Too few graduates of the Los Angeles school district are earning a college degree, concludes research released last week.
About 70 percent of graduates enroll in two- or four-year colleges, but only 25 percent graduate within six years. Because of the time lag and the slow release of data, the most recent six-year tracking is for seniors who graduated in 2008. But numbers for later years appear to be following the same trend line.
District officials collaborated with researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Claremont Graduate University on the study. Even while it was underway, for instance, the district used preliminary results—and a plan for improvement—to apply for a $17 million state grant that is coming its way.
