California GEAR UP e-Newsletter

Michael Aldaco is Assistant Vice President for Student Academic Preparation at the University of California Office of the President.  In addition to serving as the Principal Investigator for California GEAR UP, he oversees the MESA program, the Puente Project and the Early Academic Outreach Program and is also the Principal Investigator for a number of other private and public grant-funded programs.

 

Based on your experience with higher education, what makes the California GEAR UP program unique?
California GEAR UP is most unique in its focus on working with the adults that influence students, rather than placing the emphasis on direct service to students. Ultimately, this approach impacts many more students, resulting in greater college access and sustainable whole school change.

What are your views about the work California GEAR UP is doing with high poverty middle schools?
The work of California GEAR UP is tremendously important in the schools that are being served. Many of the parents of the students at our schools did not have the opportunity to pursue postsecondary education. Consequently, they are not equipped to illuminate the path to college. For these students and their families, college is not viewed as affordable or accessible. GEAR UP is working to bridge that gap.

What changes do you see in terms of coordination between middle schools and higher education in our State?
There is increasing evidence of the tremendous benefit of partnerships between the K-12 and higher education community. A confluence of groups is now coming together to share expertise and knowledge about this systemic approach. Some examples include Superintendent Jack O’Connell’s P-16 Council, the University of California’s P-20 Regional Partnerships, and the Alliance for Regional Collaboratives to Heighten Educational Success (ARCHES).

Why is it important for the Whole School Reform movement to reach beyond the school site?
Research clearly shows the connection between widespread student underperformance and non- academic issues in student life. The most successful interventions are those allied with the whole school community, including community-based organizations and institutions that support the families within those communities.

What incentives are there for the corporate and business sector to be involved with California GEAR UP?
What immediately comes to mind is the preparation of the workforce now and in the decades to come and how this is critical to the economic health of our society. We need to produce workers who make a positive, rather than a negative, contribution to the state economy. My contacts in the business community indicate a desire to stay in California but quickly acknowledge the critical need for a qualified workforce to fill the job ranks. Many jobs, particularly in engineering and science, go unfilled because of the lack of qualified workers. The GEAR UP mandate, to increase the college-going rate, is clearly related to these industry and employability concerns.

What are the strengths of other statewide academic preparation programs, such as MESA, Puente, and EAOP, which you also oversee?
The Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement Program (MESA) works at secondary and community college levels to improve math and science curriculum and pedagogy, student motivation by promoting pride through academic achievement and relating what is happening in the classroom to real life. The program also operates at the university level to support students who are majoring in engineering and computer science. MESA has received national recognition as a model program for innovation in math and science teaching and its ability to forge strong working partnerships with the education community, the private sector and industry.
The Puente Project works in high schools and community colleges. To increase the number of educationally disadvantaged students who enroll in four-year colleges and universities, earn college degrees, and return to the community as mentors and leaders of future generations. The program provides intensive and on-going training of support teams that include an English instructor, a counselor and a mentor.

The Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) provides academically promising students who are determined to go to college with the tools and information to prepare for admission to the colleges and universities. Trained staff work directly with students and families, providing academic support, tutoring and introductory experiences about college life. EAOP has been particularly effective in serving large numbers of secondary students in the communities surrounding all 10 UC campuses.
These Academic Preparation programs are very successful. There are tremendous opportunities for these programs and GEAR UP to share resources and learn from each other.

Is there anything you would like to share about your background?
I grew up in Southern California where my father was a steelworker with Kaiser Steel and my mother was a homemaker. Not having parents who attended college, I was unaware of what a college preparatory curriculum was. I went from being the smartest kid in elementary school to just taking any courses in middle and high school. No one told me that college was for me. I attended community college primarily to play baseball. It was there that I learned what was needed to attend a four-year college and what was needed to transfer.

My background is not unlike many students at California GEAR UP schools. The difference will be that through this program, they will understand the connection between what they do in middle school and the future course of their lives.