CASN: Adademy News Clips

   University of California, Berkeley 

September 2011

National Career Academy Coalition Conference 

NCAC conference: From Fountdation to InnovationCASN is partnering with the National Career Academy Coalition for their 15th annual conference, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Anaheim, November 3-6, 2011.  

Approximately 700 participants from academies around the country are expected to attend. Last year the conference sold out. We encourage all California academies to participate and, if possible, give presentations showcasing the best practices of our successful programs. California has been the leader in academy development.

Academies in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego receive a special registration rate. Visit the NCAC website for information and registration.

The CASN staff, CPA Lighthouse teams, and other experts are providing a day of special pre-sessions on November 3. These will benefit both "veteran" and new academies. The pre-sessions include:

  • Comparing Progress of Academy and Non-Academy Students
  • Developing Programs of Study for Academies and Small Learning Communities
  • Everything You Wanted to Know... (Lighthouse Academy presentation)
  • Teaching as If All Our Academy Students were Honors Students
  • Proposal Writing 101:  We're in the Money and there are Partners Knocking at the Door
  • Visit Two California Partnership Academies

Visit the NCAC website for full descriptions.

In this issue
UC Curriculum Integration Institute develops "green" a-g courses
Workshops to adopt UC-approved a-g courses from CPA list
CASN's curriculum database

UC Curriculum Integration Institute develops "green" a-g courses


Student at computer-aided design systemApply online to participate in a professional development institute to design an innovative course integrating either laboratory science or history/social science with a "green" theme in conjunction with any of the following CTE industry sectors:

  • Energy & Utilities
  • Engineering & Design
  • Hospitality, Tourism & Recreation
  • Public Services
  • Transportation

Teachers are invited to apply as individuals or in groups. UCCI encourages group applications from a "green" academy or pathway at one school or at different schools in the same district. The Institute will take place in Santa Barbara, November 6-9, 2011. Lodging and food are provided, but attendees must pay for their own travel. Application deadline is Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011 by 5:00 PM.


More information and online application.
 


Workshops to adopt UC-approved a-g courses from CPA program list

The University of California has granted "A-G program status" to the California Partnership Academies. All California Partnership Academies now have the option of adopting courses from this list, instead of developing their own course proposals and submitting them to UC for approval as A-G courses. Courses adopted from the CPA program list are automatically approved and will count toward students meeting A-G course requirements for UC and CSU. Establishing this program list makes it faster for academies to add A-G approved courses to their curriculum, thus enabling more CPA students to satisfy the A-G requirements. 

Initially, two courses are on the CPA program list. Biotechnology 1,2 satisfies the lab science (d) requirement as a Chemistry course. Multimedia I meets the Visual and Performing Arts requirement as an introductory course in Visual Arts.

Any academy adopting one of these courses for the 2012-13 school year must send a teacher to a workshop that will take place during the California Partnership Academies/Educating for Careers conference in Sacramento, February 13-15, 2012. To register, please contact [email protected] 

Curriculum database for career academy teachers

Industry sector drop-down menuCASN is compiling a searchable curriculum database on our website that targets the specific needs of academy and pathway teachers. We are sifting through the web, contacting publishers, industry associations, and postsecondary sources to find courses, lessons, or projects with concrete connections to industry sectors. Our database will help career academy teachers find curriculum materials that are rigorous, project/problem-based, and helpful in linking academic and CTE disciplines.

The Energy & Utilities and the Health & Medical Technology industry sectors are ready for you now on the CASN website .

Are aware of curriculum that is not yet included in this database but should be? Please contact us.

We're now compiling curriculum in Finance & Business; Arts, Media & Entertainment; Engineering & Design. They should be available in December, 2011. Education, Child Development & Family Services; Information Technology; and Public Service will be available in Spring 2012.

This project is supported by funds from the James Irvine Foundation and the California Department of Education. While there is currently funding to include only 8 of the 15 industry sectors, we hope to add more to the curriculum database in the future.