GIA Education Report: 4/30/24

A proposed amendment to the California Constitution that sought to change the
quality of education in California was due for the upcoming ballot. Now, it’s on
hold until the next election. Entrepreneur David Welch; the founder of the
nonprofit Students Matter, announced that they have decided to delay the
campaign in light of November’s crowded ballot. This amendment would have made California the first state to mandate “high quality” in public
schools…defined as schools that “equip them with the tools necessary to
participate fully in our economy, our society, and our democracy.”

In other news, The Emery Unified School District in Northern California is being
called “a pocket of hope” by educators and is attracting attention across the state
for notably raising test scores among Black students. Their proactive measures,
initiated before the pandemic, involve regular meetings to analyze student
performance data, a groundbreaking “grading for equity” system, incentives for teachers, and inclusive strategies that prioritize students’ knowledge assessment over behavioral factors. Math scores in the Emery school district nearly doubled over the last year and English language arts scores far surpassed pre-pandemic results. Chronic
absenteeism dropped 8.4 percentage points, far more than the state average.

The College of Education at UCLA is looking at the measures taken at the
schools and hoping to help duplicate that success throughout California.

Lastly, California Baptist University secured a significant $3 million grant from the
U.S. Department of Education. That funding is being used to launch a program
called “Preparados para el Exito” or Prepared for Success… Associate Provost
Wayne Fletcher of Cal Baptist explained issues the funding will help to resolve on
the Education Insight program recently.

Prepared for Success is a five-year program designed to enhance higher
education outcomes for Hispanic and low-income students. With a focus on
commuter student engagement and pre-nursing student success, Fletcher said
the university hopes the grant will help close equity gaps and provide
comprehensive support to Cal Baptist University.

The son of a Corona family—is bringing national attention to Riverside County
and it’s not the first time. Avijeet Rhandawa or Avi as he likes to be called, is a student who has again won the top spot in the county’s spelling bee. That win gives
him a spot in the Scripps national spelling bee in Maryland for the second time
and it adds up to the 8th county win for the kids of the Rhandawa Family. With his
sisters, Lara and Aisha; Avi and his sisters have been claiming titles since 2016.

Avi attributes his successes to taking advice from his sisters, family support, and
lots of studying. He says he studies anywhere from 5-hundred to a thousand
words a day. What was the winning word?
Crescendo… Spelled C-R-E-S-C-E-N-D-O.
Best of luck…to Avi.

And that’s today’s Education Report, I’m Alyssa Silva.