Pasadena Unified Students Gain a Competitive Edge with Expanded College and Career Education

For years, Pasadena Unified School District has offered industry-focused pathways and Career Technical Education (CTE) courses that encourage high school students to explore professional options and give them a competitive edge in college and in their careers.

So when the State Board of Education announced it would be awarding $900 million in incentive grants over three years to help school districts further invest in their own CTE programs, applying was a no-brainer, according to Marisa Sarian, director of PUSD’s College & Career Pathways program. It builds on the district’s partnership with Pasadena City College offers dual enrollment so that high school students can earn college credits before they graduate from high school.

“The state is offering a lot of resources to expand Career Technical Education — it’s a statewide movement,” Sarian said. “Students really need to start thinking about careers at a younger age.”

District officials were excited to learn that PUSD was among the first recipients of the state grant and will receive a preliminary allocation of $1,082,716 to broaden its CTE program and help students further explore and grow their professional interests while they’re in high school.

The state grant money will be matched by the district, to ensure programs are sustained for the long term. PUSD can continue to invest in vital and stimulating career-based learning programs at its high schools, Sarian said.

“We were ready to keep a robust CTE offering at every campus, with or without the grant,” she added. “With this grant we’ll be able to expand those offerings.”

Rosa Valdez, the Pasadena Unified CTE coordinator who helped apply for the grant, said Career Technical Education courses allow students to build upon what they learn from one grade level to the next and even earn certifications in their industry of interest.
“It gives the kids a leg up, and it’s really something they can be proud of,” Valdez said. “And the teachers who are providing certification are certified themselves. It’s another value added to the program.”

Twenty-three certified and credentialed teachers teach about 90 courses, some of them sequential and available to students enrolled in one of 10 PUSD pathways and other stand-alone courses open to non-pathway students as electives.

“We serve all students, and the best way to do that is to use CTE and the pathways to prepare them for all post-secondary options,” Valdez said.

Since being selected in 2009 as one of nine Linked Learning Districts in the California, Pasadena Unified has developed a College & Careers Pathway program that now serves more than 40 percent of district students in grades 9-12.

In the Pathways program, currently offered on all six high school campuses, students take courses that align with college entrance requirements and the needs of several high-skill, high-wage career industries. Students engage in professional learning via job shadowing, internships and skill-building before they leave high school, which gives them a chance to apply what they learn at school.

Educators have collaborated to create interdisciplinary 21st-century teaching models that draw on the district’s rich and varied partnerships with city agencies, businesses and community organizations while creating authentic learning experiences in and beyond the classroom.

Darrell Steinberg, Chairman of the Linked Learning Alliance, congratulated the state’s first round of recipients in a statement released shortly after the January announcement.

“When integrated with college preparatory academics, work-based learning and student supports, CTE helps students prepare for college success while gaining skills and earning credentials valued by employers,” Steinberg said in the statement. “The integration of high-quality sequenced CTE rigorous academics, work-based learning and support for students is a core component of Linked Learning.”

Valdez said she sees the grant as further validation of PUSD’s many achievements in college and career readiness. The investment will help expand programs that are already helping kids flourish.

“I’m really glad we won this grant — we’re able to do a lot of good things for kids in Pasadena,” Valdez said.