College Readiness Seminar
CMC Mission: Clackamas Middle College provides an inclusive, innovative, and challenging personalized education that cultivates and prepares independent learners for college and careers
WHAT IS COLLEGE READINESS SEMINAR?
At some schools, “College Readiness Seminar” is referred to as "advisory." Aligned with CMC’s mission, the purpose of the CMC College Readiness Seminar is to develop independent learners through a positive school climate and prepare students for success in their post-secondary path.
CMC College Readiness Seminar is designed to:
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- Provide social support for a positive school climate and encourage a college and career going school culture.
- Encourage student engagement by ensuring that every student has at least one adult at school, who knows and cares about them. Research shows that student engagement is the best prevention against dropping out.
- Enhance student achievement and affirm identity by helping students evaluate and reflect on their own skills, interests, and accomplishments and then make plans to improve.
- Assist students in completing a personalized Education Plan and Profile.
- Help students toward independent learning in the areas of: persistence, organization and time management skills.
- Provide structure and support for students to demonstrate readiness for CMC Pathways to College Program and post-secondary opportunities.
HOW IT WORKS
Each student in CMC’s College Prep program is assigned to a College Readiness Seminar with other students in the same grade that meets twice per week (Tuesday and Thursday mornings) for 45 minutes with an adult advisor. Students remain with the same CRS class and advisor for an entire school year (unless they move into the Pathways to College Program). All students in the College Prep program are assigned to a new CRS class and advisor each year.
WHO ARE CRS ADVISORS?
All the teachers at CMC serve as CRS Advisors. As CRS Advisors stay with the same students over the course of the year, they get to know each student well in a more non-academic setting. Advisors have one-on-one conferences with each student throughout the school year to support them in meeting personal and academic goals. One of the main responsibilities of the CRS Advisor is to communicate with the home if issues, such as low attendance, arise. CRS Advisors also serve the role of nominating students for the Pathways to College Program. Advisors advocate for students and are responsible for communicating with students and families throughout the nomination process.
ASSESSMENT
CRS is not considered as an "add-on" to the curriculum. Students will receive a letter grade for CRS based on attendance, participation and/or completion of assignments. Note: Consistent attendance (no more than 5 absences) is necessary for students to be eligible for the Pathways to College Program.
STUDENT VOICE
Each CRS class will nominate one student to serve on the Principal’s Advisory Council (PAC) starting in winter term. The PAC meets throughout the school year to discuss a wide range of issues related to CMC, serves as an open forum for the exchange of ideas about future plans for the high school, and explores objectives on how to make CMC an even better place to attend.
The goal of College Readiness Seminar (CRS) is to help students figure out who they are, where they’re headed, and how they’re going to get there. Through CRS, each student has an adult who knows them and helps them navigate high school so that they leave with a meaningful, personalized plan and are prepared for postsecondary options. Topics covered include, but are not limited to, the following:
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- Personal Health and Well-Being
- Community Building
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
- College and Career Readiness
- Time Management
- Organization
- Persistence
- Service Learning (11th Grade)