Los Angeles, CA — According to the California Educational Opportunity Report released Monday, California ranks 48th in the nation in the percentage of high school seniors who go on to a four-year college the next academic year.
The study, which was produced by UCLA’s Institute for Democracy, Education and Access and the University of California’s All Campus Consortium on Research for Diversity, combined state data with public perceptions gathered in focus groups.
According to the report, although the majority of graduating high school seniors have indicated an intention to obtain a bachelor’s degree, the data shows a disparity between student’s goals and their ability to achieve them through California schools.
The researchers reported that California students are more likely to attend overcrowded schools and receive less personal attention; “intensely segregated” high schools are three times as likely as majority White and Asian schools to experience shortages of qualified math teachers; and in 81% of California high schools, less than half of 11th and 12th graders enroll in advanced math classes.
The report further stated that almost one-third of California middle schools face federal sanctions for failing to reach annual proficiency goals; even before the budget cuts, the state spent $2,000 less per student than the national average.
