It’s been said by newspapers, teachers, even students: the more opportunities that are given to students, the more chances they have to succeed. This makes sense; if you want youth to prosper, you have to push them and give them the means to expand their knowledge. By providing students with access to higher levels of education, schools can achieve just that. A bill has recently been passed in California that encourages this. According to the San Diego Union Tribune, “High school students throughout the state will have easier access to community college classes through a new law this year” (sandiegouniontribune.com). The law will empower students by giving them the ability to gain valuable educational opportunities previously unavailable. In today’s competitive and fast-paced workplace, it is especially crucial to offer young adults a variety of opportunities to grow and succeed in their future endeavours.

  According to California government legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 288 received a majority vote and was approved by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State on October 8, 2015. AB 288 will  “authorize the governing board of a community college district to enter into a College and Career Access Pathways partnership with the governing board of a school district with the goal of developing seamless pathways from high school to community college for career technical education or preparation for transfer, improving high school graduation rates, or helping high school pupils achieve college and career readiness.” The law also increased the number of units per semester of free college classes high school students can take from 11 to 15 (sandiegouniontribune.com). Basically, this means community colleges can partner with local high schools to provide more college courses for high schoolers (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov).

  According to Principal Jeff Olivero, UC High will see some changes in the upcoming year with college classes as well. With a continuation of Political Science, Math 150-151, Linear Algebra, Discrete Math and Sociology 101, there will be the addition of a college level math class and English class and a possibility for Nutrition 101. Taking advantage of AB 288 will benefit UC High.

  Hopefully, this new bill will benefit all students and help tame the rapidly growing education gap. Throughout history, society has hoped that education would be a means of equaling the socioeconomic playing field, but now more than ever, it seems as though it is just another category for economic stratification. According to an article in New York Times, “One reason for the growing gap in achievement, researchers say, could be that wealthy parents invest more time and money than ever before in their children (in weekend sports, ballet, music lessons, math tutors, and in overall involvement in their children’s schools), while lower-income families, which are now more likely than ever to be headed by a single parent, are increasingly stretched for time and resources. This has been particularly true as more parents try to position their children for college, which has become ever more essential for success in today’s economy” (nytimes.com).

  Creating an environment filled with learning opportunities fosters success, and by promoting college level courses, AB 288 will hopefully assist students who may not be able to afford other educational programs. According to the legislation of the bill, “Dual enrollment has historically targeted high-achieving students; however, increasingly, educators and policymakers are looking toward dual enrollment as a strategy to help students who struggle academically or who are at risk of dropping out.” This could play a huge part in offering students who were once not able to take college courses the opportunity to gain higher education and unpresidented opportunities they hadn’t been given in the past (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov).

  Extending dual-enrollment and providing high school students with classes to obtain college credit will help society as a whole. Not only are these new laws offering students more variety in their educational choices, but also the materials they need to take the next step forward.