College & Career

The Azusa Unified School District offers 8 Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways representing 5 industry sectors.  

WHAT IS A CAREER PATHWAY?

A career pathway is a sequence of at least two courses (Concentrator & Capstone) within an area of interest.  Pathways are designed to connect high school classes to post-secondary college and/or career options.  A career pathway will help students acquire the depth of knowledge and skill specific to the industry sector and may lead to industry-accepted certifications that will help the student attain employment.  A career pathway also provides students insight into a possible career path that can be further explored at college or technical or trade schools.     

WHY SHOULD STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN A CTE PATHWAY?  

While in high school, students have the opportunity to acquire free technical skills training in the career field in which students are interested.  Students will learn valuable technical and soft skills, making them employable regardless of the field of study or eventual career.   All CTE courses support the Common Core State Standards and CTE Model Curriculum Standards.  Learning rigorous academic skills is an integral part of each CTE course, and these skills help our students practice in real-world, hands-on environments.  Also, taking CTE courses helps satisfy Azusa Unified School District’s graduation requirements.    

HOW DO CTE COURSES PREPARE STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE?  

Azusa Unified works collaboratively with local community colleges, such as Citrus College and Mt. San Antonio College, to develop college articulated courses.  The college articulation process allows high school students enrolled in specific CTE courses to seek college credit for work completed in high school.  Articulation provides a streamlined path for students who complete a program of study in high school and wish to continue on that path at the community college.  Also, all Azusa Unified CTE courses are UC/CSU a-g approved, meaning the courses have been reviewed by the University of California and California State University systems and deemed to have the rigor of a college preparatory course.  In short, these classes are designed to prepare you for college.  These courses emphasize analytical thinking – challenging the student with substantial reading, writing, and problem-solving requirements.

College & Career Exploration

Azusa Unified students in grades 6-12 are guided through college and career exploration activities facilitated by teachers and counselors.  Students explore self-interests and how they relate to career paths and also explore various colleges based on personal preferences and what the colleges have to offer.  Students at Gladstone Middle School have the opportunity to take the course College & Career Ready Labs, which provide hands-on career exploration activities to engage students in authentic problem-based learning experiences as they discover their interests and aptitudes.