DTS serves students within the Los Angeles Unified School District, an extremely diverse population with one of the highest concentrations of low income and minority students in the state. More than 80% of LAUSD students live at or below the poverty line.
Students who are economically disadvantaged often fail to meet state standards in Math and English, their proficiency rates 30 percentage points lower than their peers. Ultimately, less than 11% of low income, first generation students attain a bachelor’s degree, and yet college graduates make $1MM more in their lifetime than non graduates.1
The problem of low persistence among economically disadvantaged, first generation college students is multi layered and requires a holistic solution. Even when low income, first generation students excel academically in high school, many of them are inadequately primed for the academic rigors of college and have not developed the executive functioning skills that they need to thrive nor are their families equipped to provide appropriate emotional support.
Learn about Determined to Succeed’s 5-Touchpoint Approach to helping students achieve their dreams of higher education.
1 http://www.pellinstitute.org/downloads/fact_sheets-6-Year_DAR_for_Students_Post-Secondary_Institution_121411.pdf
