LAUSD sets 100% grad rate goal

A coalition of civic, business, labor and education leaders Wednesday signed an ambitious agreement to reform Los Angeles public schools, setting a goal of a 100 percent graduation rate.Connie Llanos in the Daily News.

Modeled after the Boston Compact signed nearly 30 years ago, the L.A. Compact counts 18 local groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, City Council and the County Federation of Labor, who will lobby together for funding and legislative changes on behalf of local schools.

Addressing some criticism the pact's goals were too lofty, such as aiming to have all graduates prepared to enter college, LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines stressed the compact needs to be more than "words on paper."