June 27 CATT Academic Readiness. This is a primer for LAUSD students to become academically prepared for four year colleges.

1. ACADEMIC
READINESS: A COLLEGE
READINESS PRIMER
Dr. Rebecca Joseph
rjoseph@calstatela.edu

2. TO LEARN MORE
 Email
 rjoseph@calstatela.edu
 Phone
 323-646-5759
 Facebook
 Getmetocollege Freeadvice
 Iphone,iPad,Google application
 All College Application Essays
 Twitter
 @getmetocollege
 Website
 getmetocollege.org/hs (focus on first
generation and under-represented students)

3.  Grades
 Academic Rigor (including senior
year)
 Standardized Test Scores
 Strong applications
 Great essays
 Counselor Reports
 Extracurricular Activities
 Teacher Letters of Recommendation
 Other Unique Features
WHAT COLLEGES
LOOK FOR IN MATCH STUDENTS

4. GRADES
 Grades are the best predictor of how well a
student will do in college.
 Colleges look for students who
demonstrate
 Continuous strong performance
 Upward progression in performance
 Particular academic strengths
 Exceeding basic admissions requirements.
For example, in California, going beyond
the A-G requirements required by the UC
and CSU systems.
For top privates, taking advanced classes
in and out of high school.

5. What Are the A-G Requirements
 The A-G Requirements are a sequence of 15
high school courses, GPAs, and grades that
students must complete to qualify for the Cal
State and UC campuses. 11 must be completed
by the time applicants apply.
 In addition to the coursework requirements, the
two systems do not accept Ds or Fs. Students
must successfully retake the classes, received
certain test scores, or validate the classes to
qualify.
 LAUSD uses the A-G course requirements as
their graduation requirements, but allows Ds.

6. A. History/Social Science – 2 years required
Two years of history/social science, including
one year of world history, cultures and geography, one year of
U.S. history, or one-half year of U.S. history and one-half year
of civics or American government.
B. English – 4 years required
Four years of college-preparatory English. No more than one
year of high ESL-type courses can be used to meet this
requirement.
C. Mathematics – 3 years required, 4 years
recommended.
Algebra 2 is minimum for Cal States and UCs.
Three years of college-preparatory mathematics that include the
topics covered in elementary and advanced algebra and two-
and three-dimensional geometry. Approved integrated math
courses may be used to fulfill part or all of this requirement, as
may math courses taken in the seventh and eighth grades that
your high school accepts as equivalent to its own math courses.
A-G Requirements

7. D. Laboratory Science – 2 years required, 3 years
recommended
Two years of laboratory science providing fundamental
knowledge in at least two of these three foundational subjects:
biology, chemistry and physics. Advanced laboratory science
classes that have biology, chemistry or physics as
prerequisites and offer substantial additional material may be
used to fulfill this requirement, as may the final two years of an
approved three-year integrated science program that provides
rigorous coverage of at least two of the three foundational
subjects.
E. Language Other than English – 2 years required, 3
years recommended
Two years of the same language other than English. Courses
should emphasize speaking and understanding, and include
instruction in grammar, vocabulary, reading, composition and
culture. Courses in languages other than English taken in the
seventh and eighth grades may be used to fulfill part of this
requirement if your high school accepts them as equivalent to
its own courses. Foreign students who receive 800 on SAT II
foreign language or approved AP score can test out of
language requirement. One year of sign language at a
community college also can count.
MORE A-G REQUIREMENTS

8. F. Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) – 1 year required
A single yearlong approved arts course from a single VPA
discipline: dance, drama/theater, music or visual art. dance,
drama/theater, music or visual art.
G. College-Preparatory Electives – 1 year required
One year (two semesters), in addition to those required in "a-f"
above, chosen from the following areas: engineering,
technology, visual and performing arts (non-introductory level
courses), history, social science, English, advanced
mathematics, laboratory science and language other than
English (a third year in the language used for the "e"
requirement or two years of another language).
MORE A-G REQUIREMENTS

9. A-G Requirements
 Honors Points for UC Eligibility.
 They assign extra grade points for up
to eight semesters (with no more than
4 semesters from 10th grade
courses) of UC-certified honors-level,
AP, IB or college/university courses
taken in grades 10, 11 and 12 in which
the student earned a grade of C or
better.
 Grades of D/F are not assigned extra
honors points.
 ELLS must pass four years of high school
English. ESL 4 counts as 9th grade
English.

10. LAUSD and the A-G
 LAUSD requires taking the A-G course
requirements along with other courses
like Health and two years of PE as their
graduation requirement
 BUT LAUSD allows Ds unlike the Cal
States or UCs
 Each school has a school specific list of
A-G classes. Often you need to make
sure the courses that are marked Honors
are actually Honors according to the
University of California
 Here is official list for the UC A-G website:
http://www.ucop.edu/agguide/

11. LAUSD and the A-G

12. Turning A-G Into
CSU/UC Readiness
• GPA requirement for UC (3.0) and
CSU (2.0)
• AP/Honors/CC courses give an
extra GPA point for 8 semesters,
only 4 in 10th grade, none in 9th.
• For UC, students must complete
11 out of the required A-G 15
courses must be completed by the
end of their junior year (really time
your application is submitted)

13. TOO FEW AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND LATINO
GRADUATES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A 4-YEAR
CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY
35%
59%
41%
27% 26%
39%
29%
43%
31%
41%
74%
89%
83%
59%
68%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
All Asian White African-
American
Latino
HighSchoolGraduationRate
High School and A-G Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity, 2009-
10
HS Grads
NOT Meeting
A-G
Requirements
HS Grads
Meeting A-G
Requirements

14. ACADEMIC RIGOR
Colleges look at
 How difficult each student’s course load is
compared to academic options offered at
school
 Whether students keep up rigorous schedules
and/or drop too many core classes as they go
up in grades
 Academic reputation of school
 Particular strength and exploration in
particular content areas
ACADEMIC RIGOR

15. SO…
 Take recommend that students take the most challenging
courses possible while keeping grades as high as
possible.
 Make a four year plan and make sure all their classes
count.
 Take honors and AP classes in stronger content areas if
planning to apply to top colleges.
 Continue to increase rigor in higher grades.
 Most colleges, including the UCs and Cal States, do not
accept Ds in any A-G classes.
 Do not drop core content in junior or senior year.
 Use summers for advancement and enrichment, not just
for fulfilling high school graduation requirements.
 Understand that colleges will compare student academic
choices to those offered at school.
 If foreign language is a struggle, consider sign language.
One year at community college equals two years for CSU
and UCs and many colleges.

16. UC Admissions policies…
1. California students are guaranteed
admission if: You rank in the top 9 percent of
California high school students, according to
our To see the index,
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/fres
hman/california-residents/admissions-
index/index.html
2. You rank in the top 9% of students at your
high school. We refer to this as "Eligible in
the Local Context" (ELC).
3. Schools submit top 15%, and then UCs
calculate.

17. Local Eligibility
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/califor
nia-residents/local-path/index.html

18. State Eligibility
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/califor
nia-residents/admissions-index/index.html

19. Academic Advancement
 If you students run out of classes at their high school, they can
take free classes at local community colleges. High school
students can get AP credit for these classes. Many private
colleges recalculate GPAs with these courses. Taking advanced
classes impresses colleges, and they are free (except for fees
and books). If you have time, students can take community
college or state university classes in areas that interest you such
as Psychology or Art History. Consider taking English 101 to
enhance your reading and writing skills.
 Other summer academic programs, such COSMOS, the
California State Summer School for the Arts or Otis’s Summer
Art Program
 http://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/cosmos/ (also at San
Diego, Irvine, and Santa Cruz)
http://www.csssa.org/
http://www.otis.edu/summer-art
 Free online classes through MIT and Stanford.
 If students need to retake a class because of a low grade,
consider Brigham Young online, Keystone, or National Virtual
University High School. Encourage them to clear before
November of senior year, so they can have new grades count.
http://ce.byu.edu/is/site/courses/highschool.cfmhttp://www.nuvhs.
org/
 Remember, online courses must meet A-G approval. Lab
courses must be live or supervised. Art is now approved online.

20. Cal State Readiness
 More and more campuses and programs are impacted
 We have an eligibility index for those whose GPAs fall between
2.0 and 3.0. Easy way to calculate test score need for each GPA.
https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/eligibility-index
 For D or F class to be replaced, must take extra same class.

21. Other Colleges
 All colleges have academic requirements.
 Other out of state schools, you need to check
on their websites.
 Private colleges often don’t list official minimum
GPAs, but the more rigorous, the more is
expected. They don’t follow A-G and are more
forgiving of some requirements, for kids with
disabilities or ELLs.

22. Other Ways of Making Up Classes
 Take classes through adult schools.
 Take classes through summer school.
 Take classes by adding another class to school year
schedule.
 Take classes online.
 Some free or very low cost providers of online classes-
Check at your high school.
 Below are approved free online LAUSD sites:
http://achieve.lausd.net/Page/7843

23. Validation
 Validation occurs to help with certain math and foreign
language issues.
 If you’re not sure, check this website.
 http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/q-
and-a/validation/
 LAUSD has specific validations requirements through
class of 2019
 http://achieve.lausd.net/cms/lib08/CA01000043/Centricity/
Domain/577/forms/BUL-6566.1.pdf

24. Holistic Review
 Academics are just one measure for most private colleges.
 Academics are one of fourteen measures for the University of California,
assuming kids are eligible.
 UC Berkeley’s Definition:
• The applicant’s full record of achievement in college preparatory work in high school,
including the number and rigor of courses taken and grades earned in those courses.
• Personal qualities of the applicant, including leadership ability, character, motivation,
insight, tenacity, initiative, originality, intellectual independence, responsibility, maturity,
and demonstrated concern for others and for the community are considered.
• Likely contributions to the intellectual and cultural vitality of the campus. In addition to a
broad range of intellectual interests and achievements, admission readers seek diversity
in personal background and experience.
• Performance on standardized tests, the SAT Reasoning Test or ACT Assessment plus
Writing Test. In addition, any Advanced Placement or IBHL examinations the applicant
may have taken will be considered.
• Achievement in academic enrichment programs, including but not limited to those
sponsored by the University of California. This criterion is measured by time and depth
of participation, by the academic progress made by the applicant during that
participation, and by the intellectual rigor of the particular program.
• Other evidence of achievement. This criterion recognizes exemplary, sustained
achievement in any field of intellectual or creative endeavor; accomplishments in
extracurricular activities such as the performing arts or athletics; leadership in school or
community organizations; employment; and volunteer service.
• http://admissions.berkeley.edu/selectsstudents

25. TRACKERs
 University of California A-G tracker:
http://www.ucop.edu/diversity-engagement/_files/Map-
online.pdf
 EAOP from UCSD Tracker.
http://eaop.ucsd.edu/_forms/your-academic-planner.pdf
 Cal State Academic Readiness. Lots of materials.
https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/freshman/getting_into_the
_csu/Pages/admission-requirements.aspx
 Online trackers. http://gpacalculator.net/

26. Six Recommendations to
Increase Academic
Success For 9th Graders
Chicago doubled academic success for 9th grades.
1. Make use of proven early-warning indicators. Freshmen who are “on
track” to graduate—earning no more than one F in a core course per semester
and accumulating sufficient credits to advance to sophomore year—are four
times more likely to graduate than students who are off-track. The
consortium’s on-track indicator uses simple data-reports that allow teachers to
monitor student performance, identify those at risk of failing classes, and share
successful intervention strategies. Chicago’s on-track rate for freshmen rose
from 57 to 82 percent between 2007 and 2013.
2. Focus on attendance data. Attendance is the precursor to engagement,
learning, academic success, and, yes, graduation. The consortium found that
each week of absence per semester in 9th grade is associated with a more
than 20 percentage-point decline in the probability of graduating from high
school. In light of this, schools must work to help students and families
understand the cost of frequent absences, closely monitor attendance, and
provide support from teachers and staff to get students to class.

27. Six Recommendations to
Increase Academic
Success For 9th Graders
3. Embrace collective responsibility for academic success. Attendance
improves when teachers take collective responsibility for the success of the
whole school, not just their individual students. A school culture that stresses
collective responsibility for absences and academic success might include
team meetings around real-time attendance reports or shared outreach when
students do not show up to class. At the K-12 University of Chicago Charter
School, which in 2015-16 had an attendance rate of 97 percent at one of its
four campuses, educators created charts and graphs of attendance for
hallways and highlighted its school attendance importance at assemblies and
morning announcements.
4. Raise the bar to "Bs or better." Ninety-five percent of students who earn
Bs or better and have a GPA of 3.0 in 9th grade go on to graduate from high
school. With a C average, however, the rate slips to 72 percent. For freshmen
with a D average, only half will go on to graduate. Conveying the importance of
good grades and strong GPAs early in students’ high school careers can keep
them from scrambling to catch up when it might be too late.

28. Six Recommendations to
Increase Academic
Success For 9th Graders
5. Foster supportive relationships to ease transitions. The transition from
the middle grades to high school can lead even good students to struggle—a
dramatic drop in grades, attendance, and academic behavior is a common
warning sign of this strain. In high school, it’s easier to skip class and harder to
figure out how to get help with coursework. But high school doesn’t have to be
impersonal. Teachers, counselors, coaches, mentors, and friends can make a
concerted effort to reach out to students when they show signs of falling behind
or disengaging, find out why they are struggling, and get them the academic or
emotional support they need
6. Assess and refine disciplinary practices. African-American students,
students with low test scores, and vulnerable students with a history of abuse
and neglect receive out-of-school suspensions at higher rates than their
peers. Out-of-school suspensions mean students lose class time, which can
place them at greater risk of falling farther behind. When schools understand
which of their students receive suspensions, they can develop targeted
interventions for individual students and help keep them on track to graduate..

29. SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM
HERE?
1. UC handouts and materialas
http://ucop.edu/diversity-engagement/resources-
publications/college-access-preparation-
resources/index.html
2. College Board-SAT
http://www.collegeboard.com
3. ACT
http://www.actstudent.org
4. My Website
http://www.getmetocollege.org
5. National Association of College Admissions
Counselors (NACAC)
https://www.nacacnet.org/advocacy--
ethics/initiatives/steps/

30. COLLEGE READINESS
IS
NOT A GAME!

31. TO LEARN MORE
 Email
 rjoseph@calstatela.edu
 Phone
 323-646-5759
 Facebook
 Getmetocollege Freeadvice
 Iphone/Ipad/Google application
 All College Application Essays
 Twitter
 @getmetocollege
 Website
 getmetocollege.org/ (focus on first generation and
under-represented students)