The Santa Barbara Unified School District is trying to grapple with the reasons why Latinx and black students lag so far behind white and Asian students in college readiness.
“The numbers we presented at the board meeting are worrying and require urgent action,” said Shawn Carey, assistant superintendent of the district’s secondary education.
According to a recent district report, only 42% of Latinx students in the 2020 school year had met AG requirements, which are the minimum requirements for college admission. About 45% of black students met the requirements. About 81% of Asians and 70% of whites met the AG requirements.
The statistics are staggering, and they come at a time when educators are promoting equity, inclusion, and socio-emotional security as ways to improve academics. The reasons for the gap are complex and varied, and there is no clear roadmap to address it.
“If I look at the dates, this is one of two students at SB High who are not eligible for UC, and that’s unacceptable as a headmistress,” said Elise Simmons, headmistress of Santa Barbara High School. “I am determined to examine this data more closely.”
The AG requirements for UC and CSU eligibility include two years of history / social sciences (“A”), four years of English (“B”), three years (required), or four years (recommended) mathematics (“C”) , two years (required) or three years (recommended) laboratory science (“D”), two years (required) or three years (recommended) of a language other than English (“E”), one year of visual and performing arts (“F “) and one year of college prep elective (” G “).
At the heart of the problem is that students can graduate from high school and receive a diploma, but are not eligible for university admission. The students who can move to a university after high school graduation are the ones who meet the AG requirements and they often go beyond that.
Every district in the state is different. For example, the Carpinteria Unified, Santa Maria Joint Union, Santa Ynez Valley Union, and Ventura Unified AG school districts have requirements that are different from those required to apply to a university. AG requirements are aligned with college eligibility in school districts such as Los Angeles Unified, Oxnard Union, San Diego Unified, and San Jose Unified.
Carey said the district counselors at each of the high schools are part of a guaranteed school counseling program at every grade level. Teachers, consultants and administrators give presentations on parents’ evenings on the final requirements compared to the requirements of the working group.
For students with disabilities, graduation and AG requirements are discussed in IEP meetings as part of students’ transition plans after secondary education. The six-year plans (from middle school) and the four-year plans (high school), which the students draw up with their advisors, are coordinated with the working group.
“We know, however, that not all parents attend our parents’ evenings at grade level and that students don’t always share information from their counseling sessions with their families,” said Carey. “For the future, we are creating a strategic plan to be more proactive in sharing this information with students and families and answering all questions about the AG and college / professional maturity before students reach high school.
“We will be working with teachers, including in elementary school, to make them better informed, to answer questions and, as part of our district language and culture, to help build college and career readiness throughout PK-12.”
Carey also said that students who cannot apply to a university can go to Santa Barbara City College.
“With the availability of the SBCC pledge, this is a strong option that will allow students to complete their general college requirements for free before moving to a UC or CSU,” said Carey. “Students do not have to meet AG eligibility to enroll in SBCC, nor does their AG status in high school affect their ability to later move from SBCC to a UC or CSU.”
Carey said that when the students speak to students who already know they will be attending the SBCC and then moving to a four-year university, they know they don’t need to meet AG eligibility and therefore don’t always want to be part of the loan refund or take a course that is not required for graduation.
Carey said the district is still exploring why some demographics meet AG eligibility at higher rates than others.
“By changing our systems and practices to ensure that all students can meet AG eligibility, we are ensuring that our systems do not limit our students’ capabilities,” said Carey.
Simmons said the district had to do better.
“It really comes down to putting the paper down and talking to people,” said Simmons. “I want to have a lot more conversations about the experiences they have in the classroom.”
She said the advisors are critical to the process. The school needs to work more closely with families and ensure that every student in a classroom is known.
“It’s more about these one-on-one meetings,” Simmons said.
She noted that Santa Barbara High School will hire two additional counselors next year. She said the conversations had to be in-depth.
“Do we agree and say, ‘You deserve a D, that’s great’?” said Simmons. “You have to earn a C- or higher. A C- is competent. It’s these conversations that we have to have.”
– Noozhawk’s author, Joshua Molina, can be contacted at (JavaScript must be activated to display this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews, and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
source https://collegeeducationnewsllc.com/college-eligibility-rates-of-santa-barbaras-latinx-black-students-lead-to-call-for-urgent-action-school-zone/
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