Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
One less barrier to college: LAUSD paid for 4,000 high schoolers to take the SAT
Listen
• 1:04
()
Standardized test scores are plateauing in California schools, and some are calling for a fundamental shift in teaching strategies.
(
Stock photo by Shannan Muskopf/flickr Creative Commons
)
An estimated 4,000 high school juniors on 29 campuses from South Los Angeles to San Pedro got a break from their normal class schedules on Wednesday to take the SAT college prep exam.
And none of those students paid a cent to take the test. This year, for the first time, the L.A. Unified School District helped picked up the tab.
The College Board, the organization which administers the SAT, offers to waive the registration fee — normally $60 for the full exam — for students who qualify as low-income.
But as part of a program L.A. Unified piloted this year in Local District South — the region that oversees schools from Watts to Gardena and Carson, to the Port of L.A. — district officials helped secure students' fee waivers to take the SAT. The district then picked up the remaining costs for any students who didn't qualify for a fee waiver.
Support for LAist comes from
Christopher Downing, who oversees Local District South schools for L.A. Unified, says the pilot program will remove one stumbling block on the road to college, since many four-year universities require students to take the SAT or ACT. But he said some students are unable to afford the registration fee or make a long bus journey on a Saturday to an unfamiliar school to take a lengthy test.
"We aren’t just concerned with students graduating from high school," Downing said. "We're concerned with providing them opportunities to continue their academic career."
The district is also offering a make-up day for students on March 21.
According to the most recent state data available, Local District South's rates of SAT participation were slightly lower than the district average.
Local District South schools enrolled more than 4,400 12th graders in 2015-16. Compare that to 2,392 students in the region's schools took the SAT during the 2015-16 school year. (Younger students may also take the SAT.)
In L.A. Unified — excluding the district's charter schools — more than 30,000 twelfth graders were enrolled. More than 17,600 students took the SAT.
()
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist