Nationally and locally, education leaders are looking toward the rigor of high school curriculum as the key indicator of success in college. Increased requirements for core classes such as math, English and science could be the ticket to putting more college degrees in the hands of Utah students.

A recent report by the U.S. Department of Education says the "academic intensity of the student's high school curriculum still counts more than anything else in precollegiate history in providing momentum towards completing a bachelor's degree."

The State Board of Education is working to increase its core curriculum requirements, proposing an extra year of English, math and science. The Board of Regents is also pushing a more rigorous high school agenda, cobbling together a series of incentives like a Regents Award and a State Scholars Initiative to entice students to take more years of core classes.

Currently, the state school board requires three years of English and two each of math and science, although some districts have more stringent requirements.

The Regents Award would increase state requirements to four years of English and math, and three years of science and social studies. A B average in those classes would also come with automatic entry into any state school and $1,000 tuition money in pocket.

"'You can experiment with your high school degree, but you can't overlook this core," Kendell said. "Employers are looking for this same level of literacy. These are work-force skills, not just going-to-college skills."

Most districts in the state already offer a smorgasbord of Advanced Placement (AP) and concurrent enrollment classes to give students a head start on college. But taking those classes is ultimately up to the students, who often choose not to plow through four years of math when they don't have to.

"It's not that the courses aren't offered. What you have in this state is a pretty weak set of core graduation requirements by the State Board of Education," Doty said. "There are too many students right now who could essentially fulfill the core graduation requirements by early in their junior year, leaving their senior year with little academic work."

Stephen Ma, a junior at Davis High School, was never pushed by counselors to take a rigorous core of classes but decided he wanted to make sure he was ready for college. Ma, who earned a perfect score of 36 on his ACT, plans to take four years of math and English. Ma also plans to take six credits of science by the time he graduates next year.

Many of his friends, however, have opted out of a final year of math, figuring they wouldn't need it to graduate and they probably wouldn't need it for their college majors.

"You need it eventually. You'll have to learn it in college if you don't in high school," Ma said. "Math develops your critical thinking skills and problem solving."