University of California (A-G) Admission Requirements (CA Dept of

265 Pages·2010·0.71 MB·English

California High School Career
Technical Education Courses Meeting
University of California “a-g”
Admission Requirements for
2010-11

Secondary, Career, and Adult Learning Division
California Department of Education
December 1, 2010

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Dedication

This report is dedicated to Jack O’Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Susan
Wilbur, Director of Undergraduate Admissions for the University of California.

For nearly a decade, these two visionary and inspirational leaders have encouraged and supported
the development of rigorous and relevant college preparatory high school courses that seamlessly
integrate academic and career technical education (CTE) standards. In just the past eight years,
their efforts have achieved unprecedented and extraordinary results—the approval of over 8,000
highly rigorous CTE courses that meet the “a-g” subject requirements of both the California State
University and the University of California.

While both Superintendent O’Connell and Director Wilbur are retiring this year from their
positions in public education, the legacy of their pioneering and transformative efforts will
continue to benefit California’s students, high schools, and public university systems for many
years to come.

With great respect and admiration, the authors of this report, dedicate this report to their vision,

leadership, and dedication.

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Foreword

The primary purpose of this report is to determine how many career technical education
(CTE) courses meet University of California (UC) “a-g” admission requirements. The
author utilized the UC Web site and reviewed 1,283 comprehensive and alternative high
schools’ “a-g” admission lists. The findings in this report should provide significant
guidance to key audiences including policy makers, district administrators, school site
personnel, UC staff, California Department of Education (CDE) staff, and other educators
who are interested in “raising expectations through rigor and relevance” by means of
integrating career technical education courses.

One of the major obstacles encountered by the researcher was trying to determine
whether or not a specific course was actually taught by a CTE teacher. In the areas of
Agriculture Education and Home Economics Careers and Technology, courses are
tracked by those disciplines within the CDE and, therefore, are by-and-large taught by
CTE teachers. However, in the areas of Art, Media and Entertainment, Business
Education, Health Careers, Industrial and Technology Education, and Other Industry
Sectors no such tracking occurs via course titles. The researcher relied on CTE subject
matter consultants within the CDE to determine if a CTE teacher could teach a given
course found in this report.

Special thanks to the CDE and the UC staff, consultants and administrators who provided
technical support and assistance to this report:

Agriculture Education Jack Havens 909-869-4496
Art, Media and Entertainment Jack Mitchell 916-319-0504
Business Education Kay Ferrier 916-323-4747
Health Careers Cindy Beck 916-319-0470
Home Economics Careers and Technology Melissa Webb 916-323-5025
Industrial and Technology Education Clay Mitchell 916-445-5568
ROC/P’s Michelle Oliveira 916-319-0675
Intersegmental Relations Office Joe Radding 916-323-5635
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Judith D’Amico 916-852-1634
Private Schools Hannah Frankel 510-987-9636
UC CTE Course Approval Process Nina Costales 510-987-9570
Office of the Director Irene Castorena-Krueger 916-327-5055

Lastly, special acknowledgement to: Jack O’Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction;
Deborah Sigman, CDE Deputy Superintendent of the Curriculum, Learning, and Accountability
Branch; Dr. Patrick Ainsworth, CDE Assistant Superintendent and Director of the Secondary,
Career, and Adult Learning Division; Sue Wilbur, UC Director of Undergraduate Admissions;
Don Daves-Rougeaux, UC Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Articulation and
Eligibility; Nina Costales, UC Articulation Analyst; and Hannah Frankel, UC CTE
Administrative Analyst; for their efforts in encouraging and promoting the practice of “raising
academic expectations” through rigorous and innovative CTE courses.

Any inquiries about this report should be directed to Dr. Lloyd McCabe, Education Programs
Consultant, Secondary, Career, and Adult Learning Division at [phone] or by e-mail at
[email protected].
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Evolution of Career Technical Education Courses Meeting University of California
Admission Requirements

The genesis of CTE courses meeting UC admission requirements started with the passage
of Senate Bill 813 (The Educational Reform Act of 1983). This educational legislation
ignited a flurry of reform within the high school educational community by mandating
specific graduation requirements in English, history, science, mathematics, fine arts/or
foreign language, and physical education. Unfortunately, CTE courses were not part of
the high school graduation requirement reform movement. However, the Legislature
provided a provision within the California Education Code (EC) that stipulated local
education agencies (LEAs) were to provide alternative methods for students to meet
mandated graduation requirements. EC Section 51225.3(b) states:

“The governing board, with the active involvement of parents, administrators,
teachers, and pupils, shall adopt alternative means for students to complete the
prescribed course of study which may include practical demonstration of skills
and competencies, supervised work experience or other outside school
experience, career technical education classes offered in high schools, courses
offered by regional occupational centers or programs, interdisciplinary study,
independent study, and credit earned at a postsecondary institution. Requirements
for graduation and specified alternative modes for completing the prescribed
course of study shall be made available to pupils, parents, and the public.”

The passage of this EC Section allowed CTE educators to design integrated courses that
could meet graduation requirements in many of these mandated academic areas. During
the same timeframe, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Bill Honig called on all
educators to “raise academic expectations” within their curriculum. This clarion call to
action by Superintendent Honig solidified the notion within the vocational educational
community that CTE teachers should infuse and reinforce academics within their
respective courses. In 1990, with the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act, academic integration of CTE courses would become a
cornerstone of this federal initiative.

While the record is not entirely clear, the first known CTE courses to meet UC admission
requirements came from two agriculture programs located in the San Joaquin Valley.
Exeter High School submitted a Plant & Animal Physiology course that was approved to
meet the "d” or laboratory science requirement in 1983. Chowchilla Union High School
received a Specialized Secondary Program (SSP) grant from the CDE with the focus of
developing and submitting three courses in Agriculture & Physical Science, Plant
Botany, and Animal Physiology, which were approved to meet the "f" or elective
admission requirement in 1985.

In 2003, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell became the first state
official to openly urge CTE educators to develop rigorous, standards-based CTE courses
that could meet UC admission requirements. Superintendent O’Connell’s encouragement
has led to the dramatic increases of CTE courses meeting UC “a-g” admission
requirements that have been witnessed at this time.

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University of California’s Role in Fostering Innovative Career Technical Education
Courses that Meet University of California Admission Requirements

In 1999, the Governor’s School-to-Career Advisory Council commissioned the UC a-g
Interactive Guide Project to underscore the importance of simultaneously preparing high
school students both for careers and postsecondary education. With approval from the
Interagency Partners the initial phase of the project was funded through a contract
awarded to the University of California Office of the President (UCOP) by the School-to-
Career fiscal agent of the Employment Development Department (EDD). A few years
later, with the sunset of School-to-Career funds, the project became funded by the CDE
using Carl Perkins funds. These funds were the primary funding source for the project,
up until 2008. Presently, the Project is funded with SB 70 CTE funds until 2013.

The a-g Guide Project was originally designed to make the “a-g” course approval process
more transparent and efficient by clarifying criteria and offering a variety of tools,
resources, support, and assistance to California high school educators who seek “a-g”
approval for their courses. After many years of operation, the project has proved its
value and has received strong endorsements from secondary schools, UC admissions
staff, the UC Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS) and CDE. The
project continues to operate, keeping the a-g Guide Web site current with changing
information, adding resources in new areas of development and/or school reform,
providing targeted workshops to those seeking assistance, and more.

More recently, the state has embarked on an ambitious agenda to support and expand the
development of career technical education opportunities within schools. Initiatives such
as workforce innovation partnerships, the expansion of California Partnership
Academies, ROC/Ps and Tech Prep programs, the adoption of State Board of Education
approved CTE standards (2005) and curriculum framework (2007), and CTE-related
legislation (e.g., SB 1543, SB 70, AB 2648 and others) have combined to place greater
attention on issues related to the development and expansion of “a-g” courses that include
an academically rigorous CTE component.

Since the 2001-02 year, the number of CTE courses accepted for “a-g” approval has
increased dramatically. In 2001, UC had approved just 258 CTE courses. Today, over
7,600 CTE courses are approved to meet UC “a-g” Admission requirements or about 32.4
percent of the 23,600 CTE courses offered in California schools. Moreover, it is
expected that the number of approved CTE courses will continue to climb. Pursuant to
SB 1543 (2006), UC has developed model uniform academic standards for CTE courses
to provide more guidance to teachers and administrators who want their CTE courses
approved by UC.

The long range goal of the Project is to continue to operate and keep the a-g Guide Web
site current by adding resources to strengthen and communicate the course review
process. In addition, UC is utilizing a multi-pronged approach to more fully integrate
academically rich and rigorous career technical education courses into the classroom.
This three-part strategy includes: (1) expanding the availability of academically rigorous
CTE curriculum by developing industry-specific model courses for statewide use that
meet “a-g” admission requirements; (2) providing workshops, web-based tools and other
forms of assistance, such as the Curriculum Integration Pilot Program and the Cadre of
Experts, to those seeking help related to the development and submission of courses for
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“a-g” approval; and (3) ensuring rapid and consistent approvals of academically rich CTE
courses so that more CTE classes meet the approval of the University for its “a-g”
admission requirements in all explicable academic subject areas.

The Trend of Career Technical Education Courses Meeting University of California
Admission Requirements

The California Department of Education has been tracking the number of CTE courses
that meet UC admission requirements over the last nine years. Based on this tracking,
there has been a dramatic increase of the number of CTE courses meeting UC “a-g”
admission requirements. The data below supports this assertion:

School Year A2 = AG BUS HC HE IT OT AE

2010-11 8389 = 1090 959 933 248 628 779 3752
2009-10 7650 = 1049 854 847 234 508 686 3472
2008-09 6509 = 908 707 783 180 452 341 3138
2007-08 5614 = 842 532 709 182 397 198 2754
2006-07 4705 = 781 491 629 148 365 10 2281
2005-06 4021 = 667 408 575 120 314 03 1934
2004-05 3336 = 544 358 522 99 1813* NR NR
2003-04 1984 = 449 257 277 57 944* NR NR
2002-03 340** = 340 NR NR NR NR NR NR
2001-02 289** = 289 NR NR NR NR NR NR
2000-01 258** = 258 NR NR NR NR NR NR

In relationship to all UC approved courses and all academic and CTE courses available in
the comprehensive high school, the following trends emerge:

School Year A2 B2 C2 D2 E2 F2

2010-11 8389 NA NA NA NA NA
2009-10 7650 23,600 32.4% 588,069 255,447 43.4%
2008-09 6509 25,752*** 25.3% 596,128 252,348 42.3%
2007-08 5614 25,752*** 21.8% 690,649 249,708 36.1%
2006-07 4705 24,580*** 19.1% 722,440 219,708 30.4%
2005-06 4021 24,370*** 16.5% 697,121 215,569 30.9%
2004-05 3336 25,410*** 13.1% 685,707 216,793 31.6%
2003-04 984 26,291*** 07.5% 670,466 215,272 32.1%
2002-03 340** 32,456*** 01.0% 693,394 205,338 29.6%
2001-02 289** 29,768 00.9% 662,732 187,424 28.2%
2000-01 258** 29,461 00.8% 641,887 187,517 29.2%

An analysis of the above data reveals a dramatic percentage increase over the number of
CTE courses that have been approved to meet UC “a-g” admission requirements.

A2 = Total number of CTE courses that meet UC “a-g” admission requirements during that year
B2 = Total number of CTE courses taught during that year in high schools
C2 = Percent of all CTE courses that are UC approved
D2 = Total number of academic, specialized, and CTE courses taught during that year
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E2 = Total number of UC approved courses in all subject areas in high schools
F2 = Percent of all high school courses that are UC approved
NA= Not Available
NR= Not Recorded
AG = Number of UC Approved Agriculture Education Courses
BUS = Number of UC Approved Business Education Courses
HC = Number of UC Approved Health Career Courses
HE = Number of UC Approved Home Economics Careers & Technology Courses
IT = Number of UC Approved Industrial & Technology Education Courses
AE = Number of UC Approved Arts, Media & Entertainment Courses
OT = Number of UC Approved Other CTE Sector Courses

* IT & AE courses were combined
** Only agriculture courses were tracked during those years
*** Does not include all CTE courses in the industry sector of Arts, Media & Entertainment

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Summary of California High School Career Technical
Education Courses Meeting University of California
“A-G” Admission Requirements from 2010-11

Categories AG BUS HC HE IT AE OT Totals

Number of Schools with 339 493 622 179 326 904 425 ---
UC Approved CTE Courses

Number of CTE Courses 32 07 02 00 00 00 06 47
Meeting the A –
History/Social Science

Number of CTE Courses 00 10 05 00 02 01 00 18
Meeting the B – English

Number of CTE Courses 00 06 00 00 01 01 00 08
Meeting the C – Mathematics

Number of CTE Courses 335 00 655 02 23 00 188 1,203
Meeting the D –
Laboratory Science

Number of CTE Courses 00 00 00 00 00 00 334 334
Meeting the E –
Language Other Than English

Number of CTE Courses 92 32 00 52 208 3,605 06 3,995
Meeting the F –
Visual Performing Arts

Number of CTE Courses 631 904 271 194 394 145 245 2,784
Meeting the G – College
Preparatory Elective

Total Number of UC Approved 1,090 959 933 248 628 3,752 779 8,389
CTE Courses in Public High Schools

Total Number of UC Approved CTE Courses in Private Schools 1,590

Grand Total of UC Approved CTE Courses 9,979

Number of Schools with No --- --- --- --- --- --- --- 171
UC Approved Career- Technical Courses Offered

Number of Schools with UC Approved CTE Courses 1,112

Total High Schools Reviewed --- --- --- --- --- --- --- 1,283
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2010 Analysis of Agriculture Education

Statewide Analysis

The number of UC approved secondary Agriculture Education courses statewide
increased from 1,049 to 1,090 courses or an increase of 3.7% compared to last year.
Reportedly, 95.3% of all agriculture programs statewide have one or more UC approved
agriculture courses. Of the 1,283 comprehensive and alternative high schools in
California, 339 or 26.4% have one or more UC approved agriculture courses. Presently,
there are 2,317 agriculture education courses offered statewide of which 47.0% meet UC
“a-g” admission requirements.

UC A-G Requirements

In analyzing the “a-g” admission requirements, agriculture courses have been approved
for all areas except B-English, C-Mathematics and E-Language Other Than English.
There was a substantial increase from the previous year in courses approved in the F or
Visual Performing Arts admission area. In terms of courses approved by admission
category, listed below are the figures:

Admission Category Courses % of Total

A-History/Social Science 32 02.93%
B-English 00 00.00%
C-Mathematics 00 00.00%
D-Laboratory Science 335 30.74%
E-Language Other Than English 00 00.00%
F-Visual Performing Arts 92 08.44%
G-College Preparatory Elective 631 57.89%
Totals 1,090 100%

In terms of specific courses approved, listed below are the top 15 Agriculture Education
courses approved by the UC system for admission purposes:

1. Integrated and/or Agricultural Biology 252
2. Veterinary Science 104
3. Floral Design 91
4. Agriculture Science I 50
5. Environmental Horticulture Science 47
6. Animal Science 46
7. Agriculture Science II 45
8. Agricultural Economics 43
9. Agriculture Earth Science 35
10. Plant & Soil Science 33
11. Agriculture Business & Economics 30
12. Agriculture Government 21
13. Animal Physiology & Anatomy 19
14. Agriculture & Natural Resources 18
15. Agricultural Chemistry 16
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Listing of Different Types of Agriculture Education Courses that Meet University of
California A-G Admission Requirements

As of December 1, 2010, the below listed 100 course titles can be verified by accessing
the University of California’s Web site at https://doorways.ucop.edu/list/.

Course Title Example of High School Admission Number of
Classification Ag Courses

Advanced Natural Resource Lassen-Susanville G 01
Management
Agribusiness Issues Mt. Whitney-Visalia G 01
Agricultural Biology/Integrated Chowchilla & Galt D or G 252
Agricultural Biology
Agricultural Biology 2 Serrano HS D 01
Agricultural Biology (Advanced) Hilmar D 02
Agricultural Biology: Animal West Covina D 01
Science
Agricultural Biology (Applied) Kingsburg D 01
Agricultural Biology Lab Salinas D 01
Agricultural Chemistry Central East-Fresno D 16
Agricultural Earth & Physical Indio G 01
Science
Agricultural Economics Golden West-Visalia G 43
Agricultural Engineering II AB Clovis East G 04
Agricultural Environmental Science Colusa D or G 03
Agricultural Physical Science Tomales G 08
Agricultural Physical Science Holtville G 01
(Introduction)
Agricultural Physics Merrill West-Tracy D 01
Agricultural Resources North-Bakersfield G 04
Agriculture American Government Chowchilla A 01
Agriculture & Natural Resources Red Bluff D or G 18
Agriculture Business Riverdale G 01
Agriculture Business & Economics Santa Ynez Valley G 30
Agriculture Business Management Orestimba-Newman G 07
Agriculture Business & Marketing Sobrato-Morgan Hill G 01
Agriculture Communications Le Grand G 01
Agriculture Civics Warner A or G 02
Agriculture Earth & Environmental Manteca G 04
Science
Agriculture Earth Science Sutter G 35
Agriculture Food Science & Colusa G 01
Technology
Agriculture Government & Oakdale A or G 14
Economics or Policy
Agriculture Government Central East-Fresno A or G 21
Agriculture Life Science Modoc HS D 01
Agriculture Science Upper Lake D or G 03
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