ABC Unified spotlights AI, and approves apprenticeships, dual‑enrollment and internship partnerships

ABC Unified framed its classroom approach to artificial intelligence as ‘HI + AI’ (human intelligence first) and moved to expand career and college pathways for students with a string of approvals at the Jan. 20 board meeting.

AI approach and classroom use Dr. Castro and the district’s technology and curriculum leaders pitched an instructional approach that keeps teachers as the primary decision makers while using generative tools to augment learning. The district is curating AI guidance, instructor badging and professional learning so teachers can model ethical use; Whitney High School’s AI pathway and multiple CTE offerings were highlighted as examples of early implementation. "We chose to bring teachers, students and administrators together to discuss how to ethically utilize these platforms to accelerate student learning," Dr. Castro said.

Apprenticeship and career partnerships approved Trustees approved several memoranda of understanding and linkage agreements to expand work‑based learning: - A linkage agreement with the Southern California Sheet Metal Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee to establish a registered pre‑apprenticeship pathway. (Approved by board vote.) - A similar linkage with the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters to launch a pre‑apprenticeship. (Approved by board vote.) - An MOU with the National Education Opportunity Network (NEON) to offer virtual dual‑enrollment courses taught by partner universities (Stanford, Howard, Georgetown and others) for participating high school students, with the district planning to pilot summer and spring offerings. - A partnership with Vital Link to host a larger STEMfest (March 21, 2026) for approximately 500 students in grades 4–9 at Cerritos High School.

Internships, curriculum and credentials The board also approved adding multiple professional‑internship course titles (CTE and non‑CTE) to expand work‑based learning credit opportunities across design, production, performing arts, engineering, patient care and software development pathways. Staff said the internships combine on‑site employer placements and simulated labs.

Adult education and certifications The board approved a contract for CPR/BLS training through Basic Life Support Express for adult‑school medical assistant and pharmacy technician students, and it adopted a new dual‑enrollment college course (Spanish 2011) to extend the district’s dual‑language pipeline.

Administrative systems Trustees approved a multi‑year contract with UKG for electronic timekeeping and attendance processing, moving the district from paper time sheets to an electronic system that staff said will improve payroll accuracy and efficiency; implementation is planned to follow the district’s larger HR/payroll migration.

Why it matters Taken together, the approvals underscore the district’s strategy to prepare students for both college and career: scaling AI literacy for classroom instruction, expanding work‑based learning and registered pre‑apprenticeships, and broadening college access through virtual dual‑enrollment offerings. Several trustees praised the proposals as low‑cost ways to broaden opportunity; others asked for timelines and evaluation metrics so the board can track outcomes.

Provenance: AI presentation (Dr. Castro, Mike Lawrence, Chad Lanes) and multiple action items (MOUs, internships, NEON, UKG, STEMfest) were discussed and approved during the Jan. 20 meeting.