MULTICULTURAL CAREER INTERN PROGRAM

THE MISSION OF MCIP AND ITS PUBLIC SCHOOL AFFILIATE, CHEC, IS TO STRIVE TO BECOME A MODEL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY THAT RESPECTS AND RESPONDS TO THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF OUR UNDERSERVED STUDENTS BY PREPARING THEM FOR THE ACASEMIC RIGORS OF COLLEGE AND AS LEADERS IN THE QUEST FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE. A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY IS A COLLABORATIVE ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AND TEACHERS IN A SCHOOL CONTINUOUSLY SEEK AND SHARE LEARNING AND THEN ACT ON WHAT THEY LEARN. THE GOAL IS TO ENHANCE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS AS PROFESSIONALS TO BENEFIT STUDENT EDUCATION. THE RESULTS OF THIS RESEARCH-BASED APPROACH IS THAT STUDENTS EXPERIENCE DECREASED DROPOUT RATE AND FEWER CLASSES "SKIPPED", LOWER RATES OF ABSENTEEISM, INCREASED LEARNING THAT IS DISTRIBUTED MORE EQUITABLY IN A SMALLER SIZED SCHOOL, GREATER ACADEMIC GAINS THAN IN TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS, AND SMALLER ACHIEVEMENT GAPS BETWEEN STUDENTS FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.