Eight years ago, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) committed to graduating students from high school with the courses needed to enter University of California schools.

LAUSD leaders said Thursday at a conference they may be far from reaching the 2016 goal but the district is taking the steps needed to make the policy a reality.

Superintendent John Deasy said the district's biggest job is to make sure each high school campus offers enough college prep English and math courses for all students.

“So that part isn’t necessarily the greatest expense," said Deasy. "The expense is expanding the science and language offerings for all students. That is a new expense."

Foreign language, science, English, and math are two of seven University of California entry requirements, known as A through G. Deasy said future district budgets will include A through G funding.

Dawn Purnell of the Los Angeles Urban League is working to inform parents and students of the new requirements. She said a college degree is the new minimum needed to get ahead in life.

“We know that students who don’t effectively complete A through G and do it well are less likely to be economically competitive and to gain the social mobility that our community needs in order to thrive,” said Purnell.

A report by UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access and Alliance for a Better Community recommends that LAUSD intervene more in elementary and middle schools. The goal is to better prepare students to do well in high school college prep courses.