Here’s what California needs to do to meet its high school graduation requirements for 2030, according to researchers

Three in four California colleges and universities' teacher readiness programs surveyed offer ethnic studies preparation for their future K-12 educators, according to recent research by UCLA and Stanford. But with the lack of dedicated funding and uneven access to quality curriculum, the state's high schools may be unable to offer courses that meet the ethnic studies course requirements that their students need to graduate.

The requirement, which was signed into law in 2021 (Assembly Bill 101), stipulates that all graduating high school students must have taken one ethnic studies-related semester course, beginning with the class of 2030. This means that it will apply to students entering high school next year.

The survey, led by Veronica Terriquez, director of the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, and Albert Camarillo, an emeritus professor at Stanford University, sought to address potential gaps in teaching these required courses with their report released this week, "Advancing Ethnic Studies in California High Schools: A Survey of Teacher Preparation Programs."

"We wanted to understand whether colleges and universities are taking meaningful steps to prepare future teachers to engage students in a deeper examination of the histories and experiences that shape California and the nation," said Terriquez, a professor of Chicana/o and Central American studies and of urban planning. "While we found institutions have taken steps in the right direction, often with limited resources, there is still much work to be done."

Terriquez and Camarillo looked at responses from education degree programs at 34 public and private universities. Of those schools, 77% affirmed they are offering some level of ethnic studies training or programming.

In their survey findings, the researchers noted that education schools are beginning to fill gaps in training teachers, with half providing courses focused on ethnic studies instruction, while 47% offering workshops or supplemental learning opportunities.

Other notable findings:

• 64% of surveyed institutions reported collaborating with K-12 districts or schools on ethnic studies curriculum development or professional development initiatives.
• The training and coursework partially covered the four major groups: 62% included materials on Latina/o/x communities; 59% on African Americans/Blacks; 56% on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; and 56% on Native Americans
• Of the institutions surveyed, 31% make publicly available curriculum or other related resources.

Terriquez and Camarillo believe that expanding teacher training programs is necessary so that educators across California can properly implement quality ethnic studies curricula. One major challenge, they noted, is that teaching ethnic studies is an unfunded mandate.

"Equipping California high school students with skill sets to help them better understand and appreciate ethnic and racial diversity in American society is perhaps more important now than ever," said Camarillo, a history professor often viewed as one of the founding scholars of the field of Mexican American history and Chicano Studies. "The survey findings point to an encouraging development in the training of the next generation of California teachers prepared to offer courses in ethnic studies."

The survey, conducted in late 2024 and early 2025, included 34 higher education institutions in the state - six University of California campuses, 11 California State University schools and 17 private institutions.

"These findings underscore a clear need for greater institutional support to ensure that future educators are fully equipped to teach about the rich tapestry of cultures that defines our country," added Terriquez.