Category Archives: Higher education

Vacaville scholarship application period opens – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

The 2017 application period for scholarships at three Vacaville high schools – through the Solano Community Foundation and the Harry and Eleanor D. Nelson Vacaville Endowment Fund – opens Monday.

Graduating seniors at Vacaville High, Will C. Wood and Buckingham Charter Magnet High are eligible.

Seven four-year scholarships of $3,500 each year will be awarded. Additionally, two Auldin Briggs one-year scholarships of $2,500 each will be awarded. One $5,000 Grace B. Powell one-year scholarship will be awarded to a Vacaville High graduate

Source: Vacaville scholarship application period opens

Bill would allow JCs – including SCC – to issue teaching credentials – Daily Republic

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By Todd R. Hansen

Community colleges have long been a pathway to vocational goals – often the course chosen by those students who see no value in a four-year degree that has no useful purpose for their careers.

And while students who want to be teachers may attend a community college to kick off their academic lives, eventually tradition required they go to a university to get at least a bachelor’s degree and earn a credential.

A bill recently introduced by state Sen. Bill Dodd would allow community colleges, like Solano College, to develop their own teacher credentialing program.

Source: Bill would allow JCs – including SCC – to issue teaching credentials

VHS principal: Increasing number of grads are college-ready – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

An increasing number of Vacaville High students are college-ready and the building of new classrooms at the West Monte Vista Avenue school will get under way in the coming days, Principal Ed Santopadre told Vacaville Unified leaders during his twice-yearly report about the campus he oversees.

As part of a 20-minute slide presentation Thursday in the Educational Services Center, Santopadre updated the seven-member governing board on myriad aspects of the school, from the mission and Advance Placement test results to standardized test results and graduation/dropout rates to school climate and multimillion-dollar Measure A projects. As expected, his news was mostly upbeat, with an eye cast on improvements in academic areas and responses to intervention for at-risk students.

Not quite midway through his presentation, he noted that the number of college-qualified VHS seniors has jumped from 26 percent in 2010 to 55 percent in 2015.

Source: VHS principal: Increasing number of grads are college-ready

4-year degree for about $10,000, Solano College professor tells business groups – Daily Republic

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By Ryan McCarthy

Students at Solano Community College can get a four-year degree for about $10,000 in biomanufacturing and finish college without debt, professor Jim DeKloe said Thursday at a meeting of three local chambers of commerce.

Industrial biotechnology professor DeKloe recounted how Genentech said in 1994 it would open a Vacaville site and how the corporation has assisted Solano College.

“They have been a wonderful partner,” DeKloe said.

Source: 4-year degree for about $10,000, Solano College professor tells business groups

Tom Torlakson Highlights Science Standards – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today saluted the innovative science instruction taking place at Edna Brewer Middle School in the Oakland Unified School District—instruction that will be coming to all of California’s public schools as a result of recent efforts to dramatically enhance and modernize science education.

“As a former science teacher, I couldn’t be more excited by the learning I saw today in Jeri Johnstone’s eighth grade integrated science class,” Torlakson said. “It’s hands-on, interactive, and collaborative. Students and teachers ask lots of questions and work like scientists. These are the kinds of skills needed for success in high school, college and the modern workplace.”

The Oakland Unified School District is one of eight school districts and two charter school management organizations participating in the early implementation of California’s next Generation Science Standards adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE) in 2013.

“I want to thank all the innovative, creative, and dedicated science teachers in California for working to improve science education. It’s a huge effort, but it will be well worth it when we see students who are thinking like scientists and fully engaged in their lessons,” Torlakson said.

Source: Tom Torlakson Highlights Science Standards – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

Number of college courses taught in high schools increasing statewide | EdSource

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By Fermin Leal

This spring, juniors and seniors at Redlands Unified School District in San Bernardino County will take community college courses at their high schools, including engineering, sociology, business administration and music appreciation.

The courses, offered at no cost to students at Redlands High, Citrus Valley High and East Valley High, will allow students to earn college credits while in high school that they can transfer to most colleges and universities, including all University of California, California State University and state community college campuses.

“These courses offer our high school students the opportunity to get a jump-start on their college education,” said Stephanie Lock, the district’s assistant principal on special projects – college and career pathways. “For some kids who might not be thinking of college right away, this will get them to the next level.”

Source: Number of college courses taught in high schools increasing statewide | EdSource

Vaca High to join in new College Board AP program – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Vacaville High is among some 1,000 schools worldwide to join in a College Board Advanced Placement program that focuses on inquiry, research and writing as a way to better prepare for college and the 21st-century workplace, it has been announced.

In a press release issued Tuesday, Principal Ed Santopadre, referring to Capstone, said, “I am excited to be a part of this innovative program that prepares a broader, more diverse student population ready for college and beyond.”

The first of the program’s two courses, AP Seminar, will start in fall 2017. The other course, taken in sequence, is AP Research.

The program comes in response to feedback from college-level educators and admission officers, and “complements” other AP courses and exams, Santopadre noted in the prepared statement.

 

Source: Vaca High to join in new College Board AP program

Top state educators ask Trump to protect “Dreamers” – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

The incoming California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley and the heads of the University of California and California State University have formally asked President-elect Donald Trump to continue an Obama policy allowing children of undocumented immigrants to pursue higher education in the United States.

Their Tuesday letter comes as the Republican businessman campaigned on a platform of being a strict enforcer of U.S. immigration laws and eliminating many of President Barack Obama’s executive orders, including the policy (not a formal executive order) of giving “particular care” before deporting students, military veterans and others, many of them Hispanics and Latinos who are deemed low risks.

Of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants now living in America, 2 million of them were brought here as children. About 800,000 of these “Dreamers” qualified for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), the 2012 Obama program that would shield the children from deportation and allow them to obtain work permits, driver licenses and a sense of hope and safety.

Source: Top state educators ask Trump to protect “Dreamers” – The Reporter

 

From a high school senior’s perspective: The college application process – Benicia Herald

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By Jasmine Weis

In 1636, Harvard University was founded, earning itself the epithet as “the oldest institution of higher education in the United States.” And while there is still controversy surrounding the validity of this claim, with the University of Pennsylvania and College of William & Mary also vying for the coveted title, there is no denying that universities have had a significant presence in American society for centuries.

Colleges have evolved from exclusive institutions reserved for wealthy white men to a a socially accepted and expected rung in the educational ladder. While there is still a wide racial gap in the amount of people obtaining college degrees, more high school graduates are enrolling in universities than ever before. And while the spike in students pursuing higher levels of education should be applauded, more people applying to colleges translates to fewer openings. This inevitably leads to increased competition, so it’s no surprise that these days applying to college feels like playing the most intense game of musical chairs ever.

Source: From a high school senior’s perspective: The college application process

Solano College offers new 4-year biotech degree – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

Students at Solano Community College can now earn a bachelor’s degree in biomanufacturing.

The college announced that its bachelor of science program has received approval from the state’s Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.

“We are delighted about this program,” Superintendent-President Celia Esposito-Noy said in a statement. “This will give our students the opportunity to learn state-of-the-art skills and prepare for exciting careers in biomanufacturing.”

Source: Solano College offers new 4-year biotech degree

State gets $11M in fed grants to help poor kids take AP tests – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

In an effort to boost college and career prospects for California’s poor children, the U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday announced it has awarded the Golden State more than $11 million in grants so low-income students can take Advanced Placement tests.

Federal education officials, pointing out the poor have been a historically underserved group, noted that California is one of 41 states and Washington, D.C., to receive a total of $28.4 million to help pay for the taking of AP tests by students from low-income families.

States receiving the next highest grant amounts were Texas ($3.5 million), New York ($2.7 million) and Illinois ($1.8 million).

Mark Frazier, the chief academic officer for Vacaville Unified, said the announcement did not come as a surprise, since the district has applied to set aside some money so poor students can take the AP tests if they wish.

 

Source: State gets $11M in fed grants to help poor kids take AP tests

New Career & College Transition Division Director – Year 2016 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today the appointment of Donna Wyatt as the new Career and College Transition Division Director at the California Department of Education (CDE). She began her assignment September 6.

“Donna has devoted her professional career to helping students identify their passions and professional callings and providing those students the skills and direction needed to succeed,” Torlakson said. “She will be a tremendous resource for all of our schools. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her join us in this important role.”

A long-time educator, Wyatt has more than 25 years of experience teaching, developing, and administering Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. Since July 2011, she has worked as the manager of Curriculum and Instruction Career Technical Education (CTE) for the Oakland Unified School District’s Linked Learning office, working with teachers to create CTE curriculum and build out career pathway courses that help connect students with internships and mentorships in a wide variety of fields such as engineering, manufacturing, and media arts.

Source: New Career & College Transition Division Director – Year 2016 (CA Dept of Education)

State board backs plans for California’s first college and career readiness indicator | EdSource

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By  Fermin Leal

Despite concerns, the State Board of Education on Wednesday approved a preliminary version of California’s first College and Career Readiness Indicator, a tool aimed at measuring how schools prepare students for postsecondary opportunities.

The metric would evaluate high schools and districts by their students’ Advanced Placement test scores, the number of students concurrently enrolled in community colleges, how many successfully completed a career technical education pathway, how many completed courses required for UC and CSU admission, and other measures.

The College and Career Indicator is part of the state’s overall effort to create a new school accountability system to meet new federal and state guidelines.

Source: State board backs plans for California’s first college and career readiness indicator | EdSource

Film, chat explores higher education for inmates – Daily Republic

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By Amy Maginnis-Honey

Representatives from law enforcement, education and the community attended a screening of “Zero Percent,” Monday at Solano Community College.

The film was shot inside New York’s Sing Sing Correctional Facility and focused on Hudson Link’s college degree program that started at the prison.

Sean Pica, executive director of Hudson Link, who was in the area to speak at San Quentin’s graduation, touted the importance of a college education.

Source: Film, chat explores higher education for inmates

Helpful Resources to Share With High School Graduates | Edutopia

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By Matt Davis

The last few weeks of high school are an exciting time for students. It’s a whirlwind of graduation parties and festivities, topped by the graduation ceremony itself. But it can also be overwhelming.

Whatever path a student is considering, college or career, the summer after high school is the perfect time to start planning for the road ahead. I’ve gathered some resources you can share with students that are fun, easy-to-use and offer guidance for what lies ahead. They’re organized by topic.

Source: Helpful Resources to Share With High School Graduates | Edutopia

Job fair lucky break for a few good teachers – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

It was a busy 24 hours for Erik Core of Vacaville.

He graduated Friday night from Sacramento State University. Then he interviewed Saturday for a teaching position with the Fairfield-Suisun School District. He had a new job by noon.

Core’s life had changed in the blink of an eye.

“I got my B.A. yesterday. I didn’t even get to celebrate much because of the interview today,” Core said. “But I am going out with my friends tonight.”

Source: Job fair lucky break for a few good teachers

Dixon High senior earns major college scholarship – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

A 17-year-old Dixon High senior has been awarded a major scholarship and will attend the University of California, Davis, in the fall.

Jacob Smith received the David Robben Memorial Scholarship, worth about $80,000, paid out over four years, at $20,000 each year. It is intended to cover tuition and all required fees, books, supplies, and some incidentals. A modest contribution toward room and board also may be included.

Administered by the Solano Community Foundation, the scholarship, is intended to reward students whose families do not have the financial means to support the student at a campus within the University of California system, widely considered to be the nation’s premier public university. Secondly, it is awarded to a Dixon High graduate who shows promise of being able to have a professional career that will contribute to the betterment of American society.

Source: Dixon High senior earns major college scholarship

Teachers Association gives $12K in scholarships to seven high school seniors – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Shouldn’t we tweet #ThankATeacher everyday?

In no small way, the Vacaville Teachers Association and others would urge us to do so, and, to encourage the class of 2016 to pursue teaching careers, union leaders have awarded $12,000 in scholarships to seven local high school seniors.

The cash awards come as California continues to grapple with “unprecedented shortages in the teacher preparation pipeline,” Moira McSweeney, president of the 650-member teachers union, wrote in a press release issued today.

The seven scholarship recipients are from Vacaville, Will C. Wood, Buckingham Charter and Country high schools.

The scholarships were funded by voluntary contributions from union members and other Vacaville Unified employees, McSweeney noted.

Source: Teachers Association gives $12K in scholarships to seven high school seniors

Assist-A-Grad nonprofit hands out $140,000 in college cash – Daily Republic

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By Jess Sullivan

With the Class of 2016 preparing to take its turn in the annual rite of passage, the Assist-A-Grad Scholarship Foundation hosted some of the most successful students by handing out more than $140,000 in future college cash.

More than 100 of the soon-to-be graduates and their families convened Monday night at the Fairfield Community Center to get scholarships and handshakes for their hard work, perseverance and accomplishments.

A packed crowd applauded and some laughed as Vanden senior Tyler Miles was handed one scholarship on the stage before having to dash off the stage, around the large hall just in time to retake the stage to gather up a second scholarship. Miles, who is headed off to California State University, Sacramento this fall, pocketed two $1,000 scholarships.

Source: Assist-A-Grad nonprofit hands out $140,000 in college cash; brings total to $3.2M since 1970

For students at VHS, college-readiness program means ‘family’ – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

The question was simple, the response eager.

“How many of you can see yourself going to Chico State?” asked Ana Farina, who, at 11 a.m. Wednesday, the annual Calfornia Day of the Teacher, was teaching 27 sophomores in her AVID class at Vacaville High.

More than a dozen hands shot high into the air in Room 73, where Farina, recently named the 2016 Solano County Teacher of the Year, reviewed the class’ recent trip to the state university campus in Chico, about a two-hour drive from Vacaville.

“Can you see yourself on the campus?” she repeated.

via: For students at VHS, college-readiness program means ‘family’ – The Reporter