Author: Growing Inland Achievement

About This Episode

Season 4. Episode 14.

This week on Education Insight, we’re joined by Dr. Jon Fullerton, research professor and executive director of the USC EdPolicy Hub. Jon is also one of the authors of a recent EdSource article, Playing the Long Game in an Uncertain Education Policy Climate, which dives into some of the most pressing challenges facing California’s education system today.

In this episode, Jon shares insights into chronic issues like lagging student achievement and chronic absenteeism, while highlighting lessons California can learn from other states, such as Mississippi’s success with reading reforms. We also explore the role of public-private partnerships in building career pathways, how to better support students’ mental and physical health, and the importance of fostering inclusive, respectful conversations in education.

Jon emphasizes the need for community engagement and local innovation to create sustainable change and offers a bold vision for how California can lead the nation in education reform. Whether you’re an educator, policymaker, or passionate about student success, this episode is packed with actionable ideas to drive meaningful progress.

Listen now to discover how we can shape the future of education in California together!

Featured Guest

Dr. Jon Fullerton

Dr. Jon Fullerton is a research professor and executive director of the USC Education Policy Hub.  He has extensive experience working with education policy makers and executives in using data to guide system improvement and the effective use of financial resources.  Before coming to USC, Fullerton was executive director of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University.  While at CEPR, Dr. Fullerton founded the Strategic Data Project.  SDP places and trains analytic data fellows across the PK12 and Higher Education sectors to use data and evidence to guide strategy and decision making to transform student outcomes.  Thus far, SDP has placed or trained over 500 fellows across at over 240 partner agencies and non-profits.  

Fullerton has also served as the Board of Education’s Director of Budget and Financial Policy for the Los Angeles Unified School District. In this capacity, he provided independent evaluations of District reforms and helped to ensure that the District’s budget was aligned with Board priorities. From 2002 to 2005 he was Vice-President of Strategy, Evaluation, Research, and Policy at the Urban Education Partnership in Los Angeles, where he worked with policy makers to ensure that they focused on high impact educational strategies. Prior to this, he worked at McKinsey & Company as a strategy consultant. Dr. Fullerton has a PhD in government and AB in religion and social studies, both from Harvard. 

Interview Highlights

3:57 – Adrienne describes dual enrollment and its benefits.

7:15 – Adrienne speaks to how recent California mandates and initiatives may have influenced the growth of these new programs.

8:34 – Adrienne explains what research shows about the impact of dual enrollment on a student’s academic achievements or even their future success.

9:24 – Adrienne shares examples of dual enrollment activities that are taking place in our region and what is happening in the IE. 

13:11 – Adrienne talks about strategies in place to make sure that equal opportunities are available for all students.

20:18 – Jorge explains how dual enrollment aligns with his role at Riverside County Unified School District.

21:28 – Jorge shares his experiences and thoughts on the current dual enrollment programs that are being offered at Riverside Unified School District.

23:32 – Jorge gives insight into how dual enrollment makes students career ready.

25:58 – Jorge describes what challenges students typically face in dual enrollment programs and how he addresses those issues. 

32:43 – Jorge shares what he would like to see be the future of the dual enrollment program in his district and beyond. 

36:31 – Special Feature: Avijeet Randhawa, 8th-Grader, Auburndale Intermediate School in the Corona Norco Unified School District.

View our podcast page for more stories like this: https://gia.echofactory.dev/gia-podcasts/

Education Insight tells the story of education in the Inland Empire through the diverse voices of those in and around the regional education community. The show is produced by Growing Inland Achievement, a collective impact organization in the Inland Empire with a mission to increase economic prosperity in the region by increasing educational attainment. Hosted by 30-year broadcast veteran Lacey Kendall, monthly shows explore topics ranging from education challenges and shortcomings to innovations and groundbreaking ideas that are driving student success.

About This Episode

Season 4. Episode 13.

In this episode of Education Insight, Chancellor Kim Wilcox of the University of California, Riverside, takes a reflective look back at his remarkable career in higher education as he prepares for retirement. Over the course of his tenure, Chancellor Wilcox has led UCR through significant milestones, shaping the university’s growth and impact on the Inland Empire and beyond. In this candid conversation, he shares insights into his leadership journey, the challenges and accomplishments that have defined his time at UCR, and his thoughts on the future of the university.

Chancellor Wilcox also discusses the evolving landscape of education, the importance of community partnerships, and what he hopes to see in the years ahead. Join us for an inspiring dialogue on leadership, education, and the legacy of UC Riverside as Chancellor Wilcox reflects on his time at the helm and looks ahead to new adventures in retirement.

Featured Guest

Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox

As ninth chancellor of UC Riverside (UCR), Dr. Kim A. Wilcox has overseen transformational change, leading expansive growth in research, enrollment, graduation rates, and physical development. The campus has added schools of medicine and public policy. Enrollment has grown more than 25%, supported by over two million square feet in additional leading-edge classroom, laboratory, housing, and dining facilities. 

UCR has also grown its faculty, adding UCR’s first two Nobel Prize winners and increasing the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity among incoming faculty members. In 2023, UCR joined the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), one of just four members to be both an Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI).  

Wilcox is a champion for access and a leading voice in the reassessment of rankings systems to value metrics for student success over wealth and exclusivity. UCR has been named the no. 1 leader in social mobility by U.S. News and World Report four times in six years. 

Wilcox was a founding leader of the University Innovation Alliance (UIA) and the alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HSRU). His commentary has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Politico, and Chronicle of Higher Education, among others.  

A first-generation college student, Wilcox received his B.A. from Michigan State University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in speech and hearing science from Purdue University. Prior to UCR, he served as provost at Michigan State, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas, and president and chief executive officer of the Kansas Board of Regents. 

Interview Highlights

3:57 – Adrienne describes dual enrollment and its benefits.

7:15 – Adrienne speaks to how recent California mandates and initiatives may have influenced the growth of these new programs.

8:34 – Adrienne explains what research shows about the impact of dual enrollment on a student’s academic achievements or even their future success.

9:24 – Adrienne shares examples of dual enrollment activities that are taking place in our region and what is happening in the IE. 

13:11 – Adrienne talks about strategies in place to make sure that equal opportunities are available for all students.

20:18 – Jorge explains how dual enrollment aligns with his role at Riverside County Unified School District.

21:28 – Jorge shares his experiences and thoughts on the current dual enrollment programs that are being offered at Riverside Unified School District.

23:32 – Jorge gives insight into how dual enrollment makes students career ready.

25:58 – Jorge describes what challenges students typically face in dual enrollment programs and how he addresses those issues. 

32:43 – Jorge shares what he would like to see be the future of the dual enrollment program in his district and beyond. 

36:31 – Special Feature: Avijeet Randhawa, 8th-Grader, Auburndale Intermediate School in the Corona Norco Unified School District.

View our podcast page for more stories like this: https://gia.echofactory.dev/gia-podcasts/

Education Insight tells the story of education in the Inland Empire through the diverse voices of those in and around the regional education community. The show is produced by Growing Inland Achievement, a collective impact organization in the Inland Empire with a mission to increase economic prosperity in the region by increasing educational attainment. Hosted by 30-year broadcast veteran Lacey Kendall, monthly shows explore topics ranging from education challenges and shortcomings to innovations and groundbreaking ideas that are driving student success.

About This Episode

Season 4. Episode 13.

In this episode of Education Insight, we hear from Chastdei Kotsay and Christy Boal, an advisory board member and the founder of the Grand Terrace High School Senior Legacy Program. This unique program was created to support graduating seniors by funding key events and providing necessary resources, ensuring that all students, regardless of financial challenges, can celebrate their senior year.

Chastdei and Christy share the inspiring story behind the program’s creation, its community support, and its impact on students. From scholarships to prom tickets and grad night, the program has made unforgettable moments possible for many. The duo also discusses some of the most memorable projects, including helping a student living in his car, and how these efforts provide hope and joy to students, showing them that their community cares.

Join us as we explore how the Grand Terrace Senior Legacy Program has changed lives, and hear about the possibility of expanding this model to other communities in the future. This episode is a testament to the power of community support and the importance of celebrating the milestones in a young person’s life.

Featured Guest

Chastdei Kotsay

Christy Boal

Interview Highlights

3:57 – Adrienne describes dual enrollment and its benefits.

7:15 – Adrienne speaks to how recent California mandates and initiatives may have influenced the growth of these new programs.

8:34 – Adrienne explains what research shows about the impact of dual enrollment on a student’s academic achievements or even their future success.

9:24 – Adrienne shares examples of dual enrollment activities that are taking place in our region and what is happening in the IE. 

13:11 – Adrienne talks about strategies in place to make sure that equal opportunities are available for all students.

20:18 – Jorge explains how dual enrollment aligns with his role at Riverside County Unified School District.

21:28 – Jorge shares his experiences and thoughts on the current dual enrollment programs that are being offered at Riverside Unified School District.

23:32 – Jorge gives insight into how dual enrollment makes students career ready.

25:58 – Jorge describes what challenges students typically face in dual enrollment programs and how he addresses those issues. 

32:43 – Jorge shares what he would like to see be the future of the dual enrollment program in his district and beyond. 

36:31 – Special Feature: Avijeet Randhawa, 8th-Grader, Auburndale Intermediate School in the Corona Norco Unified School District.

View our podcast page for more stories like this: https://gia.echofactory.dev/gia-podcasts/

Education Insight tells the story of education in the Inland Empire through the diverse voices of those in and around the regional education community. The show is produced by Growing Inland Achievement, a collective impact organization in the Inland Empire with a mission to increase economic prosperity in the region by increasing educational attainment. Hosted by 30-year broadcast veteran Lacey Kendall, monthly shows explore topics ranging from education challenges and shortcomings to innovations and groundbreaking ideas that are driving student success.