Utah
Health Sciences
Business: Entrepreneurship & Finance
Teaching as a Profession
Vision
All East High School students have the academic, social, and emotional supports available to be informed and empowered in selecting an Advanced Pathway that guarantees a credential of value by graduation.
Overview
The Utah Design Team is working within a single pilot high school (East High School) to create intentional pathways designed for students to earn 30 college credits by senior year with an additional year resulting in an associate degree.
Organizations / Entities Represented on Design Team
United Way of Salt Lake
Salt Lake City School District
Salt Lake Community College
The Salt Lake Education Foundation
Junior Achievement
Black Chamber
Talent Ready
Student Voice
I felt encouraged by the people cheering me on. Even though it's a little thing it really helped me push forward because I felt like people would be there to have my back when I needed help. I've improved as a writer and as a student because I feel encouraged and motivated by the people around me and my teachers to do my best in these (advanced) classes.
- 9th grade East High School student
Highlights
The Utah team's program design recognizes the fact that students have enough time within their high school experiences to complete the Utah System of Higher Education's General Education Certificate of Completion and is designing pathways that meet those requirements. The General Education Certificate of Completion includes at least one core course in health, business, and education. This certificate is accepted by and transferable across all Utah public higher education institutions, giving students a substantial head start toward their postsecondary goals.
The design team has an explicit focus on building, strengthening, and expanding community partnerships in pursuit of more equitable representation and success in pathways opportunities. Working with BIPOC-led organizations, such as the Utah Black Chamber, to provide input on program design and employer and community needs has been particularly essential.
The Utah team has built a strategy to continually involve students in building and expanding accelerated postsecondary opportunities. East High School will engage students via its grades 9-12 "Connections" advisory class; by creating mentorships for the transitional spaces between high school, college, and career; and by a building a student-led Advisory Committee to actively inform decision-making. By SY 2023, the team's goal is to work alongside student leaders to establish a clear and purposeful map for all advanced pathways at East High School so that every student has a clear understanding of their options and the steps they need to take to succeed.
Utah: Accelerate ED Blueprint Presentation
The Utah design team's presentation at the Nov. 2022 Accelerate ED convening.