Students are entering California’s colleges
UNPREPARED for college-level coursework.
University
(CSU)
Colleges
(CCC)
In our Community Colleges, only 41% of “unprepared students” complete a college degree, certificate or transfer compared to a completion rate of 70% for their academically prepared peers.
Preparation for college mathematics presents the greatest academic barrier.
The table below shows the rate of high school juniors who tested ready for college-level math through the CSU's Early Assessment Program (EAP) .
College Math Readiness Rates by Race and Income via the EAP (2018)
2018 EAP Data (Level 4 CAASPP) | # of Juniors* | College Math Ready |
|---|---|---|
ALL STUDENTS | 437,883 | 13% (56,443) |
RACE | ||
African-American | 24,015 | 3% (720) |
Hispanic | 232,433 | 5% (11,622) |
White | 104,873 | 19% (19,926) |
Asian | 42,593 | 44% (18,741) |
ECONOMIC STATUS | ||
Low-Income | 252,960 | 6% (15,304) |
NOT Low-income | 184,923 | 22% (41,164) |
The college math readiness rates are significantly lower among minority, low-income students.
Compounding the problem…
The metrics used to define readiness are inconsistent between the
CA Deptartment of Education (CDE) and Higher Education systems,
making it complicated to determine if a student is college ready.
Readiness Metric | CDE | CCC | CSU | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Career & Technical Education (CTE) Pathway | ||||||||||||
Grade 11 CAASPP/EAP | ||||||||||||
Advanced Placement (AP) | ||||||||||||
International Baccelaureate (IB) | ||||||||||||
College Credit | ||||||||||||
A-G Completion | ||||||||||||
State Seal of Biliteracy | ||||||||||||
Leadership Military Science | ||||||||||||
College Level Examination Program (CLEP) | ||||||||||||
ACT | ||||||||||||
SAT | ||||||||||||
HS Courses and Grades | ||||||||||||
Sectors use this metric differently in readiness definition | ||||||||||||
For example, passing any two AP exams counts as “college ready”
for the CDE but Higher Ed only considers scores from
Math or English AP exams for readiness.
Perhaps even more confusing for students and families, the CDE’s
requirements for high school graduation are vastly different
than the metrics for college readiness.
High School Graduation Rate | College/Career Readiness Rate | Rate of Students NOT COLLEGE READY | |
|---|---|---|---|
Asian | 93% | 74% | 26% |
White | 88% | 52% | 48% |
Hispanic | 81% | 34% | 66% |
African-American | 72% | 21% | 79% |
Low-Income | 81% | 34% | 66% |
High school graduation does not guarantee college readiness.
While students progress on their journey to college, their teachers, counselors and administrators have different roles and focus on different metrics.
Without alignment on the definition of, and path to, college readiness,
many high school graduates find themselves unprepared for college.
How we’re addressing the need:
Our core strategy centers on intersegmental partnerships working to bridge the gaps between K-12 and Higher Ed to create a seamless transition for students.