that fall.  Here, she shares her experience fulfilling an academic dream of obtaining a Master’s that has led to teaching dual enrollment courses this fall, the primary objective of the Master’s Upskill Program.

 

Sanger teacher recounts road to a post-bac degree
and her first dual enrollment class  

 

BY JADE MARTÍNEZ
Dual Enrollment English Teacher
Sanger West High School

I went back to school when my son was two years old and my daughter was six months old, starting at Reedley College. I worked nearly full-time and was a full-time student as well, inspired to be a life-long learner ready for the demands of teaching.

I knew that I wished to complete my Master’s degree in English but soon realized that I would need an additional year or two of prerequisite courses before I could do it. The idea was placed on the backburner, as I needed to focus on becoming a teacher and providing for my family after nearly eight years of building debt.

When I was in my final student-teaching at Sanger West in 2020, my master teacher became our English Language Development curriculum support provider (CSP) so I interviewed for his vacated position. Because of his promotion, I continued working with my students for the whole year rather than one semester. Within a few months of becoming a teacher, I learned about CVHEC Master’s Upskilling Program being offered through Sanger Unified in partnership with National University that would qualify high school teachers to teach dual enrollment courses at their high school campus.

An additional plus was that there would be a specialization in rhetoric attached to this degree, which matched my undergraduate emphasis on composition and rhetoric. I was instantly interested because I already qualified without the additional prerequisites but I was also hesitant since I was still considered an intern with an emergency credential at the time.

After consulting with my mentor and professors, I was ready to take on the challenge.

I began the upskilling program while I worked on induction simultaneously, spending nearly every hour away from work completing assignments for each program. Many mornings I woke up early to complete work before my kids were awake. When I had free time at work, I read various texts for classes and completed mentor logs, professional development, and my individual learning plan. Once I was home, I could afford to take a short break for an hour and had to begin work once more. There were many times when my kids would ask me “Are you done with homework yet, mom?” and unfortunately, I would not be finished until long after they went to sleep for the evening.

Once again, the mom-guilt set in as I tried to see the positives that this program would bring, trying to avoid the voice in my head telling me that I am not a good mother because of all the years of sacrificing time together so that we could be financially stable enough to not struggle anymore. Many days I forced myself to stay strong and keep pushing, knowing that with each completed class I would be closer to the end of my education journey for a while.

I received the news that my thesis was approved right before my 30th birthday. I always told myself that I would graduate college by the time I turned 30 yet I went one step further and completed my master’s as well as having my dream job being a teacher. All of the sacrifices and long hours had finally paid off once that piece of paper was framed and hung on my classroom wall.

A world of opportunities opened in front of me, as I soon became the leader for my professional learning team (PLT) and most recently I was asked to begin the dual enrollment program for English 1A at Sanger West High School.

In August, I received confirmation for that assignment and now this fall I am teaching the dual enrollment course thus achieving the objective CVHEC set with its leadership in this area not only for both high school student advancement to degree or certificate attainment but also for high school teachers seeking professional development.

In just one month, I am enjoying the freedom that teaching dual enrollment provides. Even the challenges we face — that any program in its infancy may experience — are providing a valuable learning episode of its own. But the overall sense of accomplishment that comes from knowing we are forging a path that ultimately helps our students is the motivating inspiration.

And I know that my degree affords many other opportunities such as editing, freelance writing or even becoming a professor at the community college level. I have progressed two unit levels on the payscale and also receive a monthly stipend just for having my postbac degree.

At last, I can fully provide for my family without hardship or struggle!

WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (September 2023): Teachers

 

As students return to classrooms for the fall semester, this month’s “What the CV-HEC is Happening” Blog is a message about the lifelong impact that teachers deliver for their students. It is a reprint of a column by Dr. John Spevak that appeared in the Los Baños newspaper, The Westside Express,  Aug 30. Dr Spevak, who is a vice president-emeritus of Merced College and currently a regional coordinator for CVHEC, taught English in his early career and shares here a recent email from a former student.

The lasting impact teachers have,

even when they don’t realize it

 

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”

So wrote Henry Adams, a 19th century American historian. Recently, I felt the impact of that statement. Many veteran teachers, dedicated men and women, will understand the experience about which I’ll be writing today.

Some readers of this column may know that once upon a time, from 1971 to 1985, I taught English and speech at the Los Baños Campus of Merced College, first in a rented building on L Street and then in a facility on Mercey Springs Road. I was fortunate to have many talented and dedicated students of all ages in my classes.

The other day I received an email out of the blue from one of those students, with the simple subject heading of “Former Student.”

“Hello, John,” the email began, “I was a student at the Los Baños Community College Satellite Campus in the early 1980s. You connected me with a tutor who supported my writing and got me started on my college path.

“As an ex-Marine and former high school dropout, I had few academic skills.  I just wanted you to know the long reach of your work. Who knew I’d spend 40 years working with young people, write a dissertation and publish a book? I owe you and your tutors a huge debt of gratitude.

“I am very glad to see you’re still writing your newspaper articles and supporting education through your work. I’d love to send you a signed copy of the book I co-authored. May you continue to enjoy the blessings of profound impact. Dr. C. Edward Jackson.”

Later, when he mailed me a signed copy of his book, Dr. Jackson enclosed a note which affirmed what he had written in his email.

“John, without your intervention, I would not have been able to write a thesis, dissertation and this book. The great thing about being a teacher—you never know the extent of your impact, but you know it’s there. Blessings, Ed.”

I was startled, flummoxed, amazed. For a teacher to get a thank you from a student who was in his class 40 years ago is unusual–although, as veteran teachers can attest, it does happen occasionally.

What’s remarkable about my interaction with Dr. C. Edward Jackson, whom I knew as “Ed” when he was in my English class, is that I didn’t think I had done anything remarkable.

Like other teachers who love their profession, I believe in the importance of good teaching — not only having command of your subject, but also sharing your knowledge with enthusiasm. Equally important is providing support, encouragement and empowerment to students. I saw talent in Ed, as I saw talent in so many other students, and I simply encouraged him.

I believe what I did is common among good teachers at all levels, from kindergarten to graduate school. Good teachers understand the intense responsibility they have. A simple encouraging word can sometimes make a positive lifetime impact. The converse is true, as well. One disparaging word to a student can have a negative lifetime impact.

I must admit that I feel proud of my student Ed, even though I don’t think I contributed much to his success. He moved on from the foundation he received at the Los Baños Campus not only to pursue writing, but also to work with young people and then become the author of an insightful and significant book, as I discovered when I read it.

Soon after getting his email, I received in the U.S. mail from Dr. C. Edward Jackson his book, “Meaning-Centered Leadership,” which he co-authored with Dr. Barbara Bartels.  Soon after beginning to read it, I recognized and appreciated what he was saying.

Leadership has always intrigued me. During much of my septuagenarian life, I have taken note of what makes a good leader and what makes a bad leader. I’ve also concluded there are more bad leaders than good leaders in today’s world.

Reading chapter after chapter, I kept nodding my head and agreeing with Ed (I think it’s OK for me to  call Dr. Jackson by his first name).

Ed’s main idea is that good leaders must ensure that the people who work for them feel their work is meaningful. To do that, good leaders have to engage and empower their employees, while demonstrating integrity, as well as optimism and humility.

Ed and his co-author Barbara go on to say that good leaders must build trust. They need to care about their employees, getting to know them personally by “managing by walking around” and connecting with them. The authors add that showing enthusiasm for what you believe in and acknowledging the contributions of your employees are also essential leadership traits.

I talked with a friend of mine who worked as a community college administrator for 23 years, as a dean and then vice president, a person I consider a good leader. He agreed with every point Ed and Barbara made in their book.

My friend went on to say that following Ed’s advice is not always easy and involves a large investment of time and energy. Getting to know the people whom you supervise also takes time, usually a big chunk of time each day. Building trust can take years and requires patience and perseverance.

Most people in leadership positions don’t want to take that time or expend that energy, because it extends their workday long past eight hours and often leaves them exhausted. However, my friend said, Ed is correct when he writes in his conclusion that “becoming a meaning-centered leader is a grand adventure that you pursue throughout your career.”

As I was reading Ed’s book I noticed that a good leader in business also shares similar qualities with good military leaders, teachers and even parents. We all, I believe, have something to learn from Ed’s book.

What’s significant about Ed’s approach is that good business leaders are not only appreciated by their employees, they’re also good for the bottom line. That’s because good leaders, by empowering their employees to succeed, enable their companies to produce better financial results than bad leaders.

Ed and Barbara’s book reflects these two outcomes in its subtitle, “Skills and Strategies for Increased Employee Well-Being and Organizational Success.” Good leaders not only increase well-being; they also achieve success.

My pride in my former student Ed’s authorial success was reinforced by the endorsement he received from a long renowned author, Tom Peters. Peters is the co-author of “In Search of Excellence,” a best-selling book I read and valued when it was written in 1982. In Peters’ endorsement of Ed’s book, he wrote, “I wish I had written this book. Its message is in fact more important than ever.”

So three cheers for Dr. C. Edward Jackson. And three cheers for all good teachers.

I hope Ed’s email and book remind all teachers of the impact they have on their students’ lives, whether they realize it or not, keeping in mind, as Henry Adams wrote, “a teacher affects eternity.”

See Westside Express columns by Dr. John Spevak.

What the CV-HEC Is Happening Blog Pt. 2: CCC Chancellor Sonya Christian

For this summer edition of our “What the CV-HEC is Happening” blog, we feature part two of California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian, Ph.D, with this podcast interview by Dr. Larry Galizio, president and CEO of the Community College League of California.

With more than three decades of experience at all levels of community college leadership, Chancellor Christian was appointed in February becoming the first woman and the first person of South Asian heritage named to the permanent role leading the 116-college system. Dr. Christian, who began her term July 1, served on the Central Valley

 Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors when she was president of Bakersfield College and chancellor of the Kern Community College District.

In this interview for CCLC’s podcast “Leading Community Colleges in California,” the new CCC chancellor talks about her family’s commitment to education, the importance of equity for students and communities and dual enrollment opportunities as a seamless gateway to college:

Leading Community Colleges in California: Episode 20 with Chancellor Sonya Christian, Ph.D.

 

(See the “What the CV-HEC is Happening” blog Part 1 – March 2023 issue).

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