SUHSD College & Career Readiness

Each year, September 15 to October 15 is a time to honor the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. In our schools, we are inspired daily by the resilience, creativity, and leadership of Hispanic educators, students, and families. This month is an opportunity to not only celebrate cultural pride, but also to highlight the ways our diverse heritage strengthens learning and fosters connection across our community.

National Figures

• Dr. Antonia Pantoja (1922–2002) – Puerto Rican educator and activist; founded ASPIRA to promote educational advancement for Puerto Rican and Latino youth in the U.S.

• Dr. Lauro Cavazos (1927–2018) – First Hispanic U.S. Secretary of Education (1988–1990); worked to improve access to higher education for minority students.

• Dr. Ellen Ochoa (b. 1958) – Engineer, astronaut, and the first Hispanic woman in space; later became Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center and a national advocate for STEM education.

Our district recently hosted its annual College Fair and Career Expo night, and it was a tremendous success! Nearly 70 presenters—including colleges from across the state and nation, trade schools, apprenticeships, and Sweetwater Adult School—came together to share valuable information and resources with eager attendees. The Career Technical Education department promoted district industry-aligned pathways and our BVH Multimedia Pathway Students captured the energy of the event through BVTV.

Southwestern College showed up in full force, highlighting the wide range of programs available to students. Families with both middle and high school students left impressed and inspired by the wealth of opportunities for their future.

SUHSD STEAM hosted our very first Chess Tournament at Eastlake High School. With over 50 participants and great support, we are looking forward to organizing the 2026 Chess Tournament next year. For additional questions, reach out to Dr. Melanie Brown, SUHSD STEAM Coordinator.

First place - ELH

Second place - HTH

Third place - SUHi

Fourth place - OLH

Students from dance departments across the district come together each semester to learn different techniques and different genres from dance professionals. At the end of the day, they perform for each other.

Click on the dance image to see some great dance moves.

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) serve as the engine that drives collective teacher growth and student success. When framed around a district goal of assessment for learning, the purpose of a PLC is to create the conditions for continuous reflection and collaboration so that teaching and learning are directly aligned to student needs and our district instructional focus. When we pursue ambitious outcomes, provide access to each learner, and respond with feedback consistently, student learning will accelerate.

** Save the Date**

STEM Fair February 10, 2026

Advisors recently gathered at Hilltop High School to collaborate on best practices for supporting STEM at their school sites. Together, they will help promote the STEM Fair, guiding students through the scientific and engineering process to develop meaningful projects. Students engage in the Scientific/Engineering Method to collect data, test prototypes, and refine their work before presenting at the District STEM Fair. From there, some students advance to the Greater San Diego County STEM Fair, where last year’s winners returned to inspire advisors by sharing their experiences and successes.

If you are interested in serving as a judge for this year’s STEM Fair, don't hesitate to get in touch with Dr. Melanie Brown.

A-G Math resource teachers met with Dr. Zahner, SDSU Professor & CRMSE Director, to learn more about the Math California Frameworks and ways to use them to support all our learners in accessing math. Together, they unpacked Chapter 2 of the Math Frameworks and created a plan to share with their Math PLCs. In addition, these math teachers reflected on ways to continue to support their site's Instructional Learning Focus and ways to bring meaningful professional learning to their sites.

CPA coordinators met to share best practices and complete state reports, continuing to support our students from various sites.

What are CPAs?

California Partnership Academies (CPAs) are a state-funded program within high schools designed to support student success through smaller, career-themed learning communities that blend academic core instruction with real-world career preparation - CTE and are overseen by the California Department of Education.

• CPAs have a strong track record of improving attendance, credit completion, graduation rates, and college-going rates among at-promise students.
• They are often cited as an early model of Linked Learning in California, combining rigorous academics, technical skills, and real-world learning.

SUHSD has 14 CPAs across our High Schools, including the following:

• Administration of Justice
• Biotech
• Behavioral Health
• Criminology
• Eco-Engineering
• Health Care
• Hospitality & Tourism
• Information Technology
• Performing Arts

Pathful Connect is an online platform that connects K-12 educators and students with industry professionals for virtual career exploration and real-world learning experiences. It allows teachers to bring guest speakers, mentors, and career role models into their classrooms through live video interactions. The goal is to help students explore various career paths, develop skills, and gain insights from professionals across different industries.

Would you like more details on how it works or how to use it? Please contact Jessica.sphar@sweetwaterschools.org for integrating into your classroom.

Are you looking for ways to integrate College & Career Readiness into the Classroom? This is one great way to start. In collaboration with Pathful Connect, linked below you will find Lesson Objectives and Tasks for the first ten days of school.

Note: make sure students log into their accounts using Clever

First Visit the following website:

https://clever.com/in/suhsdlearning

Teachers, Click on the Teacher button and log in as Teacher and select your school.

If you have any questions about using Pathful Connect to embed College & Career Readiness in the classroom, please reach out to Jessica.Sphar@sweetwaterschools.org

Compact for Success is a partnership between Sweetwater Union High School District and San Diego State University (SDSU). The program provides a clear pathway for students to pursue higher education by offering guaranteed admission to SDSU into non-impacted programs for eligible students who meet specified academic criteria. The program is designed to encourage and support students in pursuing college degrees, thereby promoting educational equity and accessibility. This semester, 11th-grade students eligible for the Compact for Success will visit SDSU to learn more about campus life and the array of academic programs.

The College & Career Readiness department will continue to support and organize these field trips during the second semester in coordination with site counselors.

For additional information, please visit our website: https://ccr.sweetwaterschools.org/compact-for-success/ or contact Alfredo Cendejas, District COSA.

Semester 1 Field Trip Dates:

• Oct 13, 2025 – SYH & ORH
• Nov 3, 2025 – SOH, CVH & SUH
• Dec 1, 2025 – BVH, CPH & MOH

If you are getting your students prepped for PSAT, Shmoop has PSAT diagnostic tests that can help your students develop a study plan.

The California College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) Program at Southwestern College is an Advanced Scholastic and a Career and Technical Education Program that allows high school students in 9th through 12th grade to apply for dual enrollment at Southwestern College (SWC).

Every academic year, over 400 SUHSD students are enhancing their high school education and are earning college credit at the same time, thanks to a unique collaborative effort between the Sweetwater Union High School District, other surrounding charter schools, private schools and Southwestern College.

As part of the CCAP program, students are getting more mileage from after-school classes, like Psychology and Art. These "two-for-one" classes allow students to earn elective credits at the high school level and build up college credits that are transferable to Southwestern College or any University of California or California State University campus. Students accomplish all this without ever leaving their home campus.

San Diego Workforce Partnership

https://workforce.org/jobseekers

Career Centers

https://workforce.org/career-centers/

If you are interested in preparing our students for College & Career, please email us.