March 14, 2024

Central San Joaquin K-16 Partnership Advisory Council Agenda

Tulare County Office of Education, 6200 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia, CA 93277

March 14, 2024

10:00 – 12:00 pm

Link to Meeting Materials: https://bit.ly/K16P_Mar14

Call to Order: Meeting called to order by J. Buckley at 10:06am.

Present: M. Perez (EECU), L. Walsh (Hydrite), E. Wade (Farmersville), N. Gaeta (NU), C. Ipsen (HealthForce), M. Delgado (FLDUSD), L. Gonzalez (Fresno State), J. Bautista (Tulare WIB), E. English (Central USD), M. Salazar (UC Merced), A. Peck (Tulare WIB), Y. Garalazo, N. Dodson (CTFF), M. Snell (CTFF), M. Vang (Madera WIB), C. Branan (Lemoore College), L. Van Scyoc (TJUSD), J. Maldondo Vargas (FCSS), J. Buckley (Reedley College), E. Cunha (NU), A. O’Connor (NU), R. Frost (SCCCD), B. Davis (TCOE), K. Hammerstrom (CSJVK16P/FMK16C), S. Lambert (CSJVK16P/FMK16C), L. Flores (CSJVK16P/FMK16C)

Regional K-16 Collab Grant Updates – 

  • Site Visit: Focused on Health pathway with 2 RWE recommendations: (1) Support college preparation and early credit; (2) Cultivate inclusive, engaging and equity-oriented learning environments. Representatives from Projects 61, 62, 63, 103 & 110 were present in the various sessions.
    • Feedback to the Partnership regarding the site visit:
      • Development of a common Partnership definition of a pathway. How do students and their parents/supporters know about and understand their options?
      • How do we support our regional pathway working groups across the four counties and with robust industry engagement?
  • Current Awarded Projects: 23 projects with $12,226, 672 which include 2 Business, 10 Education, 1 Engineering, 6 Health, 4 Overarching RWE.  Remaining funds to be programmed: $1,246,928 (FMK16C)
  • Reminders:  Quarterly Narrative Report, due 4/15/24 to include progress of January, February & March 2024. Email already sent out by S. Lambert (FMK16C) regarding links in Google Drive folders. Reach out to L. Flores (FMK16C) with questions regarding reporting.  Partners should be submitting invoices quarterly at a minimum.  Monthly is preferred. Reach out to S. Lambert (FMK16C) with questions regarding invoicing.

Strategic Conversation – 

  • Development of a common Partnership definition of a pathway 
  • The Why for defining a Pathway in the context of the Regional K16 funding –
    • To create a better understanding of the region’s educational portfolio to be more easily shared with our student and parent audiences,
    • institutionally identify potential “pot holes” or gaps on the pathway, and 
    • ultimately designing a better system that moves students through their various fields.  
    • Which in turn Demonstrates grant compliance
  • Projects are centered around RWE goals and accessible dual enrollment, implemented pathways providing students:
    • Higher educational attainment and career path opportunities
    • Streamlined linkages and onramps from high school to college, college to university, and adult learner upskilling leading to in-demand, living wages jobs within the region
    • Initially anticipated a collective impact of over 7000 touchpoints. Now we’re targeting 9,000 touchpoints across all project initiatives
  • Clarification on Pathway and Recovery with Equity Implementation and Grant Requirements and dates
    • By 6/20/2024, implement 2 of the target RWE and fully establish one occupational pathway
      • M. Salazar (UC Merced) asked whether any feedback from OPSC/FCCC has been received regarding what it means to fully establish RWE. K. Hammerstrom (FMK16C) indicated that the focus has been on demonstrating the pathway, especially through the student journey map, rather than RWE.
    • By 6/30/2026, fully implement both occupational pathways and all 4 RWE. Fully implemented and established K-16 Regional Pathway must include at a minimum:
      • One industry connected course offered at each education institution level (e.g., one course in K-12 plus one course in community college, and one course in CSU and/or UC).
      • Employer commitment to aligned employment opportunities, during and/or upon completion of the pathway, that include priority consideration for students who complete the pathway.
      • Enough work-based learning opportunities to satisfy employer expectations to ensure students have priority consideration for employment opportunities, ensuring at least one activity per educational segment for students.
      • Pathway roadmaps for students showing required course sequences, industry requirements (such as degrees, certifications), and preferential employment opportunities provided by collaborative partners as well as general opportunities in the industry.
      • Articulated agreements between education segments to ensure course transfer acceptance, the greatest student mobility, and the shortest time to employment across the region.
  • Pathway Roadmaps
    • Pathways must demonstrate linkages, onramps and offramps from high school to college, college to university, and adult learner upskilling leading to in-demand, living wages jobs within the region
    • Pathways need to conceptually be integrated all of these opportunities into our pathway definition across the entire region. OPSC has shared that the demonstration should encompass both programs that are funded or supported by Regional K16 funds, as well as non-K-16 funded pathways. OPSC wants the pathways to be clearly understood by the student and their families. 
    • HealthForce will do a scan with Health programs in the region
      • C. Ipsen (HealthForce) asked whether there has been a discussion about how to best illustrate the intricacies of Health vs. other industries that may be more straightforward. L. Gonzalez (Fresno State) noted that the field of Education does have a large variety as well, including crossover with Health. N. Dodson (CTFF) stated each region may have different strategies about how to support students into those varying careers. K. Hammerstrom (FMK16C) noted that CTFF will also be doing a scan as part of a non-K-16 Regional Collaborative funded project and may be expanding scope.
    • Examples of Pathway Maps (see slides)
      • UCSF
      • Health Pathway Funded Projects
      • Job Zones
    • Create a better understanding of offerings regionwide; share with students and their supporters; identify gaps and areas of opportunity to better partner with industry to meet their needs
      • N. Dodson (CTFF) asked whether a roadmap is o needed at the project-level or an overall region that incorporates everyone’s projects. K. Hammerstrom (FMK16C) indicated both. 
  • Strategic Conversation Breakout Groups: Development of a common Partnership definition of a pathway
    • Group 1:
      • Connected K-12, higher ed and industry in a clear, collaborative, and relevant way with equitable support that results in an advantage for a student (to get to the goal quicker; i.e. to get a local/regional, high need/wage job); everyone can do these jobs in some other way – they don’t have to join the pathway; there should be a reason to want to join
      • Collaborative and concise pathways – aligned to higher education; and connecting to local and regional industry partners, plus soft skills focus.
      • Must be distinct and easy to understand what to do
      • Communicate, work together across partnerships
      • Dynamic offerings responsive to industry needs (teaching prior to COVID vs. post-pandemic skills including technology)
      • Student support through the continuum – how do we help each student to get to their goals
      • Not a pathway is there isn’t a job at the end (result that benefits both the student and region)
    • Group 2:
      • Audience: students, teachers, parents, community, industry
      • Career-connected courses (K-12, postsecondary)
      • WBL aligned to career
      • Partnerships with business
        • Commitment, engagement, and priority consideration for employment when possible
      • Roadmap (course sequence, including highlighting any accelerated options such as transfer opportunities, DE) and articulated agreements
        • Industry required certificates and degrees
        • Labor market information connecting to employment opportunities
        • What employment it can lead to
      • Start broad and end more specifically into certain occupations
    • Group 3:
      • Chutes and ladders; how do you get from here to here in the quickest way AND what other destinations might you get to
        • Career pathway introductions to create a thread:
          • Elementary: Simple intro, different sectors, field trips, exposure
          • Middle School: Academies, STEAM, meaningful-detailed career exploration, CCGI, campus tours, summer programming, exposure – A to G <math>, intrusive support
          • High School: Academies, pathways, WBL, college involvement, jumpstart,  industry exposure, certifications, choices, specific tours, intrusive support
          • Post-secondary: Guided pathways, intrusive support,, transfer
      • Help students formulate ideas about
      • Embed soft skills throughout pathway
      • Creating a thread from elementary all the way to workforce; how to create own talent pool (using CC students and grad students in lower levels); show progression
      • For students who take a pause for various
      • WIB involvement; teacher upskilling
      • Each group may have a different understanding of a pathway and therefore the representation/visualization may need to be tailored (educators, students, parents, adult learners)
  • Strategic Conversation Breakout Groups: How do we support our regional Pathway Working Groups to become more robust to support a heightened level of cross collaboration?
    • Group 3:
      • Seek additional, external funding to support
      • Having appointed people that are attending for continuity of knowledge, discussion, and commitment
      • Re-align definitions and requirements (so that education and industry can speak the same language)
      • Strategic goals (are you sharing best practices, planning a regional event, etc.) – be more specific as to why
      • Co-leads to present at steering councils to share updates at industry meetings
      • Any one of us working alone has a limited amount of bandwidth, personnel, and resources – working together gives more opportunities
      • Teach parents about how the system works and opportunities for students so that they can be advocates and supporters
    • Group 1:
      • Leveraging local organizations to help support work
      • Catalyst funding for formerly known as CERF; sprint for fall regional plan that requires leadership in groups that have a regional point of view to take part in the conversations

Awarded Projects’ Best Practices, Discussion, Q&A – K. Behrens (Porterville College) presented on the Vocational Nursing Pathway project.  E. English (Central), J. Maldonado Vargas (FCSS), M. Delgado (FLDUSD) presented on the Educator Equity and Effectiveness (E3) project.

Meeting ended at 12:04pm.