After having taught at James A. Garfield High School in East Los Angeles for 5 years, math teacher Jaime Escalante decided in 1981 it was time to teach his students the difficult subject of Calculus. Escalante felt that he had found a group of students who had the ability to tackle this subject and use it to their advantage. Although the faculty at Garfield was at first reluctant to allow him to go forward with his efforts, in the end they conceded.

Just teaching Calculus was not enough to justify students and teacher dedicating more time than normal on one subject. What convinced both students and faculty to go along with Escalante was the chance for the students to take the Advance Placement Calculus Exam which if passed would not only prove Latino students had the skills to tackle a difficult subject, but also provide them with valuable college credit.

After months of preparation the test was finally taken and all 18 students received passing grades (AP Exam grades range from 1 to 5 with 5 being best and 3 considered passing), and several students scoring 4's and 5's. The grades came as a welcome surprise to the Garfield community and also caught the attention of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) which administers the tests. To the ETS the grades looked like widespread cheating had taken place, especially since the test had never been taken by such a large number of Latinos in one area, and since only 2% of the students attempting the test actually pass.

The ETS dispatched investigators to find out how the students had cheated and who provided them with the answers. Outraged, the Garfield community responded with cries of elitism and racism as the investigator conducted their search. The Mexican American Lega Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) approached Escalante and guaranteed to cover all legal costs should he elect to take the ETS to court. Escalante, though upset that his students were labeled cheaters, declined legal recourse. Instead he felt the students should retake the exam and prove to the ETS and the entire world that they were right all along.

The ETS agreed to another test, and sent special proctors to watch over the students while they took the test. When the results came back, several students scored even higher than before. The ETS was forced to apologize and the original scores were reinstated.

Since then the number of students taking Advance Placement exams at Garfield has increased each year, and Escalante has received numerous accolades for his teaching ability along with generous corporate sponsorship to continue his work.