LAUSD gives itself an F for raising grad requirements

Los Angeles School leaders are backing away from requirements that were adopted in an effort to make all graduating students eligible for University of California and Cal State schools.

The Board of Education had previously approved a plan requiring all graduates – starting in 2017 – to get a C or better in classes that are needed for college admission.

That means that students who earn a D in what the district calls college prep classes can still graduate, even though they won’t be eligible for state universities with that grade.

The reversal follows a report that said that up to three-quarters of this year’s 10th graders were not on track to meet the new requirements. Those 10th graders would have been the first to be affected by the policy. The LAUSD graduation rate was 70.4 percent last year, which was up a bit from the year before.

Board members say the decision doesn’t mean the district won’t continue to push for higher academic standards. But they also acknowledged that they overreached.

School Board Member Monica Garcia says the district failed to give all students the support they needed to reach the C threshold. “I want to apologize to all the young people that did not make it. We care and we are responsible to you too,” Garcia said.