Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Career Technical Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District highlights CTE growth and renovated shops as students demo robots and solar cars
Summary
District CTE director Manuel Zapata reported an 86.8% college-and-career indicator and growth in CTE participation; San Diego Academy renovated wood and metal shops were shown and middle school STEAM students demonstrated robots and 3D-printed solar cars.
Manuel Zapata, the district's director of career technical education and work experience, used the Feb. 12 board meeting to mark Career Technical Education month, report student outcomes, and showcase renovated CTE spaces.
Zapata told trustees the district now offers 18 CTE pathways (sports medicine is the newest addition), serves roughly 6,500 students, and last year celebrated more than 10,000 pathway completers and about 355 industry certifications. He said 75% of high school students are enrolled in at least one CTE course. The district's college and career indicator (CCI) — a key measure on the California School Dashboard — rose to 86.8% prepared, a roughly 3-point increase from the previous year.
Zapata also highlighted two major facility projects at San Diego Academy: renovated wood and metal shops outfitted with industry-standard equipment to support construction and advanced-manufacturing pathways.
Students from Earl Warren Middle School's STEAM program (teacher Mercer Barrows) demonstrated classroom projects for the board. Seventh-grader Elanor Yates and classmates presented a programmable robot called the Bolt Plus; middle-school students Sebastian Quas, Sauren Schindler and Owen Kado showed 3D-printed solar cars they designed in Tinkercad. One student noted some cars weren't able to drive due to torque or lack of sunlight during the indoor demonstration; the students described the design and CAD learning process.
The board and audience praised the students, and Zapata invited the community to the district's 7th annual CTE showcase on March 25 at Canyon Crest Academy, where students and industry partners will display projects and demonstrations.
Quote: "San Diego Union High School District ranks as the number one district in San Diego and Imperial counties with an impressive 86.8% of our students meeting the prepared level in the CCI," Zapata said. "This represents a testament to intentional programming design, strong counseling support, and high-quality instruction."
