Why college readiness rates vary so widely across Contra Costa County high schools

AT FIRST GLANCE the numbers don’t seem real: at Antioch High School, only about 23% of graduating students met the course requirements to apply to University of California and California State University schools last year at this time. Just miles away at Miramonte High School in Orinda, that number jumps to around 90%.

Across Contra Costa County, A-G completion rates vary widely from school to school. These requirements — courses in seven subject areas like English, math, science, and foreign language — determine whether students are eligible to apply to UC and CSU campuses. This is sometimes called “readiness.” A recent San Francisco Chronicle analysis brought attention to these differences, raising questions about why graduates at some high schools are more prepared for college than others.