About the Collaborative
California’s K-16 Regional Collaboratives initiative is a unique opportunity to help California’s economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic while addressing long-standing social and economic inequities in higher education and workforce participation. Thirteen geographic regions from across the state are eligible for grants, with awards up to $20M.
The Central Coast K-16 Regional Collaborative is a collective impact initiative of K-12, Community College, California State University, University of California, and industry partners who are coming together to address long-standing educational and economic inequities in the region. Together, these partners articulated their shared vision to create a Central Coast Region in which historically marginalized students achieve their goals within K-16 education and local industry, and secure high-wage, high impact careers that advance opportunities for upward mobility. To achieve this vision, the Collaborative will engage with all educational partners to co-design an equitable, aligned and effective educational system across the region by prioritizing systemic changes that benefit economically disadvantaged students. Building on community strengths, assets and aspirations, we will ensure fair representation of community and student voice. In the next three years, using data-informed practices, the Collaborative will eliminate systemic inequities and advance equity of outcomes for our region’s economically disadvantaged students.
Goals & Objectives
In working toward its guiding stars described above, the Central Coast Collaborative aims to achieve the following three goals with the Regional K-16 Regional Collaborative Grant Program funding:
Goal 1:
Increase the alignment of our K-16 educational systems to best support students’ postsecondary aspirations, as evidenced by an increased number of students transitioning from K-12 to postsecondary institutions, an increase in the number of students transferring from regional community colleges to regional California State University and University of California campuses, a decrease in the time to transfer from community college, and an increase in the number of students who earn a community college credential in 2/4 years and/or earn a bachelor’s degree in 4/6 years over the next 10 years.
Goal 2:
Disrupt inequitable systems and structures in our institutions, with a commitment to urgent action grounded in research and deep listening, as evidenced by eliminating disparities in educational attainment in access, persistence, and completion for historically underrepresented students over the next 10 years within K-12, California Community Colleges, UCs, and CSUs in the Central Coast.
Goal 3:
Build upon our students’ strengths, assets, and rich cultural and linguistic contributions to prepare them for economic mobility in the region, as evidenced by eliminating disparities in degree and career attainment that lead to high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand employment for economically disadvantaged and underrepresented students over the next 10 years within K-12, California Community Colleges, UCs, and CSUs across the Central Coast.
The three-year objectives for our Collaborative during the grant period are:
Objective 1:
Cultivate inclusive, engaging, and equity-oriented learning environments.
Objective 2:
Retain students through inclusive support.
Objective 3:
Provide high-tech, high-touch advising.
Objective 4:
Support college preparation and early credit.
Objective 5:
Establish and implement at least two aligned and equitable education-to-career pathways in Healthcare, Engineering / Computing, and/or STEM Education.
Selected Pathways
After careful evaluation and deliberation, the Steering Committee has selected the following pathways for our Central Coast K-16 Regional Collaborative grant application. The chosen pathways represent the Collaborative’s shared vision and commitment to fostering collaboration, innovation, and progress in our region.
HEALTH
ENGINEERING OR
COMPUTING
STEM EDUCATION
Governance Structure
In the dynamic landscape of the Central Coast K-16 Region, effective governance plays a pivotal role in fostering synergy, cooperation, and shared decision-making. The governance structure of a regional collaborative serves as a guiding framework, ensuring transparency, accountability, and distribution of resources and responsibilities among participating entities.
The governance structure that will support the K-16 Collaborative work in the Central Coast region will be based on three key structures and will have at the center of this work the voices of students and community members.
The three structures are:
steering committee, led by a tri-chair team made up of one representative of each system (K-12, Community College, and 4-year institutions);
regional leadership teams directing and monitoring work in the northern and southern part of the region; and
working groups coordinating and implementing activities and strategies.
Students will be an integral part in moving these efforts forward, and as such will have a space to join as members and provide their feedback within each of these structures. The process will ensure voices of marginalized student groups are prioritized. In addition, industry partners in the selected pathways for the grant will be invited to join as members across all three governing structures.