SANTA CRUZ -- University of California College Prep (UCCP), which publishes high-quality, UC-approved online courses to benefit California high school students, has agreed to share its online materials with Mexican educators in return for Spanish language translations of its courses.

A Spanish version of UCCP's popular Algebra course was delivered to UCCP on Nov. 21 and will be made available to California educators in early 2009.

UCCP utilizes streaming video and interactive simulations to help students succeed in subjects like algebra and calculus. Spanish-language versions of UCCP courses will be available to students in California at no cost, whether through open Web sites or by licensing courses to California schools. A Spanish version of AP Calculus is already available through UCCP and its partners.

This exchange provides California's native Spanish speakers with a powerful supplemental tool to support their success in math, as well as their progress in meeting California's rigorous academic standards. California eighth-graders score near the bottom of the county in algebra and the course is a key gateway to high school graduation and college eligibility.

The Universidad de Guadalajara is conducting the translations of the courses, which will offer Mexican secondary and college students with free access to high-quality online mathematics courses developed in the U.S. In return, Spanish translations of the courses will be developed and distributed free of charge by UCCP in California and to Spanish-speaking students in the U.S. and beyond by Monterey Institute for Technology and Education (MITE), a U.S. nonprofit that distributes Internet-based education courses.

Educators in both countries have actively sought ways to overcome poor preparation in mathematics. The online courses in this agreement will be used to improve test scores, especially among underserved students in urban and rural areas.

Shared goals for improving student performance in mathematics have led to an agreement between Corporacion Universitaria para el Desarrollo de Internet (CUDI), a Mexican nonprofit corporation composed of members from the public and private sectors, UCCP and MITE.

CUDI funds an advanced, high-speed network in Mexico and has agreements with a number of carriers that provide high-performance applications to higher education and research institutions. CUDI is also a partner of CENIC, the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California, which designs, implements and operates CalREN, the California Research and Education Network, a high-bandwidth, high-capacity Internet network to which the vast majority of the state's K-20 educational institutions are connected.

Founded in 1999, UCCP develops and distributes UC-approved online Advanced Placement and college prep courses for use by California teachers and students. Last year, over 83,000 California students used UCCP's online content and over 153,000 students across the world accessed UC online course content. For more information on UC College Prep visit www.uccp.org.