City of Berkeley and Bayer Corporation - Bayer Healthcare ...

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significant Accomplishments:
• California’s high school drop-out rate is 24%, and Berkeley High’s is 12%—but since
Biotech Partners began in 1993, 98% of its students have graduated. In the last five
years, every student who completed the program graduated from high school.
• 50% of the students who began the community college curriculum with the Peralta
Community College District in June 2008 completed their certificate requirements by
December 2009. Another 10% are in the process of completion. Since 1993 the overall
completion rate of the community college program is nearly 60%—more than twice the
national average of students completing community college certificate programs.
• Biotech Partners student interns have earned more than $3 million to date.
• In 2009, all four Berkeley Chamber of Commerce College Scholarships (at $1,000
each) were awarded to Biotech Partners students.
• Numerous employers report that Biotech Partners graduates come better prepared for
their positions than graduates coming from four-year universities, noting that they
believe this is in large measure due to the program’s pairing of both academic and
on-the-job training.
Number of Students Enrolled at Berkeley High
junIoRs senIoRs ContInuIng to peRAltA
Academic year fAll spRIng fAll spRIng CommunIty Colleges
2009–2010 42 29 16 16* n/a
2008–2009 29 30 23 23 9
2007–2008 40 40 48 40 8
2006–2007 39 39 38 38 n/a
totAl 1992–2009 1,041
* A significant number of Biotech Academy high school graduates are going on to four-year colleges rather
than advancing to the Biotech Career Institute at the Peralta Community Colleges. This also explains the
reduced numbers of seniors in the program, since many students need to take additional classes in their
senior year to qualify for college admission. The fact that so many of these students began the high school
program as low academic performers, and often are the first in their families to attend a four-year college,
is indeed one of the great validations of the vision that created Biotech Partners.