Chaffey District leads the way in college and career readiness

The Chaffey Joint Union High School District is setting a high bar in preparing students for college and career.

Updated data shows the percentage of graduating seniors successfully completing A-G requirements for admission into the California State and University of California systems has increased by 2 ½ times in the past decade, from 26.7% in 2010 to 72% this year.

Even more impressive has been the exponential growth in career exploration opportunities, in which students are able to learn about potential career tracks through partnerships with local agencies and employers. This past year, Chaffey District students participated in 43,327 career exploration opportunities, up from 545 when the program was launched five years earlier.

“College and career readiness is embedded in everything we do as a District. It’s an intentional process that’s changing students’ lives by preparing them for the exciting opportunities that lie ahead,” said Sue Ovitt, whose 12-year tenure as a member of Chaffey’s Board of Trustees overlaps with the District’s unprecedented success in ensuring that students graduate ready for college and careers.

It was the board that established college and career readiness as a vision, and under the direction of Superintendent Dr. Mathew Holton and his team, the Chaffey District today stands as a shining example of preparing students for life after high school.

That starts with rigorous curriculum and making sure that students have the instruction and support they need to take the next step in their academic journey. Increasingly, the A-G completion rate has become a standard for measuring achievement, and in Chaffey’s case, it’s been a remarkable story.

Statewide, 50% of graduating high school seniors complete A-G coursework, according to a July 2020 report by CaliforniaCompetes.org. In the Inland Empire, 45% of graduating seniors meet that standard. The Chaffey District’s 72% completion rate is all the more remarkable considering its size – with nearly 24,000 students, CJUHSD is the second largest high school district in the state – and the large number of students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. More than 60% of District students are classified as coming from low-income households – nearly double the percentage of a decade ago.

“No one is making excuses. At every level of our organization – from the board to our administrators to our teachers and staff – we’re committed to helping all students succeed,” said Holton, who has served as superintendent since 2008.

In addition to its focus on academics, the Chaffey District has embedded career readiness standards into courses at each of its schools, using the acronym TCELL – Technical Skills, Career Exploration and Assessment, Employability Skills, Learning Skills and Life Skills.

Each year, every freshman and junior has the opportunity to complete an online career inventory, where they can learn about careers that might interest them and the preparation needed to enter that line of work. In addition, the District’s Executive Director of Career Readiness connects assistant principals, counselors, and teachers with the community agencies and local businesses who are willing to provide career exploration opportunities for students.

Holton noted that 98% of Chaffey District parents expect that their children will graduate from high school prepared for college and career.

“We have a tall order ahead of us when it comes to meeting the expectations of our community,” he said.