When Aspire Golden State Prep counselor Leonardo Ayala looks back on his own academic career, he remembers himself as an “average” student. He was a first-generation college student, and he remembers the support he received from his parents, immigrants from Mexico and El Salvador, and how much they valued education and how he benefited.  Now,…

Ensuring students have met A-G course requirements so they can apply to UC and CSU schools is nothing new at ARISE High School. Now in its 13th year, making sure all students are on a college-bound track and have access to college was one of the foundational pieces of the school. “A-G has always been…

In 2019, at Bay Area Technology School (BayTech) in East Oakland, 100 percent of seniors graduated and all completed their A-G requirements, making them eligible to apply to UC and CSU schools. Administrators have a three-part plan that’s supporting students to get there, BayTech principal Seth Feldman said: it involves a lot of love, coaching,…

Briana Clarke, a physics teacher at Envision Academy in downtown Oakland, doesn’t just want her students to go to college. She wants them to find the right college for them, making the abstract idea of “going to college” a more concrete reality. “I really want to value college as a tool for my student, as…

At Aspire Public Schools, the philosophy is there are multiple pathways to postsecondary success, with the end goal being a job with strong earnings, benefits, and durability in the face of a recession. “Having a college degree can provide some stability,” Estrella said. “Jobs that require a post-secondary degree are more likely to offer health benefits,…