The UC and CSU state systems require that applicants complete the so-called A-G academic requirements, which means that without these courses, students are ineligible to apply for California’s public university systems. Many students lack either the opportunity or the proper guidance to ensure that they take these required courses and as a result are unable to apply to the schools–closing a door to future success.
In the San Francisco Unified School District, students used to be tracked into either college preparatory classes or into classes that only met the minimum graduation requirements. This tracking system manifested in both inequitable opportunities and outcomes that varied significantly by race. In some San Francisco schools, courses that meet the A-G requirements were not even offered. In 2009, the San Francisco Board of Education voted to implement a new plan to require all schools in the district to offer the A-G curriculum to their students. However, the district must do more to educate parents and provide the necessary academic counseling for students to enroll in these courses. It is critical that all students in San Francisco are given the opportunity to enroll in these courses that allow them to apply to California’s four-year colleges.
Unite for Students calls on the San Francisco Board of Education to closely monitor the continued implementation of A–G requirements to ensure that the goals of access and equity, enshrined in the Beyond the Talk district’s strategic plan are met. All students deserve a level playing field and with it the opportunity to succeed.
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