Widening the Gap: LAUSD’s A-G Initiative and Latino/Hispanic Students’ High School Education

Abstract

Research shows that Latinos/Hispanics are the largest minority population in the United States; however, compared to other race/ethnic groups these students have the lowest educational attainment rates in all areas of education. Starting in 2012, students attending LAUSD will be required to complete the A-G Requirement to graduate from high school. The purpose of this study is to explore how LAUSD’s A-G Requirement is affecting the achievement gap and may, in the future, contribute to Latino/Hispanic students’ dropout rate. As a medium for an in-depth analysis, a previous study conducted by LAUSD, statistics from the California Department of Education, and literature are utilized. Data indicate that Latino/Hispanic high school students have the lowest A-G completion rate and that poor social support and knowledge required of school faculty emerge as barriers to complete the A-G Requirement. Based on the analysis, policy recommendations will be given to LAUSD as a tool to address and improve Latino/Hispanic A-G completion and graduation rates. The project was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Tracy F. Tolbert (Department of Criminal Justice, CSULB).