The Garden Grove Unified School District, the Rancho Santiago Community College District and Santa Ana College will partner to create a new Early College High School program at Santiago High School beginning in the 2019-2020 school year.
The Early College High School program will allow high school students to simultaneously earn high school and college credits starting in the ninth grade.
Students will participate in dual enrollment by taking courses at Santiago High School that earn them both high school and college credit for free.
“The chance for Santiago High School students to earn college credit while they are still in high school will give them a great start on their higher education,” said Walter Muneton, Garden Grove Unified Board of Education trustee. “Students in this program will be more likely to enroll in college once they graduate high school, and they will be better prepared for what college may bring.”
The advantages of students who are enrolled in the Early College program include graduating high school already having earned general education college course credits, saving money by taking the classes while still in high school, getting experience taking college-level classes early and getting a head-start in completing classes that meet Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) qualifications.
Students who complete all four years of the program may also have the opportunity to transfer to University of California or California State University schools with junior class standing.