Nearly three-quarters of LA Unified high school seniors meet new graduation requirements

Early numbers show nearly three-quarters of Los Angeles Unified School District's high school senior class met a new set of graduation requirements, district officials have announced.

The Class of 2016 is the first L.A. Unified has required to complete California's so-called "A-G" sequence of required high school courses — and, superintendent Michelle King said Tuesday, preliminary figures show 74 percent of this year’s seniors did so.

"What I think this policy has done," said city council member José Huizar, who was school board president in 2005 when the district first began rolling out this policy, "is not only allowed our young people to have access to college, but it has also changed the mindset about what’s possible for our young people."

Back in February, district officials said roughly two-thirds of this year's seniors were on-track to meet the "A-G" requirements and — at the time — roughly 17 percent of seniors were short by one or two classes.

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This year, L.A. Unified allowed Class of 2016 students to earn diplomas by passing these courses with a "D" or better.

But in order to gain admission to a California State University or University of California school, students must pass all courses with a "C" or better. 

District officials also said in February only 43 percent of L.A. Unified seniors were on-track to pass all required courses with a "C" or better. L.A. Unified will require next year's seniors to clear that higher bar.