K-12 Partnerships

K-12 teacher writes on whiteboard.

K-12 Partnerships

In our partnerships with K-12 districts, the California College Guidance Initiative brings the best of both worlds: statewide systems and local implementation.

Our statewide infrastructure gives us the ability to help validate coursework and identify errors in “a-g” courses that can affect students’ California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) eligibility. By working hand-in-hand with districts, we can identify the specific data needs and challenges of district partners and help them create ongoing and sustainable improvement.

Partnership Benefits

Data Cleanup and Capacity Building:
Our team works directly with district staff to identify data conflicts and ensure they’re able to pass accurate, validated student data on to higher education and financial aid systems. We help districts enhance their data capacity by creating sustainable improvements to their data systems and practices, ensuring that the benefits are felt for years to come.

Data-driven Tools:
Our partner districts gain access to a suite of data-driven tools on CaliforniaColleges.edu that help streamline the college and career planning process. Districts upload coursework data directly into students’ academic planners, which is then used to facilitate simpler and more accurate course planning, “a-g” progress monitoring, and automatic determination of CSU and UC eligibility. Districts can also validate their course catalogues against the statewide Course Management Portal to identify errors that may affect students’ “a-g” eligibility.

Application Integrations:
High school seniors can launch and track applications for all California public colleges, along with their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act applications. This one-stop application platform makes it possible for students, along with their parents and counselors, to track the status of all their applications in one place.

The Cal State Apply integration validates students’ coursework and imports it directly into their CSU applications. This automates the time-consuming and confusing data-entry process for students, helping to eliminate errors that can affect eligibility. And by simplifying the routine application-review process for counselors, it allows them to focus more of their efforts on students with complex needs.

Comprehensive Reporting:
Counselors, educators, and administrators have access to a comprehensive suite of reporting tools, allowing them to view the progress of their students throughout their college and career planning journeys. With just a few clicks, they can view all their students at a glance and zoom in to focus on those who need help.

Implementation Support:
From the inception of partnership and throughout the process, we work directly with a leadership team of district stakeholders to help them create an implementation plan and put it into practice.

Open Access

Districts that choose not to initiate partnership can still take advantage of our Open Access accounts. Open Access allows free use of CaliforniaColleges.edu’s basic student and reporting tools. Our data-driven tools and integration with the University of California application are only available to partner districts.

Since CaliforniaColleges.edu has the capability to store pupil records, Open Access districts must sign an AB 1584 Compliance Letter before gaining access to any educator accounts. This document includes provisions about the security, use, ownership, and control of pupil records, and it provides the necessary authorization for us to digitally store, manage, and retrieve pupil records.

View the complete list of K-12 districts that have partnered with the California College Guidance Initiative to smooth their students’ paths to college and career.