A Changing World for High School Graduates
Providing Pathways While Keeping Doors Open
With the cost of living rising and changing technologies rapidly transforming the workplace, schools must do everything they can to prepare young people for life after high school. Increasingly, the needs of what had once been separate “college” and “career” tracks at high schools have become intertwined.
To ensure Sonoma County’s high school students have access to a range of high-quality educational opportunities, SCOE’s College & Career team works to expand access to early college credit and student internships, assist in building strong career technical education pathways, support high school counselors with professional development, and help establish targeted interventions for 9th graders to ensure they remain on track for graduation.
An Early Indicator of Graduation
Sonoma County 9UP Sets 9th Graders Up for Success
One of the best predictors of whether a student will graduate from high school is if they are academically on track when they finish 9th grade. According to the Network of College Success, 87% of students who are on track to graduate at the end of 9th grade do so, while of the students who are not on track, only 30% manage to graduate.
In recognition of the importance of 9th grade, SCOE’s College and Career team is working with seven of Sonoma County’s 17 high schools on Sonoma County 9th Grade Unlimited Potential, or SC9UP. In this multi-year endeavor, faculty teams come to four learning sessions a year to examine 9th grade student data and learn intervention strategies. These measures can be tailored to individual students and are focused on creating a sense of belonging among students. Each school has its own SCOE coach to help with planning, implementation, and data interpretation.
Access to Early College Credit
Increasing Opportunities to Access Higher Education
With the cost of attending college having risen sharply in recent years, SCOE works closely with Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) and local school districts to increase students’ ability to earn college credit while they are still in high school. SCOE began working with Sonoma County High Schools College and Career Access Program during the 2024-25 school year. This program removes barriers to junior college coursework by bringing college instructors directly to high school campuses. These classes are embedded in the regular school day, require no transportation, and are free to students — making college-level learning more accessible to all. Students gain early college credit while exploring clear pathways to careers and degrees. SCOE coordinates the program countywide, aligning efforts between the junior college and multiple school districts to ensure consistent, equitable access across diverse communities. For the current school year, 24 classes were held across 10 high school campuses, roughly doubling the numbers from 2024-25. Plans for 2026-27 call for continued expansion.
Connecting High School Interns and Businesses
The Path to Purpose Internship Program
This school year, SCOE and the Career Technical Education Foundation of Sonoma County launched a new internship program for high school seniors and juniors. Called Path to Purpose, it has recruited, screened, and matched more than 100 high school students with more than 40 employers across Sonoma County.
By creating a single hub for multiple schools throughout the region, Path to Purpose ensures internships meet the needs of both the region’s employers and a range of school districts and charters. The creation of a unified, countywide program streamlines what might otherwise be a patchwork of separate programs with different expectations and requirements.
As part of the program, each Path to Purpose intern is connected with a 1-credit work experience course at Santa Rosa Junior College. This course teaches the students on-the-job skills, establishes professional goals for their internships, and establishes a connection with a local institution of higher education.
This spring, SCOE was proud to host our first three high school student interns, in our communications, North Coast School of Education, and Behavioral Health & Well-Being departments. Additionally, a student from SCOE’s Amarosa Academy interned with the CTE Foundation.
