Kids Give Up a Day Off for Academic Upgrades
Saturday classes allow L.A. Unified students to get help with basics or prep for state exit exam.
By Susana Enriquez
Times Staff Writer
April 3, 2005

Oscar Ravelo would rather play football on Saturday mornings than spend more than three hours cooped up in a classroom.

For Ravelo and thousands of other California students who have low grades or who want additional help, the school week has spilled over into the weekend.

Saturday school is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District's Beyond the Bell program, which encompasses the myriad classes stretching beyond the traditional school day.

The so-called extended learning academies were implemented districtwide last year for middle school and high school students.

The nine-week voluntary program provides tutoring in English and math and prepares high school students for the state-mandated California High School Exit Exam.

"It's a 30-hour program, not 300, so it's not a life sentence," said John Leichty, an associate superintendent who oversees Beyond the Bell.

All high schools provide preparation for the high school exit exam; some offer after-school programs and others have Saturday school, Leichty said. "We didn't want to do it cookie-cutter because every school is different," he said.