Math Task Force resumes AB1705 curriculum planning April 19
‘Continuing the CVHEC Way
to AB 1705 Success’ – Part II
Math Task Force resumes AB1705 curriculum planning April 19 with
a look at chancellor options, adding high school principals voices to the convo
Many of the best math minds in the Central Valley will resume their Assembly Bill 1705 compliance deliberations April 19 for the latest Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) Math Task Force convening, “Continuing the CVHEC Way to AB 1705 Success – Part II” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Fresno Convention Center.
The agenda released last week includes a look at recent guidance from the California Community College Chancellors Office (CCCCO) and introduction of a new Principal’s Strand to the ongoing discussions as they work towards compliance with the final stage of AB1705 by July 1: validation of equitable placement, support and completion practices for STEM programs.
Participants are encouraged to register for the free event by the April 17 deadline said John Spevak, CVHEC regional coordinator who oversees the consortium’s Math Task Force.
About 85 community college math educators, administrators and institutional researchers are expected to re-convene for the day long CVHEC event co-facilitated by the Charles A. Dana Center (University of Texas at Austin), following up two virtual sessions in the fall and two in-person meetings.
This third in-person event on the topic is drawing many new faces with four principals and five other K-12 representatives registered to attend for input regarding what impact AB1705 will have at the high school level and how to work together to align math efforts.
Secondary education leaders registered to attend are:
- Lisa Castillo – Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District director
- Matt Gehrett – Dinuba Unified School District director
- Christine Johnson – Dinuba Unified School District math coach
- Celeste Azevedo – Mariposa County High School principal
- Marlena Celaya – Orosi High School principal
- Stasha Tiller – Riverdale High School principal
- Beu Her – Sanger High School deputy principal
- Christina Rubalcava – Stanislaus County Office of Education Math Project coordinator
- Brett Toliver – Stockton Unified School District principal
In addition to college administrators and institutional research participants, registration has also been received from representatives of the California State University Chancellors Office, the California Academic Partnership Program, the Fresno State Department of Curriculum & Instruction and the College Readiness Program, Citrus College (Glendora CA), MESA, STEM counselors and college articulation officers.
“Once again, this is an agenda which is engaging and interactive and enables the best math minds in the Central Valley to determine the best path forward to math success for Central Valley students in light of AB 1705 and in light of the recent memo from the Chancellor’s Office,” said Spevak, who is also a vice president-emeritus of Merced College.
He encouraged CVHEC community college members not yet involved to send a delegation of its math educators as well as administrators and institutional researchers to continue collaboration on curriculum discussion that would lead to fulfilling the last phase of the state law signed into law in 2022.
In what has been dubbed “the Central Valley Way,” the Math Task Force and convening participants have gathered to explore five strands of curriculum planning:
- Validating Prerequisites;
- Designing Precalculus for 2025;
- Math Support Outside and Inside the Classroom;
- Building an AB 1705 Campus Team; and
- Guided Self-Placement.
In a Dana Center analysis for CVHEC of the CCCCO memo issued Feb. 27 outlining options for the colleges to consider, Joan Zoellner noted that while the memo provides direction on the validation process for transfer level math placement and enrollment practices for STEM programs, it severely restricts the options for the number of transfer-level prerequisite courses that shall be offered prior to calculus.
“The options for that prerequisite course are limited by the memo and validation options as well”, said Zoellner, who is the Dana Center’s Launch Years Initiative lead.
Consortium community colleges were asked to review the chancellor’s office memo and some of the findings presented to determine how it affects their respective campus for discussion at the upcoming session including working with campus IR department to confirm the numbers and results prior to the April 19 convening.
To open the April 19 event, Spevak will be joined by Dana Center representatives Tammi Perez-Rice, Frank Savina, and Cassidy Kist in welcoming the participants.
Perez-Rice will provide of an overview of AB1705 and the Dana Center analysis of the CCCCO Memo sent to community colleges Feb. 27 to clarify and discuss options available for compliance. (See the What the CV-HEC is Happening Blog in this issue).
The group will then break out into these one-hour planning sessions:
- Option A planning – the Central Valley Calc 1 coreq
- Option D planning – the Central Valley Calc 1 prereq
- Options B and C – validating prerequisites
- High School Principals
Lynn Cevallos, College Bridge president, introduces a new Principals Strand which will feature high school leaders who currently work with the Central Valley Math Bridge Project.
“In our last session, at the behest of the only principal in attendance, Marlene Celaya of Orosi High, we realized the value of including K-12 voices at the table so we reached out to schools participating in our Math Bridge program with College Bridge,” Spevak said. “We appreciate the leadership of Marlene and Lynn Cevallos to expand our reach. We invite any other interested Central Valley K-12 officials to join us April 19.”
Following her session will be “Reports from Strand Leads:”
- NATHAN CAHOON, Taft College: Validating Prerequisites: Quantitative And Qualitative;
- JEREMY BRANDL, Fresno City College: Designing Precalculus for 2025 (designing calculus with support in 2025);
- Holistic Student Support
- MARIE BRULEY, Merced College: Building an AB 1705 Campus Team;
- JAY THOMAS, Lemoore College: Guided Self-placement and Registration Process;
- TINA AKERS, Modesto Junior College: Math Support Outside the Classroom —
Prior to the lunch break, Spevak will provide a preview of the afternoon breakout sessions which begins with follow up breakouts by strand.
For the final session of the day, college teams will meet to “Set Next Steps and Goals” under these topics: planning curriculum committee process; planning eval/validation; and planning how to set up registration process; and “Continuing the Central Valley Way — More than Just Compliance.”
In a closing 15-minute activity, college teams will each provide a report out.
“We appreciate the immense work by our regional community colleges in collaboration with CVHEC partners the Charles A. Dana Center from the University of Texas at Austin as well as College Bridge,” said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director and president-emeritus of Merced College. “They are building pathways and eliminating barriers for our students looking to navigate the challenge of completing their gateway courses in college math.”
See:
AGENDA – The CVHEC Way to AB 1705 Success Part 2
