On Tuesday night, a #CloseTheGap resolution was passed unanimously by the Los Angeles Unified School Board members. This full name of the resolution is, “Realizing the Promise for All: Close the Gap by 2023.” The goal of this resolution is for every high school graduate from the district to be eligible for a four-year public California university by 2023. This means that each graduate would have to earn at least a C in college prep courses; presently, students can graduate with D grades in those courses, which means that the district is graduating students who are not meeting the minimum requirements for admission for the California State University and University of California systems.
In 2016, about a quarter of LAUSD graduates enrolled in a four year university. In 2017, only 53% of the Latino graduates from LAUSD were university eligible, and that same year, only 47% of African American graduates were eligible for the university. The district is not producing enough university eligible graduates.
The LAUSD Board is setting ambitious goals. Also included in the resolution were these additional mandates: English language learners who are in kindergarten or first grade must be classified as English proficient by the end of the 6th grade, all third graders must meet or exceed the standards on state standardized tests, and all 8th graders headed into high school must have a C or better in math and English.
Now that this resolution has passed, it will be up to parents and advocates to make sure that teachers and administrators implement this plan. We want our students to be college ready. We congratulate Board President Monica Garcia for pushing this resolution to close to gap and help make our students competitive for life after LAUSD.
We are all in this together with you. We want to be a resource for you and for all of the children you love. Whether you need some info or you have info to share, you know where to go…LA Comadre.