Today is the first Middle School Counselors Workshop held here on the Kapiʻolani Community College’s campus.
This workshop was a combination of the Department of Education’s (DOE) push for early college awareness and addressing KapCC’s challenges with placing students in remedial math and English classes, Sheldon Tawata, Kuilei Outreach Coordinator explained.
Remedial courses are PCM 23 and PCC 20. However there are also developmental courses offered at KapCC include: English 21, 22, Math 24 to Math 82. College-level courses are generally numbered 100 and above, according to a report by the University of Hawaiʻi Institute and Analysis Office.
“We wanted to create strong partnerships with the middle schools to explore ways to decrease the number students placing in remedial courses,” he wrote in an email correspondence.
The workshop is coordinated by the Kuilei Outreach Program with help from instructors, counselors, teachers and peer mentors. The peer mentors will be sharing their experiences on what it takes to be a successful college student, Tawata wrote.
Though this even just includes middle school counselors, students have already been touring the campus; last week middle schoolers from Central Middle School were on campus.
“At the very least, my hope is to start partnerships that will help students make smart decisions as the enter high school and eventually college,” Tawata wrote.