By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer, LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/JUCA5c
Students in teacher James Schwagle's physics lab at Francis Polytechnic High School in Sun Valley do an experiment to graph velocity vs. time. The LAUSD board is set next week to consider a change in the curriculum that would require every student to take college-prep classes to graduate. Physics is one of the courses that could become mandatory. (John McCoy/Staff Photographer)
5/05/2012 05:22:47 PM PDT :: He's moved aggressively to weed out ineffective teachers, raise English-learners to language proficiency, make schools safer and engage more parents.
Superintendent John Deasy is now poised to launch the next big piece in his model for reforming the Los Angeles Unified School District, a controversial move that would toughen the curriculum and grading scale to make every high school graduate eligible for entry to a state university.
His proposal is politically contentious, generating debate about his strategy to overhaul a system where just half the students now graduate from high school. Against the backdrop of a financial crisis and without a strong support system in place, will those now struggling to learn basic math be challenged by the rigors of Algebra II, or will they falter along the way?
"We have to think long and hard about what we're doing," said board member Steve Zimmer. "This policy is going to impact LAUSD for generations."
The plan coming before the school board on Tuesday would implement a policy passed in 2005, which calls for creating "educational equity" for students in disadvantaged Latino and African-American students.
That policy mandates that beginning with the Class of 2016 -- this fall's incoming freshmen -- every high school student must pass the A-G curriculum in order to graduate.
A-G is a series of at least 15 high school courses required for admission to the University of California or California State University. For example, two years of social science and history courses fulfill the A requirement, while B mandates four years of English classes, C means three years of math studies and so on.
Deasy's strategy is to slash the number of credits required for high school graduation by shedding 50 units of electives. Struggling students could use those freed-up periods to get tutoring or retake failed classes. Students who succeed in A-G could still take electives like computer science or Advanced Placement classes.
Beginning in fall 2013, the passing grade requirement would be raised from the current D to a C, a change that would make every graduate eligible for admission to Cal State or the University of California.
Unlike the 2005 policy, Deasy's plan would not provide waivers for English-learners or students who want to pursue a vocation rather than college.
"We are fighting to honor the rights of every kid to graduate college- and workforce-ready," he said in an interview.
"For us, the threshold for college-ready is competitive admission to the UC, which is taking A-G at a C (grade) or better as the floor. This is not the ceiling, this is the bare minimum.
"And that curriculum is career-ready, as well. They're completely aligned."
Deasy's plan has sparked debate as to whether the district is raising or lowering the academic bar since it scales back the number of credit hours but increases the rigor of the mandated classes as well as the grade needed to pass.
Considering that just 15 percent of the Class of 2011 passed the A-G core with a C or better, an overwhelming number of students would be challenged by the new standards.
A-G requires geometry and two years of algebra to satisfy the math requirement, for instance, along with two years of science -- a combination of biology, chemistry or physics.
Worried that tougher classes would trigger a wave of dropouts, officials lowered the credit requirement so struggling students could have time to make up classes, get back on track and graduate on time.
"Right now, those kids are on the sidelines," said Deputy Superintendent Jaime Aquino, who chaired a task force that devised the A-G strategy. "We need to be sure they can at least play the game."
In creating a safety net for failing students, the district must address how to connect with those taking a class for a second or third time, said Marisa Saunders, a senior research associate at UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education and Access, which worked closely with community-based groups on the 2005 policy.
"The question arises as to whether the students will get tired of taking the same boring academic classes over and over," she said. "The district needs to do something different on its pedological approach."
[SEE UCLA IDEA’S CURRRENT APPRAISAL OF THE CURRENT PLAN | Follows]
Aquino said officials hope that students will be challenged by the raising of the passing grade from the current D to a C, beginning with the graduating Class of 2017.
"We think this is a way to motivate our kids and say, `We want you to try your best because if you do and you're on track, you can take as many electives as you want,"' Aquino said.
The push for A-G grew out of a grass-roots movement in the early 2000s to improve the quality of education for students living in some of Los Angeles' poorest neighborhoods.
"The district fails to properly educate a significant number of students and provide them with the skills necessary for success in life and the 21st century workforce," says the 2005 resolution passed by the school board. "Successful implementation of the A-G graduation requirements will result in the improvement of education outcomes at all levels of the K-12 system."
That policy required the district to provide access to A-G courses beginning in 2006-07, for ninth-graders to enroll in A-G beginning in 2008, and for that academic core to become required for graduation beginning in 2012.
Today's board members say students need A-G to give them a competitive edge in applying for college or jobs, but some disagree on Deasy's strategy for implementing it.
"I don't think the solution to a crisis in teaching and learning is solved by taking away classes from kids," said Zimmer, who represents the Westside and the South San Fernando Valley.
"I can stand behind the original 2005 motion, plus the elimination of D's. But if the strategy is just to reduce the number of credits, that's not a strategy. It's a cop-out."
Instead, Zimmer wants a plan that maintains the fundamentals of the 2005 policy, but integrates the district's small-schools and "linked learning" initiatives, which allow students to take A-G courses that relate to their vocational or career goals.
Those elements are included in a resolution that East Valley board member Nury Martinez plans to introduce Tuesday as a "companion" to Deasy's plan.
Her resolution also calls for training high school instructors to teach the college-prep courses and better preparing middle-school students for the rigorous classes they'll face beginning in ninth grade.
"The district needs an instructional plan, and this resolution addresses that," she said.
"This is not about taking necessary courses or mastering the subject matter. It is about ensuring there is remediation and professional development."
Board member Tamar Galatzan, who represents the West Valley, is advocating a more measured approach, especially in light of the financial crisis that has left LAUSD with a $390 million deficit.
She wants to ensure every high school student has access to A-G classes, whether at their own school or a neighboring campus. She also wants to have professional development for teachers and intervention services for students before A-G is fully rolled out.
"It does really bother me that there are students who don't have access to an A-G curriculum. That piece of this shouldn't wait. We need to make those classes available to students who should be in them.
"But just by waving a magic wand and saying that we hope that every child avails him or herself of these options doesn't make it happen," she said. "We need to get them ready for this curriculum.
"If we don't have money to do that -- that's the piece I'm not getting."
While Deasy's plan would make students eligible for admission to California's public universities, it would not guarantee they actually get in.
The UC system had a record 126,455 applicants for fall 2012 and admitted about 80,300 freshmen, who carried an average high-school GPA of 3.86.
The 23-campus Cal State University system admitted about half of the 436,000 freshmen who applied for admission this year -- and enrolled 56,000.
The CSU system has lost $1 billion since 2008, but is serving 95,000 more students. Another cut of $200 million is looming for this year, while next year's enrollment depends on the outcome of a tax hike on the November ballot.
"Our goal is to be able to admit everyone who is eligible, but with an influx of students that could prove a challenge to fulfill that mission," said CSU spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp.
Students to be challenged Some disagree with plan There are no guarantees Others can benefit
Even students who are not college-bound can benefit from the A-G curriculum, given the increasingly technical nature of the workforce, according to employers and researchers.
Aspiring electricians, construction workers, graphic designers -- those seeking a career, rather than just a job -- need the kinds of reading, applied math and critical thinking skills taught in A-G classes.
"The educational piece is very important for any skilled trade out there," said John Morton, president of the Southern California Building Industry Education Council. "It's very important for kids who want to have a vocational career to have access that would give them skill set to compete in their market."
Deasy said there have been discussions about making A-G optional for vocational students -- the 2005 resolution provides a waiver for those seeking a career path -- but the superintendent is vehemently opposed to that plan.
"You'd be giving some kids orange juice and other kids orange drink."
For him, the question goes to his belief in the role of public education.
"The issue comes up because we believe that it's OK to say, `They need a job, they're not made for college.' That may not be my kid you're talking about, or yours. Then who? Who are we deciding that it's OK for you not to be competitive for college?
"That is not for the system to decide," he said. "The system's responsibility is that everyone gets to have those choices. They get to make them for themselves."
| UCLA IDEA’S CURRRENT APPRAISAL OF THE CURRENT [DEASY] A-G PLAN
(The LAUSD board passed a resolution in 2005) mandating a-g for all students and stipulated that the requirements be accompanied by "necessary learning supports, realignment and dedication of resources necessary beginning early in a student's education so that they are prepared to successfully complete the A-G course sequence at all grade levels from K-12." (Resolution pdf) But those “necessary learning supports... at all grade levels” never fully materialized. Indeed, some conditions have deteriorated dramatically, such as access to summer school, tutoring, and small class sizes. Without these and other supports, students are not passing their college-prep classes at acceptable rates. And, unless this pattern changes, once new graduation requirements are enforced, graduation rates will drop. Some critics of LAUSD’s new plan believe that reducing the number of required credits and eliminating non- a-g electives will result in students from historically underserved neighborhoods becoming less engaged in school, less likely to graduate, less likely to be accepted to the most competitive colleges, and have fewer prospects for success if they do get to college. The new “flexibility” created by the district’s proposal appears designed to allow students to make-up classes instead of finding some way to provide the k-12 resources that prepare students to pass their a-g classes the first time around. Of course, schools with lots of resources and with a history of high achievement might take good advantage of the new flexibility by adding more varied and engaging curriculum. But elsewhere, parents, students, and educators worry that their schools are falling into a cycle of failure, remediation, and poor prospects for college. As members of the public and LAUSD officials deliberate about the policy in the weeks ahead, they would do well to consider several questions:
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