{"id":465013,"date":"2025-05-14T05:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T12:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/?p=465013"},"modified":"2025-05-14T09:52:17","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T16:52:17","slug":"middle-school-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/_es\/education\/k-12-education\/2025\/05\/middle-school-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Can middle schoolers handle college? This San Jose school is finding out"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The San Jose Evergreen Community College District offers a course at a local middle school, and plans to offer more in the future. The college faculty union worries that the students are too young.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n

By 2:45 p.m. the regular school day at August Boeger Middle School had already ended, but one class is about to start. More than 20 eighth graders drop their backpacks and settle into desks \u2014 not for extra credit but for college credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These 13- and 14-year-old students in East San Jose are taking their first college course, an entry-level class on career planning. This middle school is one of the first in the state to offer a college-level course. In the coming years, the San Jose Evergreen Community College District wants all middle school students in this school district to be able to complete three college courses antes<\/em> they start high school, and soon, the district plans to offer other courses, such as\u00a0sociology and ethnic studies, said Beatriz Chaidez, the chancellor for the community college district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Middle schoolers have long been eligible to enroll in college classes in California, though only a few, high-achieving students actually do it. By offering a college class at a middle school \u2014 especially one in a high-poverty area \u2014 the community college district is looking to make that enrollment easier. The class is taught by a middle school staff member, and it\u2019s reserved exclusively for middle school students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But with so few programs, there is little research about whether students are benefitting, and the local faculty union is worried middle school students might not be ready. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chaidez disagrees. \u201cNavigating (college) as early as middle school is unheard of in their community,\u201d she said. \u201cSo when they experience success, it really motivates them to continue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

California is increasingly pushing high schools to offer community college classes directly to students during the regular school day, a set-up known as \u201cdual enrollment.\u201d Unlike AP classes, which include expensive exams and are limited to certain subjects and high-performing students, these community college classes cover a range of topics and are open to all students. By 2030, California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Chiristian wants all high school students to graduate with at least four college courses completed.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chaidez wants to go further. She wants every local high school student to be able to complete about <\/em>20 college courses by the time they graduate \u2014 enough to earn an associate\u2019s degree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CalMatters reached out to the college district\u2019s faculty union, which was surprised to learn the district is offering classes at a middle school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis opens up some problems,\u201d said Jessica Breheny, an English professor and the union\u2019s vice president. \u201cI\u2019m sure there are 12-year-olds that are college-ready, but there are just less of them and it\u2019s less likely. Developmentally, they have other things going on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Las investigaciones muestra<\/a> that high schoolers who take college classes are more likely to attend college and graduate, but there\u2019s little research on how middle school students fare, said John Fink, a senior researcher at Columbia University\u2019s Community College Research Center. \u201cNationally, and in most states, this is very, very rare, and in many states this is not allowed.\u201d Instead, he said the focus is typically on enrolling more 10th, 11th and 12th graders in college courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A college-level course, with a few middle school games<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

About 10% of California\u2019s high school students took a community college class in the 2021-22 school year, according to un an\u00e1lisis<\/a> by professors at UC Davis using the most recent data. California\u2019s community college system doesn\u2019t track how many middle school students take college courses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, the Mount Pleasant Elementary School District, which includes August Boeger Middle School, offers only one college course, called \u201cCareer Planning,\u201d and it\u2019s almost indistinguishable from any other class on its campus. The college course is taught in a regular middle school classroom, and the professor, Oscar Lamas, already works at the middle school, where he\u2019s a counselor. Perhaps the only noticeable difference is the timing: The middle school day ends at 2:30 p.m. and Lamas\u2019 course starts at 2:45. He\u2019s paid separately by the community college to teach the course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Two<\/figure>\n
Primero:<\/strong> Adjunct professor and school counselor Oscar Lamas teaches a college class. \u00daltimo:<\/strong> From left to right, students Kiara Valencia, 13, and Matthew Quicho, 14, participate in a speed interviewing exercise. Photos by Laure Andrillon for CalMatters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Career Planning helps students learn about career paths<\/a>, practice resume-writing and learn psychological theories related to professional success. A governing board of college district professors, known as the Academic Senate, sets the objectives for each college course, but Lamas has broad discretion in teaching it. The Academic Senate responsible for setting the parameters of Lamas\u2019 course did not respond to multiple requests for comment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dean of the community college\u2019s counseling department, Victor Garza, refused an interview request from CalMatters but issued a written statement. Garza said the middle school class is akin to other dual enrollment courses, which maintain the college\u2019s \u201cacademic rigor.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t

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More high schoolers are taking college classes \u2014 but no surprise which students benefit most<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tby<\/span> Delilah Brumer<\/a><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n

\u201cSome adjustments might be needed to cater to the unique needs and experiences\u201d of students, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a Thursday before spring break, Lamas tries to make his class more fun by breaking the students into five teams to play a Jeopardy-style quiz game on the topic of the day, Maslow\u2019s Hierarchy of Needs<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natalie Mendoza, 14, becomes the default spokesperson of her team, named the \u201cTacos R Us Club,\u201d but she answers the first question wrong, putting her team back 300 points and prompting her classmates to burst into chatter and analyze their mistakes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the class, she has to study a career, write a short essay about it and present it at a career fair. She picked intellectual property law. \u201cA lot of people say I\u2019m assertive,\u201d she said. \u201cI think that\u2019s a really good trait for a lawyer, and I think it\u2019d be fun to fight for people who have created stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Student Natalie Mendoza, 14, participates in a speed interviewing exercise during a college class at August Boeger Middle School in San Jose on April 17, 2025. Photo by Laure Andrillon for CalMatters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Natalie said she\u2019d be the first in her family to attend college but she\u2019s already planning to go and has a few schools in mind, including UC Berkeley and San Jose State. If she does attend one of those schools, her grade in this counseling class would be part of her official college transcript.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breheny, with the union, said she\u2019s concerned about the quality of the classes, especially once the college district begins teaching other subjects, such as ethnic studies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFaculty designed their courses for adult learners,\u201d Breheny said. An ethnic studies class may cover topics such as sexual violence and genocide, she added \u2014 topics that may be difficult to convey to a middle schooler. \u201cSome of the material assumes a certain knowledge about the world, about politics, which you may not have at 11, 12, 13 years old.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High schools offer few dual enrollment classes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

August Boeger Middle School sits at the base of the Diablo Range mountains, tucked between the ranch-style homes and strip malls that color East San Jose. Teachers and staff greet each other with mucho gusto<\/em> instead of hello. All around the open-air campus, murals tell the story of the region\u2019s multi-cultural heritage, especially its Mexican and Chicano roots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That celebration of culture is a direct response to a history of adversity, Lamas said. \u201cEast San Jose has always been a marginalized, disadvantaged environment.\u201d As a result, schools in the community contend with education disparities, he said, such as a high dropout rate and a high teen pregnancy rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Students sit outside at August Boeger Middle School. Photo by Laure Andrillon for CalMatters\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Offering a college class to these middle school students allows them to \u201csee a possibility for their future that doesn\u2019t exist within these walls here\u201d and can inspire them to reach for a higher goal, said Marisa Pe\u00f1a, a school advisor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Male students, Black and Latino students and students from rural areas are underrepresented<\/a> in the community college courses offered at California\u2019s school districts. California lawmakers have signed numerous bills in the hopes of expanding access but certain regions in the state, such as Los Angeles, enroll a higher percentage of students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natalie said she hopes to continue taking college courses when she starts at Mount Pleasant High School this fall, which is just around the corner from her middle school. But her options are limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cNationally, and in most states, this is very, very rare, and in many states this is not allowed.\u201d<\/p>John Fink, senior researcher at Columbia University\u2019s Community College Research Center<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mount Pleasant High School offers just three community college courses, which serve about 10% of the school\u2019s roughly 1,000 students, said Kyle Kleckner, the school district\u2019s director of instructional services. All of the classes are in \u201cmultimedia\u201d studies, he said, which teaches students how to create their own podcasts or YouTube channels, along with other digital marketing skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Mount Pleasant High School\u2019s dual enrollment is about on par with the state average, it trails other districts in the region. Less than 20 miles away, at high schools in the Milpitas Unified School District, roughly 25% of students enrolled in a community college class in 2021-22, according to the UC Davis analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding professors to teach middle school<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Part of the dual enrollment challenge is finding qualified college professors who are willing and able to work at a high school or middle school. Existing middle and high school teachers are allowed to teach college courses but they have to meet the qualifications, which usually include a master\u2019s degree in the area of instruction. Most of California\u2019s high school and middle school instructors lack<\/a> a master\u2019s degree, according to a study by the Public Policy Institute of California. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Adjunct professor and school counselor Oscar Lamas teaches a college class at August Boeger Middle School in San Jose on April 17, 2025. Photo by Laure Andrillon for CalMatters\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have graduation requirements that students have to accomplish,\u201d Kleckner said. \u201cThe trick is finding that community college course that also fulfills those requirements and also finding a teacher who can teach it.\u201d He said Mount Pleasant High School is committed to expanding the number of college courses but noted that it\u2019s smaller and therefore has fewer teachers who meet the requirements to teach a college course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In turn, many college professors lack experience teaching children, said Breheny, who teaches at San Jose City College. \u201cWe have had some problems already with dual enrollment where faculty have gone to different (high schools) to teach and have dealt with classroom management issues that they wouldn\u2019t have in a college course.\u201d In one case, she said a college faculty member saw bullying in a high school classroom but didn\u2019t feel equipped to respond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamas has a master\u2019s degree, which is required for most school counselors<\/a>. He\u2019s gentle with the middle school students in his class, occasionally awarding points in the Jeopardy game even when the answer isn\u2019t perfect. Lamas had two quiz games planned that day, each one covering a different topic, but the first game took up almost all of the class time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He ends class by taking questions about the upcoming final project. Although spring break is minutes away, the students sit still through the final minutes, except for the occasional joke and bursts of laughter. Not a single phone was in sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once class ends, however, chatter ensues, the students pull out their phones, and staff escort them to the parking lot. While they may be taking a college course, they still must wait for their parents to pick them up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adam Echelman cubre los colegios comunitarios de California en asociaci\u00f3n con Open Campus, una sala de redacci\u00f3n sin fines de lucro centrada en la educaci\u00f3n superior.<\/em>
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No need to apply: Cal State is automatically admitting high school students with good grades<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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How do high schoolers in your area really fare after graduation? A new California tool lets you know<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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