Report Reforming Math Pathways at California’s Community Colleges By Hans Johnson, Olga Rodriguez, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Bonnie Brooks Oct 23, 2017 The goal of developmental education (also known as remedial or basic skills education) is to help students acquire the skills they need to be successful in college courses, but its track record is poor. In fact, it is one of the largest impediments to student success in California’s community colleges. Many students do need additional work to be ready for college, particularly in math. But every year hundreds of thousands of students are deemed underprepared for college and placed into developmental courses from which relatively few emerge. Throughout the state, community colleges are revising assessment and placement procedures to ensure that students who are ready for college are not placed in developmental education. And, given the high failure rates in traditional developmental courses, colleges are also experimenting with alternative curricular approaches.
blog post Strengthening Career Pathways in California’s Community Colleges By Shannon McConville Nov 18, 2019 How can career education pathways best meet workforce needs and connect students to good jobs? A recent article co-authored by PPIC’s Shannon McConville explains.
blog post Basic Needs Centers at California Colleges Can Help Fight Student Hunger By Eliana Blachman, Caroline Danielson Sep 19, 2022 California’s community colleges, which serve a large number of low-income students, are using basic needs centers to increase students’ access to CalFresh food assistance.
blog post California Community Colleges Are Transforming Developmental Education By Marisol Cuellar Mejia Sep 27, 2018 California's community colleges are in the midst of a major transformation of developmental education. Early evidence shows that at least one element of these reforms is promising.
Report Tracking Progress in Community College Access and Success By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez, Sidronio Jacobo, Fernando Garcia Oct 30, 2023 In 2019, a landmark reform removed barriers for community college students in accessing transfer-level math and English courses. While more students are now completing these key early milestones for transfer, additional efforts are needed to address persistent racial equity gaps and promote students’ longer-term success.
Report Community College Math in California’s New Era of Student Access By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Olga Rodriguez, Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez Dec 7, 2021 In fall 2019, California’s community colleges began implementing AB 705, making reforms to place thousands of students away from remedial courses and directly into the introductory courses necessary to transfer to a four-year college. In this report, we focus on math courses and the progress that colleges and students have made under the new system as of fall 2020.
blog post Testimony: Enrollment Declines in California Community Colleges By Olga Rodriguez Nov 14, 2022 For a hearing of Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance, PPIC’s Olga Rodriguez presented research on pandemic-induced enrollment declines at community colleges—with the largest decreases among Asian, Black, and Latino students—and discussed strategies for boosting student access and educational attainment.
blog post Geography of Community College Transfers in California By Cesar Alesi Perez, Hans Johnson, Vicki Hsieh Mar 4, 2022 Transfers from community colleges to the University of California and California State University have increased in recent years, though transfer rates vary across community college districts and campuses and across racial/ethnic groups.
blog post Reforming California’s Community College System By Hans Johnson, Olga Rodriguez, Marisol Cuellar Mejia May 31, 2019 Community colleges are implementing a number of reforms designed to help more students get a degree or a certificate or transfer to a four-year institution.
blog post Video: English as a Second Language in California Community Colleges By Mary Severance May 2, 2019 PPIC researcher Bonnie Brooks presents findings from a new report on ESL in community colleges, and an expert panel discusses how campuses across the state are taking steps to strengthen their ESL programs.
