Approximately one-third of all California high school students today drop out of school. Experts estimate that as many as another third receive their diplomas, but are unprepared to succeed in college or the workplace.
Many theories have been posed about the reasons behind this sobering trend. But one thing is abundantly clear: California’s one-size-fits-all approach to teaching and learning no longer works for too many of our young people.
California needs a new approach to education that will ignite students’ passion to learn and prepare them for the challenges of college and career. Now is the time to transform how California high school students learn so more of them graduate prepared for life’s challenges and opportunities.
ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career is the new organization dedicated to anchoring that conversation and identifying, supporting and expanding pathways that prepare students for college and career, not one or the other. By pioneering groundbreaking school programs and partnering with innovative educators and decision makers, ConnectEd will provide the next generation of young adults with the knowledge and skills they need to successfully compete in California’s growing and dynamic economy.
In October/November Roman Stearns, our current Director for Policy Analysis and Development will be assuming leadership of our new district-focused initiative on multiple pathways. Consequently, we are looking for a full-time Director for Policy Analysis and Development to lead and manage the Center's work on local, state, and national policy related to our mission.
ConnectEd, UNITE-LA, and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce invite you to bring a team of health science and academic teachers to a one-day workshop. We also welcome school and district administrators and representatives from healthcare and biomedical science organizations.
Registration Deadline is October 20, 2008.
Units Available
ConnectEd has produced a set of 10 problem-based health science curriculum units. Teachers can use these as models for developing their own integrated curricula or adopt them "as is." An integrated curriculum that combines rigorous academics with challenging technical content is a key component of multiple pathways. These units were developed in collaboration with the National Consortium on Health Science and Technology Education and teams of high school teachers.
