L.A. Raises the College-Going Bar. Now It’s Our Turn.
Our Neighbors in Southern California
In June, Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) Board of Education unanimously approved the “Realizing the Promise for All: Close the Gap by 2023” resolution, with the stated goal that by 2023, all LAUSD students are prepared to be eligible to apply to any 4-year university in California. This commitment speaks to LAUSD’s mission to graduate students who are both college-prepared and career-ready.
The resolution also lays out a number of additional goals, notably “to prepare all eighth grade students to be A-G ready as demonstrated by a ‘C’ or better in grade level English Language Arts and Math.” LAUSD has already taken critical steps to integrating A-G courses into its graduation requirements to help ensure that students are prepared for post-secondary success.
Now it’s our turn.
With graduation season at a close in West Contra Costa, we are thrilled for the many students and families of our community celebrating this milestone. We are also faced with the reality that not every West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) diploma signifies that a graduate is eligible to apply for California’s public universities. Last year, we reported that of the 83% of our students who graduate high school, more than half are not eligible to apply to California’s 4-year universities. Our students deserve equitable access to opportunity – we have to do better.
Superintendent Duffy, likewise, called out the importance of ensuring that all of our students have equal access to opportunity after high school graduation: “As a District, we should be proud of the dedication, time, love, and work our students, their teachers, school staff, and families contributed toward their K-12 education. We are a District of learners, and for the past four years the members of the graduating Class of 2018 mentioned here has soaked up everything and opportunity afforded to them. We can’t stop there. We must prepare ALL our graduates for college and beyond before they cross our stages. So as we put the final touches on the 2017-2018 school and look ahead to next year, we know that we have much more work to do…We have a great deal more to do to ensure that every one of our students is prepared and has the same opportunities for their future.”
How Can You Get Involved?
We ask that you take two minutes to show your support for college-going dreams in West Contra Costa. Please review our College Readiness Study Team’s initial findings, and show your support for our proposed next steps by signing-on here.