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Calexico Unified outlines expansion of CTE pathways, dual‑enrollment ties with IVC
Summary
District CTE director Gabrielle Williams told the board the program is expanding articulations and dual‑enrollment partnerships, projects 430 CTE completers next year, and is piloting an IVC‑taught HVAC course while pursuing more a‑through‑g approvals.
Gabrielle Williams Ballesteros, the district’s Senior Director of College and Career Readiness, told the Calexico Unified School Board that the district is working to expand Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways and college credit opportunities for students.
Williams said CTE “combines academics, real‑world hands‑on skills” and is embedded across sites including Calexico High, Aurora Continuation, Enrique Camarena Junior High and Willie Moreno Junior High. She said the district is actively submitting courses for CSU/UC “a‑through‑g” approval and pursuing articulation agreements with Imperial Valley College (IVC) so students can earn early college credit.
The district is piloting an IVC‑embedded HVAC/building trades class described as a single dual‑enrollment section this year. Williams said the IVC partnership for that course is “a pilot year” and will be reassessed at the end of the year. She also described a longstanding IVC articulation for other courses and reported that an IVC articulation for Aurora is included on the board agenda to allow Aurora students to receive college credit next year.
On outcomes, Williams said the number of students completing two or more years of a CTE pathway grew from 122 completers in 2022–23 to 268, and the district is projecting roughly 430 completers for the upcoming school year. She emphasized CTE’s dual aims of college and career readiness and said the district continues to build advisory committees, industry partnerships (including recent contacts with Hyundai for the auto shop program), and opportunities for valid workforce certifications.
Williams highlighted related work at the junior‑high level where a Paxton Patterson exploratory rotation gives 7th–9th graders short modules in agriculture, culinary and robotics to help them decide on high‑school pathways. She also noted the district’s NJROTC enrollment (roughly 140 cadets combined across sites) and cautioned that Navy partnership standards limit sections to about 100 cadets per instructor.
Why it matters: Williams framed these efforts as ways to increase students’ post‑secondary options and meet local labor demand. The board praised the presentation and asked clarifying questions about articulation and dual‑enrollment mechanics; Williams explained that articulation typically involves curriculum alignment and IVC administering or grading college exams, while dual enrollment may include an IVC instructor embedded in the high‑school schedule.
The district plans to continue submitting eligible CTE courses for a‑through‑g approval, expand dual‑credit and certification options where appropriate, and reexamine pilot offerings at year‑end.
