Oakland schools reveal major success in sending students college bound

OAKLAND, Calif. - The Oakland Unified School District on Wednesday announced a jump in the number of high school students completing eligibility requirements to enter California State and University colleges. 

The program appears to be working well and is helping more students rise up. 

Eighty percent of students actually graduate from the Oakland school system. But only 49% accomplish enough to be able to apply to a four-year college. That 49% is up seven percent from the previous year; a remarkable achievement.

That includes a 20% gain in Latino students, many who did not have fluent English language skills. 

What they're saying:

"For a really big system to make those kinds of big gains, there is some really important, purposeful work happening behind the scenes, and you're about to hear about it," said Kimi Kean of Families in Action for Quality Education. 

"During my freshman year, I wasn't the person you see standing here today. I didn't know what college I wanted to go to. I didn't even think I wanted to go to college at all," said Airieanna Murrell, an Oakland High School senior.

Murrell gives the credit to more students being enrolled in the so-called A-through-G classes. The program sets up multi-level achievement goals to meet all the prerequisites for entering a 4-year school at the level of the UC and CSU.

The days of pushing students out the door are ending. "We can always pass kids along, which is immoral. That is educational malpractice," said Dr. Charles Cole III, of Families in Action and Energy Converters. "We knew that students needed to have the opportunity to attend any college that they wanted to or make any post-secondary decision," said Dr. Clifford Thompson a member of the Oakland School Board.

 A-thru-G gives its students exactly that option. "Even if a student doesn't want to attend a four-year university, which is not everyone's forte, but they should have the option. They deserve a chance to make that decision for themselves," said Murrell.

The proof is that Oakland's claims of success are vetted. Not only does the state Department of Education audit it. Data Quest, a service the state uses, verifies it as does the National Student Clearinghouse. Another acid test: actual enrollment in a school or career program. 

This creates some happiness. "Yes, we're happy. We want to celebrate, but, we are also continuing to do the work," said Oakland High School Network Superintendent Vanessa Sifuentes. But she adds this caution. "While I know that we are serving many and we're serving a lot of our students better than we did 10 years ago. there are still as lot of students that we have yet to reach in an equitable way," she said.

What this is about is Oakland schools succeeding. Some might say, against all odds, but it is success nonetheless.

Featured

article

Steph and Ayesha Curry's foundation funds clean water in Oakland schools

Clean drinking water is a basic necessity for growing students, and now, the Oakland Unified School District is tapping into new funds to keep clean water flowing in the schools, after high levels of lead were again found last year.