For years, far too many California community college students were required to take developmental courses that did not count for transfer, keeping them from reaching their academic goals. A landmark law (AB 705) has dramatically expanded access to the math and English courses students need to transfer to a four-year college.

As of fall 2019, almost all students now start in transfer-level English. Enrollment in transfer-level math skyrocketed, but 20% still start in courses below transfer-level.
In fall 2020, 46% of first-time math students completed transfer-level math in one term, compared to 24% in fall 2018. Even so, only about half complete a transfer-level math course within a year.
In all racial/ethnic groups, more students are completing transfer-level math. Equity gaps in access have narrowed, but Latino and Black students still see lower completion rates than their peers.
The pandemic did not slow implementation of these reform efforts. Systemwide enrollment fell, but access remained far higher than before AB 705’s implementation.

In 2018, California enacted Assembly Bill 705, a law requiring colleges to maximize the likelihood a student will enter and complete transfer-level math or English within a year. Colleges must now use measures such as high school transcripts and GPA to place students in math and English courses instead of assessment tests. Furthermore, colleges can only require a student to enroll in remedial math or English if they can prove a student is highly unlikely to succeed at transfer-level.

Essentially, AB 705, which community colleges first began implementing in fall 2019, intends to shrink the number of students placed in remedial English and math courses. These courses had been a major barrier to students seeking to transfer. The reform also aimed to address racial and ethnic gaps in course access and completion.

How did course placement affect students before AB 705?

In the past, community colleges relied on assessment tests to place new students into math and English. About 80% of students started in remedial or below transfer-level courses. This approach put students into course sequences that added time and cost to their education—and most students who landed in these sequences eventually left college without transferring or completing a degree.

How did AB 705 benefit students who started in transfer-level math?

After implementation, the number of students who enrolled directly into introductory, transfer-level math tripled systemwide—from 22% in 2015 to 80% in 2019. The rate of students who passed their introductory course shot up from 15% to 46%.

After AB 705, about half of first-time math students passed transfer-level math course within a year

SOURCE: Authors’ calculations using MIS data.

NOTE: Only the first term is available for the fall 2020 cohort.

But at one in five community colleges, a third or more of students are still enrolling in courses that don’t count for transfer—on average, at colleges with a higher share of Black and Latino students taking math for the first time. When access to transfer-level is restricted or discouraged, Black and Latino students are more likely to end up in below transfer-level courses. And students in those courses are especially unlikely to then complete a transfer-level math course.

What has AB 705 meant for racial equity gaps?

With increased access, thousands more Latino and Black students have completed transfer-level math. Completion rates for Latino students increased dramatically, from 9% in fall 2015 to 39% in fall 2020; for Black students the rate rose from 7% to 31%. Yet despite these significant gains, Latino and Black students remain underrepresented in successful completion of transfer-level math, with lower rates than their Asian American and white peers.

What additional strategies can help more community college students succeed?

Enroll students who intend to transfer into transfer-level courses by default. Direct enrollment into transfer-level courses better supports student success in math than enrollment into other courses. To help students enroll in the appropriate math pathway (e.g., statistics or traditional math), counselors, advisors, and faculty should work together.

Adapt flexible strategies from the pandemic to face-to-face environments. Amid the pandemic, colleges expanded online student supports like tutoring and mental health services. Faculty used more video lectures, which allowed students to learn at their own pace. As colleges move into hybrid environments, they should incorporate these and other flexibilities.

Prioritize addressing equity gaps, especially in math. By transforming teaching strategies and materials so coursework is engaging and accessible for all students, instructors can help to create equitable classrooms. Professional development can support faculty members and advisors in adjusting to changes under AB 705.

Use the longitudinal student database to assess student supports. The state is developing a data system that could be used to examine how best to support student success. Colleges that identify how to connect students with social services—including food programs—and supports like tutoring and financial aid, can then invest in the most effective strategies to improve student outcomes.

Sources

About the Authors

Marisol Cuellar Mejia is a research fellow at the PPIC Higher Education Center. Her recent projects have focused on developmental education, the workforce skills gap, online learning in community colleges, and the economic returns to college education. Her research interests include labor markets, business climate, housing, and demographic trends. Before joining PPIC, she worked at Colombia’s National Association of Financial Institutions as an economic analyst, concentrating on issues related to the manufacturing sector and small business. She has also conducted agricultural and commodity market research for the Colombian National Federation of Coffee Growers and the National Federation of Palm Oil Growers of Colombia. She holds an MS in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Davis.

Olga Rodriguez is a senior fellow at the PPIC Higher Education Center. She conducts research on the impact of programs and policies on student outcomes, with a particular focus on equity, college access, and success among underserved students. Her recent research focuses on statewide reforms to developmental education, English as a second language, and assessment and placement systems in California’s community colleges. Before joining PPIC, she was a postdoctoral research associate at the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University. She holds a BA in economics/mathematics and Spanish from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an MA and PhD in economics and education from Columbia University.

Hans Johnson is director of the PPIC Higher Education Center and a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, where he holds the Thomas and Marilyn Sutton Chair in Higher Education Policy. As center director, he works with a team of researchers to identify policies that can make higher education policy more successful and sustainable. His own research focuses on improving college access and completion. He frequently presents his work to policymakers and higher education officials, and he serves as a technical advisor to many organizations seeking to improve college graduation rates, address workforce needs, and engage in long-term capacity planning. His other areas of expertise include international and domestic migration, housing in California, and population projections. Previously, he served as research director at PPIC. Before joining PPIC, he worked as a demographer at the California Research Bureau and at the California Department of Finance. He holds a PhD in demography and a master’s degree in biostatistics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Cesar Perez is a research associate at the PPIC Higher Education Center. His work focuses on economic mobility and online learning in community colleges. Before joining PPIC, he was a research assistant at the San Diego Housing Commission, concentrating on evaluating economic security and mobility among rental assistance recipients. He also worked at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth and as a hands-on educator at multiple levels of education. He holds an MPP from the School of Global Policy and Strategy at University of California, San Diego and a BA in economics from University of California, Los Angeles.

Stephanie Barton is a senior editor at the Public Policy Institute of California. She edits research reports, blog posts, and other publications, working with staff to communicate complex messages to a wide readership. Before joining PPIC, she was a developmental editor for Sage Publications and for Wiley Publishing, and a technical writer for the Department of Energy. Early in her career, she worked as a book designer for Doubleday Books. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a BA in studio art from Pomona College.