One of the New Directions for Cal Poly Pomona has been to reach out to the K-12 public schools and to community college students. At the present time, several programs perform outreach and recruitment services for elementary and secondary schools as well as community colleges in the Cal Poly Pomona service area. Several of these efforts are state-funded and others are federally funded. Cal Poly Pomona has encountered difficulties in determining how to coordinate these programs, as the university has a state mandate to avoid duplication of services among different programs. We are happy to report that significant steps have been taken at the levels of the President’s Office and the Deans. To begin with, we survey some important programs. Additional notes and documentation on these and all programs discussed in this chapter are available in the Team Room.

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Recently accredited, ‘our’ International Polytechnic High School (IPoly) exhibits a number of characteristics that may adumbrate schooling of the future, not least its partnership with Cal Poly Pomona. The grades 9-12 school is located on the university campus and shares many facilities (food services, University Union, athletic areas, library). Its curriculum and teaching program are closely linked to programs in the College of Education and Integrative Studies. A number of Cal Poly Pomona faculty have been involved in the development and operation of IPoly from its inception. Though the curriculum begins with the California standards for each grade, its foci are more international and technological than at most other schools, it employs a rigorous performance-based assessment rather than traditional grading, and presents subject matter in terms of integrated projects as a means of stimulating interest and enhancing learning. Learning experiences are activities. Students are accepted into the school from many districts. IPoly is an alternative school, but not a magnet (academically selective) school.

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Cal Poly Pomona offers several state-funded outreach and recruitment programs. The veteran member is the university’s Outreach and Recruitment program, which serves 101 elementary and secondary schools in the Cal Poly Pomona service area. In addition, this program receives state lottery dollars set aside to serve underrepresented students in community colleges and high schools. This program serves the top 30 community colleges in southern California. Services provided by Outreach and Recruitment are limited to disseminating information about entering college and to motivating pre-collegiate students to explore post-secondary education.

Another state-funded outreach program is Educational Equity Services (EES), directed by James Norfleet, which coordinates the Pre-collegiate Academic Development (PAD) program. PAD’s mission is to prepare K-12 students for higher education by supporting college preparation in mathematics and English and facilitating student access to CPP. PAD serves thirteen schools in three different school districts and provides trained college tutors on a weekly basis to students who are achieving below their grade level in mathematics and English. Such tutors work as teaching assistants in classrooms during regular school hours and prepare students to pass the English Placement Test (EPT) and the Elementary Level Math (ELM) placement tests for the CSU.

As was noted above, there presently is minimal contact and coordination of efforts among the Cal Poly Pomona state-funded programs and the federally funded programs. Even though this contact is minimal, there are current efforts to become more connected. As state and federal programs coordinate more closely, they will be able to serve more students and to help each other in perfecting their programs by sharing "best practices." Examples of current sharing include the Youth Education and Motivation Program (YEMP) and CPP/HSI programs.

Cal State Teach

Cal State Teach is an innovative, 18-month, field and web-based program designed for the credentialing of people who have already obtained a position in grades K-8 of a California school, teaching multiple subjects, but have not yet started a teacher preparation program. Those who successfully complete the program earn a Multiple Subject Credential with emphasis in Cross-cultural, Language and Academic Development (CLAD.)

Requirements to enter the program are similar to those for standard entry. Assuming that all other requirements have been met, teachers working full-time with an emergency permit or waiver in an elementary school will qualify. Private school teachers and long-term elementary substitute teachers may participate in the program.

Before proceeding into the second stage of the program, evidence of subject matter competence is required, passing the MSAT or completion of waiver programs. Participants in the program become part of a small group of Intern Teachers with their own Cal Poly Pomona Learning Support Faculty member. Participants are presented with assignments and activities that integrate the daily teaching experiences with their coursework. Participants complete activities in their own classroom and through self-study. Assignments are submitted and communications held with faculty and other interns via the Internet.