Salt Lake School District, where 51 percent of students are minorities, has also established programs in the middle schools and high schools through partnerships that provide students with scholarships if they get on the college-prep track.

"The message is take advanced classes because they are good for you — they're not painful, they open doors for you — and they are in your best interest," Withers said.

"We encourage all students to take a rigorous path in high school, not only to boost their ACT scores, but more importantly, to prepare themselves for college and for life," Harrington said.

Leaders say the Math Engineering and Science Achievement program (MESA) has also made some headway in getting more females and minorities to take more rigorous math and science classes and helping them score higher on college entrance exams.

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