Victor Valley Union High School District’s Heritage Program boosted college readiness for this year’s graduating seniors.
The program helped the seniors in two specialized programs, securing nearly 2,000 acceptance letters from colleges and universities across the country, distinct officials stated.
The district’s Heritage Program, which supports Black students, and the Legacy Program, geared toward English learners, were established to improve college readiness as part of a broader effort to increase college acceptance for all students in the district.
College ready
In just three years, the success of the programs is undeniable, with Adelanto, Silverado and Victor Valley high schools producing over 80% of Heritage seniors and 55% of Legacy seniors graduating fully A-G college-ready, meaning they can be admitted to a University of California or California State University schools, district officials said.
This year’s Heritage and Legacy graduates have been accepted to UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, Howard University, Pepperdine, UC Santa Barbara, Morehouse, UC San Diego, San Diego State, the University of Redlands, the University of LaVerne, Tuskegee University, and Louisiana State University, just to name a few.
“These programs are changing the perception of what is possible for students in the High Desert,” Superintendent Carl Coles said. “In addition to increasing college readiness for Black and English-learner students, Heritage and Legacy are helping to raise college readiness districtwide.”
District leader
The A-G completion percentage for all district graduating seniors is approximately 59%, which will likely make the district the local leader in college readiness when the final numbers are tallied after the school year, according to the district
The Heritage Program was piloted at Adelanto High School in 2022. At that time, less than 28% of African-American seniors at Adelanto High School were graduating A-G ready.
This spring, Adelanto High School Heritage saw 87% of its seniors achieve A-G completion, receiving a total of 601 college acceptance letters.
“It was hard getting it off the ground because we received some push-back in the community and even in the school,” Heritage Coordinator Aleka Jackson-Jarrell said. “Some families didn’t understand that the reason we needed the programs was that the data suggested these were the two sub-groups — Black students and English learners — who most needed the help.”
Jackson-Jarrell added that everything changes once people see the results.
“Now they understand the need. Everybody understands that helping one group of students literally helps the whole school. Helping one neighbor can help the whole community do better.”
A year after Adelanto Heritage’s initial success, the program was expanded to include Silverado and Victor Valley High School, with the Legacy program for English learners also added at all three schools.
The programs offer students guidance with applying for scholarships and financial aid, college applications, graduation checks, grade checks, A-G completion checks, college visits, family contact, events and more.
Silverado Heritage also posted impressive numbers this year, with 86% of seniors completing A-G and receiving a total of 465 college acceptances.
Victor Valley Heritage has seen one of the most drastic shifts. Three years ago, only 16% of the Victor Valley High School Black graduating seniors were A-G ready. By the spring of 2026, that number swelled to 67%.
Graduation rates were previously the main area of focus for California high schools. While graduation rates have risen, many students have found they aren’t qualified to be accepted to a university after graduating. It is only through completion of the A-G coursework (a set of 15 specific classes) that a student becomes eligible for UC or CSU admission.
The Victor Valley Union High School District has made A-G readiness its primary focus, with Heritage and Legacy leading the way.
“Our goal is to prepare all of our students to live a life of purpose with unlimited potential,” Coles said. “These programs are part of an audacious goal to make VVUHSD the most college-ready district in San Bernardino County. We must put our resources where our mouth is to help our students succeed and thrive.”
Success stories
Behind the districtwide data are individual students who utilized the programs to navigate the often complex college admissions process:
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: How Victor Valley schools are sending thousands of students to college
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press | USA TODAY Network
