A unique partnership designed to provide East County high
school students with a smoother path to college and a career was announced today
by the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District and the Grossmont Union
High School District.
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Seated left to right: Bill Garrett, Cindy Miles, Ralf Swenson, Robert Shield |
An agreement
formalizing the East County Education Alliance was signed at Cuyamaca College
by Bill Garrett, president of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District
Governing Board; Cindy L. Miles, chancellor of the college district; Robert
Shield, president of the Grossmont Union High School District Governing Board;
and Ralf Swenson, superintendent of the high school district.
The Alliance
was formed to increase collaboration between the two districts so that students
are better informed about their college and career options after high school
and have a smoother path to college. The partnership has set goals of
increasing the number of students who graduate from high school prepared for
college, along with increasing the numbers of students who graduate from
college ready to enter the workforce.
“Too often,
college and high school districts work in silos – they have different funding
streams, different governance structures and different cultures,” Miles said. “What
we need to remember is we are serving the same students – just at different
times in their lives. The East County Education Alliance helps us to do just
that.”
Within the next
year, Alliance members plan to
·
align
curriculum so that the lessons students
are taught in high school better matches the knowledge and skills they are expected to
have at college,
·
provide
communications to high school students, parents and counselors about how best
to prepare for college or a career,
·
increase
programs allowing high school students to take college classes,
·
raise
scholarship funds for students who commit to goals that prepare them for
college or a career,
·
launch
a website and communications to keep students, educators, and community members
informed about resources, progress, and how to get involved.