Rhona S. Weinstein, Frank C. Worrell, Gail Kaufman, and Gibor Basri
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780190260903
- eISBN:
- 9780190608200
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190260903.003.0017
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
This chapter highlights the lessons learned in the more than 10-year partnership between the University of California, Berkeley and Aspire Public Schools to create and sustain California College ...
More
This chapter highlights the lessons learned in the more than 10-year partnership between the University of California, Berkeley and Aspire Public Schools to create and sustain California College Preparatory Academy (CAL Prep), a high-expectation and early college secondary school for first-generation college students. The chapter also assesses the successes and challenges faced in this collaborative journey; the generalizability of findings to other contexts; and implications for practice, policy, and research. CAL Prep continued to improve—reaching the hearts and minds of students and providing an aligned, responsive pathway to college readiness. The capacity to innovate rested on investments in this boundary-crossing partnership, a culture-challenging mindset, multilayered learning communities, and a time-intensive as well as focused planning process. Mutual benefits across the secondary–tertiary divide included changes in university supports for first-generation college students, the valuing of public scholarship, and a recognized need for change in professional training programs.Less
This chapter highlights the lessons learned in the more than 10-year partnership between the University of California, Berkeley and Aspire Public Schools to create and sustain California College Preparatory Academy (CAL Prep), a high-expectation and early college secondary school for first-generation college students. The chapter also assesses the successes and challenges faced in this collaborative journey; the generalizability of findings to other contexts; and implications for practice, policy, and research. CAL Prep continued to improve—reaching the hearts and minds of students and providing an aligned, responsive pathway to college readiness. The capacity to innovate rested on investments in this boundary-crossing partnership, a culture-challenging mindset, multilayered learning communities, and a time-intensive as well as focused planning process. Mutual benefits across the secondary–tertiary divide included changes in university supports for first-generation college students, the valuing of public scholarship, and a recognized need for change in professional training programs.
Rhona S. Weinstein
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780190260903
- eISBN:
- 9780190608200
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190260903.003.0003
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
This chapter describes the development of a partnership between the University of California, Berkeley and Aspire Public Schools that allowed two institutions with different modes of operating to ...
More
This chapter describes the development of a partnership between the University of California, Berkeley and Aspire Public Schools that allowed two institutions with different modes of operating to meet, co-construct, support, and sustain a high-performing secondary school for students from traditionally disenfranchised populations. Key to this partnership were a memorandum of understanding that defined roles and responsibilities and four structures that allowed the partnership to function and thrive: the monthly Early College Initiative committee; the weekly Liaison Planning meeting; the weekly School-Site Partnership meeting; and the Partner Leadership meeting between the university vice chancellors and the Aspire leadership. Using narrative records of partnership meetings, this chapter highlights how these two disparate cultures worked collaboratively to bring an emerging vision of a college-preparatory secondary school for underserved students into reality. The joint effort resulted in the development of the California College Preparatory Academy.Less
This chapter describes the development of a partnership between the University of California, Berkeley and Aspire Public Schools that allowed two institutions with different modes of operating to meet, co-construct, support, and sustain a high-performing secondary school for students from traditionally disenfranchised populations. Key to this partnership were a memorandum of understanding that defined roles and responsibilities and four structures that allowed the partnership to function and thrive: the monthly Early College Initiative committee; the weekly Liaison Planning meeting; the weekly School-Site Partnership meeting; and the Partner Leadership meeting between the university vice chancellors and the Aspire leadership. Using narrative records of partnership meetings, this chapter highlights how these two disparate cultures worked collaboratively to bring an emerging vision of a college-preparatory secondary school for underserved students into reality. The joint effort resulted in the development of the California College Preparatory Academy.
Rhona S. Weinstein and Frank C. Worrell (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780190260903
- eISBN:
- 9780190608200
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190260903.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
Achieving College Dreams tells the story of a remarkable partnership between a public research university and charter district to create an exemplar early college high school for low-income and ...
More
Achieving College Dreams tells the story of a remarkable partnership between a public research university and charter district to create an exemplar early college high school for low-income and first-generation college youth—launched to make good on the American ideal of providing excellence with equity in secondary education. California College Preparatory Academy is the result of the more than 10-year collaboration between the University of California, Berkeley and Aspire Public Schools. Reflecting a diversity of voices from students to superintendents, this book charts the journey from the decision to open a school to the second class of high school graduates, all of whom were accepted into four-year colleges. It captures struggle, improvement, and possibility as it takes readers inside the workings of the partnership, the development of the school, and spillover of effects across district and university. Confronting the challenge of interweaving rigor and support, the authors explore such critical ingredients as teacher–student advisories; school transition; the home–school divide; a supportive college-preparatory culture; teaching with depth, relational power, and equity; forging an academic identity; and scaling up. At a time of sharply unequal schools and glaring disparities in college readiness, this book uniquely extends the knowledge base about how to better prepare underserved students for college eligibility and success. The book also serves as a clarion call for universities to step up to the plate and partner with districts in achieving transformative secondary school reform benefitting all students.Less
Achieving College Dreams tells the story of a remarkable partnership between a public research university and charter district to create an exemplar early college high school for low-income and first-generation college youth—launched to make good on the American ideal of providing excellence with equity in secondary education. California College Preparatory Academy is the result of the more than 10-year collaboration between the University of California, Berkeley and Aspire Public Schools. Reflecting a diversity of voices from students to superintendents, this book charts the journey from the decision to open a school to the second class of high school graduates, all of whom were accepted into four-year colleges. It captures struggle, improvement, and possibility as it takes readers inside the workings of the partnership, the development of the school, and spillover of effects across district and university. Confronting the challenge of interweaving rigor and support, the authors explore such critical ingredients as teacher–student advisories; school transition; the home–school divide; a supportive college-preparatory culture; teaching with depth, relational power, and equity; forging an academic identity; and scaling up. At a time of sharply unequal schools and glaring disparities in college readiness, this book uniquely extends the knowledge base about how to better prepare underserved students for college eligibility and success. The book also serves as a clarion call for universities to step up to the plate and partner with districts in achieving transformative secondary school reform benefitting all students.
