A new report finds 41 percent of high school juniors in the San Diego Unified School District are not on track to fulfill certain graduation requirements.
In 2011, the school board adopted a policy that requires all graduates from the class of 2016 forward to participate and complete a sequence of courses called “A-G” requirements. A-G is just one part of overall graduation requirements, which include physical education classes, computer proficiency and other electives.
The reason behind adopting A-G requirements to ensure all students are provided the opportunity to be college-ready as measured by the University of California and California State systems. It includes two years of history, science and foreign language, three years of mathematics, four years of English, one year of visual arts and one year of an A-G course.
The district report found 59 percent students are on track to fulfill the A-G requirements. Forty-one percent, or 2,841, students are not.
In terms of specific schools, 86 percent of students at Scripps Ranch High School are on track to complete the A-G courses. On the other hand, San Diego High School’s Media Visual and Performing Arts Academy has 14 percent of its juniors on track to do the same.
Andrea Guerrero, Executive Director of Alliance San Diego, said the findings show progress. She said Alliance San Diego and other community partners partnered with the San Diego Unified School District to adopt a policy that brought A-G coursework into alignment with graduation requirements.
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“We see this as an important step in the right direction. This is the first opportunity that we’ve had to see what the progress is for the class of 2016, and we now know where the work needs to be done,” Guerrero said.
Guerrero said it's important to have the support and interventions needed to help students make it to the finish line. She said attention needs to be focused on where the poor grades are distributed, what schools and demographics are most affected, and then provide necessary interventions.
“For example, if all the F grades are clumped together in a specific subject area, we need to focus in on that subject area in making sure students get the support and intervention they need and that teachers are getting the professional development they need,” she said.
“A-G” refers to seven subjects labeled A through G required for entrance to the UC and Cal State systems.
