Roadblocks to College

[George Sheridan <learn@jps.net>]

A 2006 study by the University of California, Los Angeles, says that 
California sends a smaller percentage of high school students to four-year 
colleges than any other state except Mississippi. The California 
Educational Opportunity Report also says that the obstacles for students 
going to college are even greater in schools with a high percentage of 
English learners and low-income students.

"These roadblocks exist in every school in California, and one in every 
eight has all of these, making it extraordinarily difficult for students to 
prepare for college," UCLA professor Jeannie Oakes told the Los Angeles 
Times. Oakes said that the state has the worst student-to-counselor ratio 
in the nation, with each high school counselor expected to serve 790 
students, and less than half of the high schools in the state even offer 
enough classes to allow students to complete a college prep sequence.

About 23 percent of California high school seniors enroll at a four-year 
college or university, compared to 21 percent in Mississippi.The highest 
percentage in the nation is Massachusetts. UCLA 's Institute for Democracy, 
Education and Access and the UC system 's All Campus Consortium on Research 
for Diversity conducted the study.


George Sheridan