CVUHSD Early College Program

Mission

CVUHSD Early College Program empowers students to achieve academic excellence through a free, safe, and exceptional dual enrollment program. We partner with post-secondary educational institutions to provide a pathway to college and career success.

Vision

CVUHSD Early College Program envisions a future where all students have access to a high-quality education that prepares them for a successful and fulfilling life.

Goals

Students will have the opportunity to earn college credit while earning high school credit for graduation.
Freshmen will have the opportunity to earn at least 3 units of college credit.
Students will have the opportunity to complete their A-G requirements while completing courses that meet Cal-GETC requirements.
Students have the opportunity to earn an associate's degree while in high school.

Centinela Valley Union High School District & El Camino College

Centinela Valley Union High School District (CVUHSD) & El Camino College

CVUHSD is partnering with El Camino College to offer an Early College Program as an option for our students as an opportunity to earn college credit while at Lawndale High School. Students in the program will be enrolled both as high school students and as El Camino College students. Students will enjoy the best of both worlds: participating in high school activities such as clubs and athletics and getting a head start on college work.

What is an Early College?

An Early College is a small, rigorous academic program within a high school that offers students the opportunity to earn college credit while fulfilling their high school graduation requirements.

What is Dual Enrollment?

Dual Enrollment is the term used when a student who is in high school takes college courses for credit while in high school. Sometimes, credit earned in college courses also counts towards meeting high school graduation requirements. In CVUHSD, courses that are part of the school day as part of our programs also count towards meeting high school graduation requirements.

What are the benefits of Early College?

Students will meet with counselors to create a four-year education plan that puts them on the path to completing their A-G requirements.
Students will have an opportunity to complete coursework that helps them meet Cal-GETC requirements.
- California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) is a set of courses that students complete to transfer to a California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC).
Competitive college applications.
- Colleges consider dual enrollment courses favorably for admissions applications. For example, the University of California awards an extra point in the UC first-year GPA calculation within the maximum honors points if a grade of C or better was earned in the course.
Students who earn college credit in high school will save money per credit earned because Early College is free.
- Examples of savings at:
  - El Camino is approximately: $1156
  - CSU is approximately $7643
  - UC is approximately: $19,236
  - the average Private is approximately $41,540

*information from El Camino College website.

Save time: students completing college courses can save themselves time completing General Education requirements at UC, CSU, and some private colleges and universities.

After high school:

Students can transfer their credits earned to a CSU or UC, or to a private college that accepts them.
Students can continue their education at El Camino College to complete Cal-GETC or Associate’s Degree requirements.

Location:

The CVUHSD Early College program will commence at Lawndale High School for the ninth-grade cohort in the 2025-2026 school year.

The Ideal Student

The ideal student for Early College is a student who is motivated to challenge themselves with rigorous academic coursework. They are self-starters, take initiative, and self-advocate. Students should be committed to seeking support and completing all four years of the program. Any student can apply to enroll in the program, but space is limited.

Questions? Email: [email protected]