Press Release

WASHINGTON (November 19, 2013) -— The Education Trust, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and National Council of the La Raza (NCLR) issued the following statement regarding the Texas State Board of Education’s proposed rules for high school graduation requirements.

“”Texas leaders have long recognized the need for all high school graduates to have the knowledge and skills necessary for college and the careers that drive the state’s economy and pay a family-supporting wage. Texas students have risen to these high expectations; every year, more students from all backgrounds graduate from high school ready for college and the workplace.

The Texas State Board of Education should continue on this path by requiring that students complete Algebra II to earn any of the five diploma endorsements created by H.B. 5.

Research has shown over and over again that taking a rigorous Algebra II course is the best preparation for success in college and for equipping students with the high-level thinking and robust skill set that today’s jobs require. Long experience shows that if we don’t require rigorous courses for all students, low-income students and students of color, unlike their peers, will most likely be sent down a lesser road.

Algebra II is by no means everything that students need to be college and career ready. But requiring it for all endorsements is an important marker in what could otherwise become a retreat to the days when students’ skin color or zip codes determined whether they were best prepared for college and the workplace or for life on the margins of society.

We support the State Board of Education’’s proposal to require Algebra II for all diploma endorsements and urge members to hold the line on high expectations for all students.””

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