CA: Reducing graduation requirements to reduce dropout rate

Santa Ana seeks to ease high school graduation requirements

Los Angeles Times  February 8, 2009

While most high schools across California are trying to toughen their graduation requirements, the Santa Ana school district is proposing to cut health, college and career planning, world geography and earth science
as required courses
to reduce the number of credits necessary to graduate.  The current requirements makes it too difficult to make up failed courses.