The abrupt shift to distance learning at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis exacerbated inequalities in California's K-12 system and added urgency to an ongoing discussion about the role of high school graduation policy in promoting equitable student outcomes. More rigorous graduation requirements, particularly in math and science, can improve access to college by increasing enrollment in advanced courses, which might enhance college readiness and performance on standardized assessments. While high school graduation rates in California have increased in the past decade, nearly 40 percent of California high school graduates do not enroll in college; the disruptive impact of the pandemic has heightened this concern. In this report, the authors review district graduation policies for the 2018-19 school year and examine the relationship between math and science requirements and student outcomes. Given the disruption caused by COVID-19, the first priority should be for districts to set up support systems to mitigate learning loss and prevent backtracking on improvements in high school graduation and college enrollment. [This report was written with research support from Courtney Lee and Andrew Lee. For the technical appendices, see ED611479.]