Special Resources

The faculty and staff of the University of California recognize that the landscape of secondary education in California is constantly changing.  In an effort to keep students engaged and motivated through graduation, combine rigor and relevance, and prepare students simultaneously for both college and career, high schools are increasingly integrating academic and career technical course content and using project-based learning, as well as other instructional strategies to engage and motivate students.  The University supports these curricular and pedagogical shifts and is working to adjust the "a-g" course review guidelines and process to accommodate these changes.

This section of the web site is intended to provide special resources for high school administrators, teachers and counselors who are making these changes in curriculum and instruction.  Specifically, users will find assistance in the following areas: Career Technical Education, the Curriculum Integration Pilot Project, visual and performing arts design courses and project-based courses. Additionally, there is a section for New Counselors/Teachers/School Administrators.  The links under each topic will aid in developing curricula, provide advice regarding course expectations and descriptions, and provide resources and help for new counselors:

• Career Technical Education 
  This section of the web site provides information and guidance for high school counselors, teachers and school administrators interested in developing and submitting for "a-g" approval career technical education courses offered by the high school or through the district, a Regional Occupational Program or Center.
• Curriculum Integration Pilot Project (CIPP)
  This project, funded by the California Department of Education, seeks interested participants in a pilot project which aims to develop model courses that integrate academic and career technical course content. It is anticipated that courses developed through the project will have greater potential to become approved by the University of California as satisfying an "a-g" subject requirement.
• Design Course
  Materials posted here have been created to support teachers and schools wishing to offer standards-based visual design courses that can be approved by UC to meet the visual and performing arts requirement.
• New Counselor
  This section provides links that will aid counselors, teachers and school administrators new to the "a-g" course approval process in understanding the "a-g" subject requirements and developing and writing course descriptions. In addition, it offers examples of courses that have and have not been approved and links to web sites for counselors only.
• Project-Based Course
  The resources in this section will assist teachers who are developing project-based courses and writing them up for presentation to UC for "a-g" approval.