What may be very hard to believe is that there is a large percentage of high school graduates in California who are not able to apply to the University of California system nor to the California State University system. These are the graduates who cannot apply, not those who did not graduate.
Why? Because they may have graduated, but they did not take the correct courses at the correct time.
Here are the percentages by county in California of those who have graduated and can apply because they did take the correct course on time.
Marin 59.3%
San Francisco 53.9%
Santa Clara 48.9%
Alameda 47.5%
Contra Costa 47.5%
Santa Cruz 42.4%
El Dorado 41.9%
San Diego 41.7%
Los Angeles 41.3%
San Mateo 38.4%
As for the state average, only 35.6% of all California public high school graduates can apply to UC or CSU systems because they have met the course requirements. Meaning, less than half of all California high school graduates are eligible to apply to a four year California university. The remainder are able to apply to other schools and universities, just not the schools that are funded by the state of California. Of course out of state tuition and private universities are more expensive.
In speaking with teachers and school administrators, they tell me that there is no baton that is passed between California universities and California high schools to make sure students are taking the required courses timely. And with fewer guidance counselors than ever before, the possibility that more graduates who are hopeful to attend California state colleges and universities, will be turned away even though they have a California high school diploma.
sources: Silicon Valley Educational Foundation, CA department of Education 8/11
Data Quest
http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/stgradnum.asp?cChoice=StGrdEth2&cYear=2009-10&cLevel=State&cTopic=Graduates&myTimeFrame=S&submit1=Submit
Mathematics Teacher
ReplyDeleteEvergreen Valley High School
I think the responsibility to choose the correct classes is on the counselor,
but also on the parents and students.
I have never actually heard of a case in my school that kids took the wrong
classes. The counselors make the schedules, and they ensure that everybody takes
All the required classes. Once high school graduation requirements are met, a
student can opt out of UC required classes, but the counselors will strongly
discourage that. So we will often end up with students in Algebra 2 that are
really not prepared for it but who were urged by the counselors to take it.
Not too surprised, really. UCs are very competitive, they only want the best, so
they are putting the bar high. The idea is definitely not NoChildLeftBehind.
Our counselors/teachers/students are all aware of the requirements, it's just
that not all students can pass all the classes.
Math is one of the biggest hurdles. The requirement is not just to pass Algebra
2, but pass it with a C-, and that is not easy.
I certainly make a point at the beginning of the school year and on all
back-to-school nights to explain the difference between High School graduation
requirements and
UC entrance requirements.
On the other hand there are also ways to make up that credit after the high
school .
And you will also live if you don't make it into a UC. (I need to keep telling
students this, they get so freaked out.)
Hi Irene - as an 8th grade teacher, this doesn't surprise me at all.
ReplyDeleteI think the education for the high school curriculum and UC/CSU requirements needs to begin in 7th/8th grade - what happens is the high schools visit the middle schools in early spring and ask the 8th graders to sign up for classes (mainly electives). Many students "waste" these electives, don't have a plan for high school and/or are so dumbfounded by the whole process they end up with a "wasted" 9th grade year when they could have been taking prerequisites for honors or AP classes.
I take my 8th grade classes through a tutorial of Collegeboard.com (a great resource for identifying potential interested, college majors and high school requirements) but I think others believe I've "wasted" a couple of computer lab days...