Author:  Richard Carranza, Deputy Superintendent of Instruction, Innovation and Social Justice, SFUSD

SFUSD has a new goal for students entering high school in 2010. We want every one of them to graduate eligible to enroll in California’s public university system.

This should seem like an obvious goal. But today, only 54% of students in San Francisco’s public schools graduate with the course credits required for enrollment in state universities.

You think 54% is low? Statewide, only 34% of students are making the cut.

San Francisco may be ahead of the pack, but that doesn’t make our numbers acceptable. Every student should graduate with the keys to a better future. As a district, it’s our responsibility to make sure a great college education is one of the doors available to them.

Starting next year, every student entering SF public high schools will be required to complete the A-G course sequence required for entrance to any California state university.  For most students this means taking more advanced math and foreign language courses than they may have otherwise taken.

But while we want to challenge our students with the academic rigor that they need to succeed in a college environment, we have to create more opportunities for them to access courses and earn the credits they need for that opportunity.

Right now, SFUSD is exploring the ways to incorporate online courses, community college partnerships and real-world internships to better engage students and help them complete the coursework they need to meet UC requirements.

Interested in helping every San Francisco student graduate with the opportunity to enroll in college? We want to hear from you.  Maybe you have an internship opportunity available with your employer, or the resources to help schools improve their capacity to make coursework relevant and exciting.

San Francisco is full of creative people who know a good opportunity when they see one, but more importantly, they have the heart to open those opportunities up to others.

Which doors will you help open?