In hopes of passing the pending recommendations for a new plan in education, the Senate Select Committee and the Joint Master Plan Committee convened at the Preuss School on March 7 to discuss a new and “”rigorous”” high school curriculum that will encourage students from low-income families to attend a four-year university, particularly the University of California.
The plan, more specifically called the Master Plan for Education Disparities in Access to Resources, is aimed at students that come from a specific socioeconomic class and racial ethnicity, notably Latino and black high school graduates. According to a handout from the assembly, only 4 percent of Latino and 3 percent of black high school graduates are eligible to attend or even apply for the University of California.
The joint committee, among other advocates of the plan, insisted that the problem stood upon the lack in availability of college preparatory classes in many high schools.
“”Students who are Latino or black don’t have the opportunity,”” said State Sen. Dede Alpert of the Joint Master Plan Committee. “”Doors are closed [to] them.””
According to Sara Lundquist, the vice president of Student Affairs at Santa Ana College, schools like the Preuss School are typically located near college campuses to provide close access to a university and to stimulate motivation and interest in continuing on to a university.
The Preuss School, located on East Campus, is affiliated with UCSD and mainly accepts students in grades 6-12 who come from low-income families and whose parents never graduated from college.
The scarcity of schools similar to Preuss and the problem of transportation magnify the need to establish the rigorous curriculum of college preparatory courses in all schools in California.
“”There must be a default standard for all learners,”” Lundquist said. “”The sand simply runs out of the hourglass. The students are pedaling, but they can’t catch up.””
However, noting a different aspect of the situation of underprivileged high school graduates, State Sen. Richard Alarcon said that the UC requirements for application are the problem.
“”The UC system needs to focus more upon translating what those requirements are,”” Alarcon said.
Information on the handout explains that the A-G college preparatory classes, which consist of specific English, foreign language and math courses, exclude many vocational or career-oriented courses.
The speakers also worked to explain that students who prepare themselves in vocational courses are preparing for the workplace, but not for college. Part of the Master Plan is to implement more “”academic rigor”” into these courses in order to engrain the knowledge for college preparatory students.
“”Academic mastery is the only foundation upon which authentic choices can be made about life choices,”” said Lundquist.
Alarcon also raised the question that perhaps the students lack the rigor of motivation to continue on to a college education. However, one student said that most kids, at least the ones attending Preuss, have the drive.
“”We feel more privileged because a lot of students are not getting it the same as us,”” said ninth-grade Preuss student Christopher Khavarian. “”Most students like being here. Wherever you go, there is that small bunch. Though it may be hard on them, they know that in the future it will pay off.””
