SUBJECT:

UCSD Charter High School

  For the past few years, a number of faculty, alumni, and students
have considered the possibility of starting a charter high school on
the UCSD campus. This has principally been a collaborative discussion
between faculty in our Teacher Education Program and Thurgood Marshall
College. The general outline of the project is to create an intensive
and supportive academic high school (grades 9-12) whose mission is to
recruit, admit, and instruct disadvantaged youngsters from low income
backgrounds. There is to be only one college preparatory curriculum
(UC a-f courses) taught by teachers recruited via a national search
and aided by specially trained UCSD student tutors.

  The goal of the project, as proposed, will be to increase the
academic achievement of selected low income students so that they are
competitively eligible for entrance to the University of California or
other selective universities. The presence of such a charter high
school on our campus presents special opportunities for significant
outreach, research, and teaching.

  The steering committee for this project has drafted a proposal
outlining the conceptual framework for the high school. At present, a
local feasibility task force is reviewing the non-academic elements of
establishing such a school and will soon make its recommendation to
Interim Chancellor Marjorie Caserio. While the review process unfolds,
the steering committee is planning to host an all-UCSD Town Meeting to
describe this initiative, and solicit comment and response from the
broader UCSD community.

  I hope that you are able to attend the UCSD Charter High School
Town Meeting in the Price Center Theater, Monday, February 26th at
Noon.

Professor Cecil Lytle Provost, Thurgood Marshall College