GIA Education Report: 8/20/24

Welcome to the GIA Education Report. With the latest in Southern California education news, I’m Alyssa Silva. 

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded over $40 million in grants to seven institutions to boost completion rates for underserved students through the Postsecondary Student Success Grant program. This funding supports evidence-based strategies to improve student outcomes such as retention and graduation rates. With only 62% of students graduating within six years, the grants aim to close gaps and create more equitable opportunities in higher education.    

In recent years, apprenticeship programs in early childhood education have rapidly expanded across the U.S., with 35 states offering them and more on the way. A 2021 report from the U.S. Department of Labor highlights early childhood education as one of the top five fastest-growing fields for apprenticeships. Linda Smith, the report’s author, describes the growth as an “explosion” happening nationwide. 

In other news, UC Riverside has set a new record for fall 2024, admitting the most California first-year students of any University of California campus, with 36,585 offers. UCR also leads the system in admitting Black, low-income, and first-generation students. This achievement aligns with UCR’s commitment to diversity, reflecting its student body, which is 46% low-income and 50% first-generation. The entire UC system also had a record year, with over 93,000 first-year admission offers to California students. 

San Bernardino Valley College has launched its new Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) program, offering students the opportunity to earn college credits for skills and experiences gained outside the classroom. Through CPL, students can receive credits for work experience, military service, and professional certifications. The program includes assessments like CLEP exams, evaluations of military training, and recognition of workplace achievements, making it easier for students to turn their real-world knowledge into academic progress. 

This school year, California students will benefit from new laws enhancing mental health access, requiring climate change education in all grades, and providing free menstrual products in elementary schools. The expansion of transitional kindergarten will welcome more four-year-olds onto campuses, while college students gain greater transparency on course costs. Additionally, a law banning suspensions for willful defiance across all grades aims to foster a more supportive educational environment.  

California Baptist University graduate student Philip Solt was honored to receive the prestigious Veterans Caucus US Army, Navy, and Marine Corps Memorial Scholarship at the American Academy of Physician Associates Conference in Houston. The $6,000 scholarship, awarded to just one PA student nationwide, recognizes outstanding military service, community involvement, and academic achievements. 

And that’s this week’s GIA Education Report, I’m Alyssa Silva.