Fewer Berkeley Students Taking Required Courses For College

A declining number of Berkeley high school graduates have been taking the courses required to be accepted into state colleges and universities in California.

Statistics compiled by Ed Data show that from the 2007-2008 school year to the 2010-11 school year between 58 and 47 percent of Berkeley Unified high school graduates took the required courses. The numbers are slightly lower each year.

In the 2006-07 school year, 90 percent of graduates took the courses. Patch has contacted Berkeley school officials to explain what may be a statistical quirk and we will update the story when we hear back from them.

The average for Alameda County school districts for those five years was between 46 and 49 percent.

The courses are broken into seven categories. They’re called A-G courses simply because the university systems gave them those letter equivalents to help organize them better. They are:

A) History/social science (two years)

B) English (four years)

C) Mathematics (three years)

D) Laboratory sciences (two years)

E) Foreign language (two years)

F) Visual and performing arts (one year)

G) College prepartory elective (one year)

The college readiness courses aren’t without their controversy.

During the past decade, some school districts, including Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego, have added the college preparedness courses to their graduation requirements, according to an article in the Contra Costa Times.

Educators say the new requirement will help more students prepare for college. However, critics point out the requirements might make it more difficult for struggling students to graduate from high school.