GGUSD Announces Partnership with Rancho Santiago Community College District

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Santiago High School students holding up their colleges of choice during the 2017-18 school year.

Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD) and Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) will partner with Santa Ana Community College on a new Early College High School program that will be offered at Santiago High School beginning the 2019-2020 school year. The Early College High School model program allows high school students to simultaneously earn high school and college credits beginning their freshman year.

The Early College program is a unique opportunity for Santiago High School students to earn college credits before completing high school. Students participate in dual enrollment, by taking courses at Santiago High School that earn them both high school and college credit for free. The program is made possible through a coordinated partnership with Santa Ana College (SAC).

“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, 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, 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.

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