VUSD Students in top 20% Nationwide for College Courses

Visalia, CA — Visalia Unified, in partnership with the National Educational Equity Lab (Ed Equity Lab), proudly recognizes our students who have been inducted into the Ed Equity Lab’s National Honor Society. These exceptional high school students have demonstrated outstanding academic performance by performing in the top 20% of all scholars nationwide enrolled in dual-credit college courses.

"We believe that every student can achieve at their highest level, that is why we raise the bar and offer additional opportunities for our students to challenge themselves,” said VUSD Board President Joy Naylor"

Key Highlights:

• 13 students from Visalia Unified were honored.
• Courses completed include Introduction to Cloud Computing and Introductory Sociology, showcasing the diverse academic interests and achievements of our scholars.
• Students earned widely transferable college credits and a transcript from the offering institution upon successful completion.

The National Education Equity Lab is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the gap between high school and college for students from low-income communities. The Ed Equity Lab partners with top colleges and universities to deliver, and support, actual college credit-bearing courses into teacher-led, Title I high school classrooms across the country, at scale – and at no cost to students. This initiative allows participating students to take rigorous college courses from top professors, with weekly live discussions led by university teaching fellows, co-taught by teachers at their high schools.

“Each semester, thousands of students…demonstrate their ability to excel in college courses from leading universities—proving again that talent is evenly distributed, opportunity is not. We are incredibly proud of these students, whose achievements are a testament to their hard work, resilience, and the untapped potential that exists in every community across this country,” said Leslie Cornfeld, founder and CEO of the National Education Equity Lab. “Their success is a powerful reminder of the impact that equitable educational opportunities can have on the future of our nation.”

“Often, I find myself in conversations explaining that our students are not just excelling in their high school courses, but are dual-enrolled in college courses that they are not only passing, but receiving college-level credit for,” added Superintendent Kirk Shrum. “By offering these opportunities, we prepare our students for the demands of post-secondary education while giving them a competitive advantage through free classes.”

Claudia Solis Chavez, a 12th grader at Golden West High School added, “It’s not hard, but it makes you challenge yourself and work on time management. You just have to stay on top of your game, and get everything done on time. Since it's a college course, they expect more from you.”

Recognition Ceremony: Scholars in this year's National Ed Equity Lab Honor Society will be recognized in a ceremony on March 12th at 6:30 pm EDT, featuring university professors, high school teachers, district leaders, family, and members of the National Education Equity Lab board. For a Special Guest Link to attend the ceremony, please contact Sasha Bentley-Rohret at sasha@edequitylab.org. 

Congratulations to the following National Ed Equity Lab districts and high schools that have students inducted into this semester’s Honor Society for top national performance: 
 

List of Recognized Students and Schools: