Author: Growing Inland Achievement

California’s early literacy crisis is not a future concern. It is happening now. In the Inland Empire, only 37 percent of third-grade students read at grade level, below the state average of 43 percent. The data tell a sobering but familiar story: persistent racial, socioeconomic, and linguistic disparities continue to limit opportunity for too many students in our region.

GIA’s new policy paper, “Early Literacy Is the Foundation to Equitable Opportunity: Why AB 1454 Matters,” explores the urgency of this challenge and why Assembly Bill 1454 represents a meaningful opportunity for systems-level change in California, particularly in the Inland Empire.

This concise brief offers regional context, policy framing, and clear recommendations for education leaders, district administrators, and civic stakeholders committed to improving literacy outcomes.

Read the Full Paper

📄 Download the full policy brief

Through the Higher Endeavor initiative, Growing Inland Achievement continues to support postsecondary institutions in the Inland Empire as they take concrete steps toward transformational change.

Since late 2024, GIA has entered into agreements with 20 Inland Southern California institutions to implement the initiative. With the foundational planning phase complete, the past several months have marked a notable shift into deeper implementation, characterized by campus visits, collaborative planning, regional learning sessions, and tailored technical assistance.

Campus Visits and Institutional Engagement

Recent in-person visits to Copper Mountain College, Victor Valley College, Palo Verde College, California State University, Fullerton, and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona provided GIA staff and partners the opportunity to meet directly with campus teams, identify early priorities, and support strategy development.

GIA’s team continues to provide targeted assistance to each institution as they move toward implementation. This includes one-on-one strategy sessions, Institutional Transformation Assessment (ITA) sensemaking meetings, and access to curated resources and tools developed through the national Higher Endeavor network.

Focus Areas Guiding Regional Transformation

Two themes are consistently shaping transformation across the region: the role of leadership and culture in driving student success, and the power of pathways to support students through each stage of their journey. By strengthening leadership alignment and building seamless pathways from high school through college completion and beyond, institutions are working toward greater student success and economic mobility.

Regional Learning Through Insights for Impact Webinar Series

As part of its support model, GIA has continued to host Insights for Impact webinars, bringing together practitioners from across the region to explore pressing topics related to transformation. Recent sessions have included:

• AI in Higher Education: The Student Experience in collaboration with Every Learner Everywhere
• What’s Working (and Not) with Student Success Technology with the ADA Center

These learning opportunities help institutions stay informed, reflect on emerging practices, and connect with national experts.

Connecting Inland Work to National Strategy

Beyond regional engagement, GIA continues to represent the Inland Empire in national forums focused on student success and systems transformation. In August, Frances Tapper, Director of Postsecondary Strategy, joined a Gates Foundation convening to discuss the evolving role of Guided Pathways. She shared insights from the Inland Empire’s implementation efforts and emphasized the importance of pathways as a lever for transformation and institutional redesign.

More recently, the GIA team participated in a national Higher Endeavor retreat in Washington, D.C., joining peer intermediaries from Complete College America, AASCU, AIHEC, UNCF, Excelencia, and the Gates Foundation. The retreat provided an opportunity to reflect on shared learning, strengthen collaboration, and reaffirm the collective commitment to student-centered transformation.

Higher Endeavor now spans more than 270 institutions across the country, including 20 in the Inland Empire. GIA is proud to represent the region in this national effort and remains committed to expanding opportunities and improving outcomes for Inland students.

Looking Ahead

The momentum across participating campuses reflects a growing commitment to long-term transformation. As institutions continue to engage in planning, implementation, and capacity-building, GIA will provide sustained support through its CAIR strategy: Convene, Advocate, Invest, and Research.

This work contributes directly to the region’s broader goal of reaching 70 percent postsecondary attainment among working-age adults. Higher Endeavor is one of several strategies helping to build a more equitable and prosperous future for students and communities across the Inland Empire.

To learn more about the Higher Endeavor initiative, visit https://gia.echofactory.dev/higher-endeavor

Pictured (left to right): Dr. Sorrel Stielstra, Director of Research at Growing Inland Achievement; Randall Lewis, Owner, Lewis Group of Companies & Regional Philanthropist; Juna Park-Rogers, 2024–25 Randall Lewis Policy Fellow; and Dr. Paula Di Dio, Senior Research and Policy Strategist at Growing Inland Achievement.

Growing Inland Achievement (GIA) welcomes Juna Park-Rogers as its 2025-26 Randall Lewis Policy Fellow.

Park-Rogers joins GIA through the Randall Lewis Policy Fellowship Program, coordinated by UC Riverside’s Center for Community Solutions and School of Public Policy. The program places graduate students in applied public service roles across the Inland Empire to support research, policy, and community engagement.

As a fellow, Park-Rogers will work with GIA’s research team to advance projects aligned with the organization’s 2030 Strategic Plan. Her efforts will focus on equity-centered research that informs cradle-to-career strategies aimed at improving postsecondary access, completion, and workforce outcomes.

“Juna brings a thoughtful and collaborative approach to this work, and we’re excited to support her development as a policy researcher,” said Dr. Sorrel Stielstra, Director of Research at GIA. “The fellowship strengthens our capacity to produce research that not only informs systems change but reflects the lived experiences of students and communities in our region.”

Park-Rogers’ work will contribute to GIA’s CAIR strategy —Convene, Advocate, Invest, and Research —by supporting data-informed decision-making across the region.

For more information about the Randall Lewis Policy Fellowship Program, visit UCR’s Center for Community Solutions

 

Photo of Dr. Sorrel Stielstra, Director of Research at Growing Inland Achievement

Dr. Sorrel Stielstra, Director of Research at Growing Inland Achievement, has been selected to join the 2025–26 cohort of the California Education Policy Fellowship Program (CA EPFP).

The Fellowship is part of the national Education Policy Fellowship Program, coordinated by the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) in Washington, D.C. The California program is administered by the Education Insights Center (EdInsights) at Sacramento State University. Over the course of ten months, CA EPFP fellows explore complex education and workforce policy issues and develop strategies to advance equity in California and beyond.

As part of the 2025–26 cohort, Dr. Stielstra will engage with education leaders from across the state and nation, participate in policy dialogues, and contribute to projects that address systemic barriers to student success. The program offers a platform for interdisciplinary learning and peer collaboration, aiming to enhance policy leadership at the local, regional, and state levels.

Dr. Stielstra’s selection reflects her leadership in advancing equity-centered, data-informed research in the Inland Empire and her contributions to GIA’s CAIR strategy—Convene, Advocate, Invest, and Research. Her work helps shape regional strategies that improve postsecondary access and completion, inform institutional transformation, and support economic mobility for students and families.

GIA congratulates Dr. Stielstra and looks forward to the insights and connections this opportunity will bring to our regional work.

To learn more about the California Education Policy Fellowship Program, visit epfp.edinsightscenter.org