A recent report by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) investigates San Diego Unified School District’s (SDUSD) new graduation policy requiring students in the class of 2016 and beyond to receive a passing grade on a sequence of college preparatory courses (commonly called the “a–g” sequence, with each letter referring to a different subject area). This aligns the district’s graduation requirements with admissions eligibility at California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) member schools, which officials hope will increase rates of college entry and completion—especially for underrepresented communities.
Authors collected data from student administrative records and conducted a comparative analysis to evaluate the likely impact of the new policy. They used students who graduated between 2011 and 2015—who completed the courses that are now graduation requirements—as a baseline for measuring the impact of the a–g sequence on course-taking patterns, graduation rates, and eligibility to attend schools that make up the CSU and UC systems. Researchers also examined the course sequence’s effect on college access for historically underachieving subgroups in the class of 2016. They used individual student’s grade-six characteristics to determine the likelihood of completing the a–g sequence and then compared these estimates to each student’s actual a–g course completion.
The results were mixed. On the positive side, the classes of 2016–18 have been attempting more college preparatory courses—and passing roughly one more semester course with grades of D or higher and C or higher—compared to previous graduating classes. The new policy also appears to increase college readiness. Fifty-nine percent of students in the class of 2016 are on track to meet UC/CSU admissions requirements, versus 47 percent of students in classes 2011–14 who fulfilled these requirements. Even more promising, students in historically low-performing subgroups are benefiting the most. Students in the class of 2016 who had a lower predicted likelihood of completing the a–g sequence increased their a–g course completion to the greatest extent by the end of eleventh grade, completing over two additional courses.
But requiring students to pass more rigorous courses has had some unintended (if foreseeable) consequences. Students in the class of 2016 are indeed taking more college prep courses, but almost 30 percent of them aren’t on track to graduate (have yet to take and/or failed required courses). Approximately one-third of these students finished their junior year needing to complete two semesters worth of a–g coursework in at least three different subjects. Although the SDUSD offers credit recovery during the summer, these students may still be unable to meet the a–g requirements, and are thus denied graduation.
Authors recommend that state education agencies and other localities considering following SDUSD’s lead should support student outcomes in earlier grades—primarily in the early elementary years—before adopting more demanding high school graduation requirements; high-quality pre-K and rigorous content standards can prepare students for these demands. They also support providing alternatives to college preparatory graduation requirements (such as the career and technical education pathway) that accommodate more students and prepare them for success after high school.
All in all, raising the bar for high school graduation doesn’t mean much if the opportunities for success—whether in college or in the workforce—are not equitable for all students.
SOURCE: Julian R. Betts et al., “College Prep for All: Will San Diego Student Meet Challenging New Graduation Requirements,” Public Policy Institute of California (April 2016).
