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The MLA's Articulation Initiative:
High School to College in Foreign Language Programs
Strengthening Articulation Links: One College's Pilot Efforts
Bette G. Hirsch, Cabrillo College, CA
Cabrillo College, the community college for Santa Cruz County, California, set out to strengthen articulation with its feeder high schools. One underlying principle was that outreach could be the basis for specific articulation practices. Another was that the message needed to be delivered to high school students about the importance of a solid preparation in the basic skills of reading, writing, and mathematics, whether they planned to go directly into the workforce, to attend community college, or to attend a four-year college. The pilot effort included, beyond normal articulation activities:
- establishment of a task force composed of high school counselors and principals and Cabrillo staff
- Cabrillo presentation to student-group leaders at high schools about opportunities at the college and about communication possibilities with the college
- Cabrillo discussion with high school faculty members on communication issues and outreach ideas
- Cabrillo discussion with high school PTAs about educational options and student services
- Cabrillo student-panel presentation at assemblies of high school sophomores
- series of Cabrillo-housed faculty seminars, including speakers from the high schools, Cabrillo, the four-year college partners--each focused on one area of the curriculum (science, English, foreign languages)
- series of news releases written (in Spanish and in English) for principals to include in high school newspapers and bulletins (e.g., about obtaining financial aid, the transfer success of Cabrillo students, an early start through assessment, the importance of basic skills competence, the cost of attending Cabrillo compared with the cost of attending the Univ. of California or California State Univ.)
- assessment offered at the high school for the first time to graduating seniors so that they could register early
- updated articulation agreements and high school equivalency statements between the schools and Cabrillo
- special breakfasts for high school superintendents, principal, registrars, and counselors with Cabrillo staff
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