Identifying a need “to step up the pace of improvement” within the California Community College (CCC) system, Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley recently announced the CCC Board of Governors’ adoption of a strategic vision, set forth in a new report titled “Vision for Success.” The report articulates various goals and commitments intended to overcome the challenges facing the CCC system to better serve its 2.1 million students and to meet California’s future workforce needs. As 60% of California undergraduates attend community colleges and one in five American community college students attend a CCC, the performance of the CCC system has statewide and national implications.
Among the report’s findings is that most CCC students never reach a defined end goal, with only 48% of students leaving the community colleges with a degree, certificate or transferring to a four-year college after six years. Students who do complete an associate’s degree on average take more than five years—considerably longer than the two-year timeframe for degrees and transfer preparation expected by the system’s architects. And students often accumulate far more course units than they need to graduate, earn a certificate, or transfer to a four-year college, creating inefficiencies and driving up costs for the student and California taxpayers, while slowing the progress of other students who need the same courses to reach their educational goals.
The report notes that over 40% of CCC students are age 25 or older, yet older and working students are often left behind due to personal challenges; community colleges need to identify and address those issues. Achievement gaps continue to persist along the lines of age, race, ethnicity, and region—a disparity that will increase as demographics change.
The report identifies six goals for the CCC system to achieve by 2022: (1) increase by at least 20% the number of CCC students annually who earn associate degrees, credentials, or certificates or acquire specific skill sets that prepare them for an in-demand job; (2) increase by 35% the number of CCC students transferring annually to a UC or CSU; (3) reduce from 87 to 79 the average number of units accumulated by students who earn an associate’s degree; (4) increase the number of students completing career education programs who report being employed in their field of study from the current 60% to 69%; (5) reduce equity gaps by 40% within five years and close those gaps within ten years; and (6) reduce regional achievement gaps with an ultimate goal to fully close those gaps within ten years.
To achieve these goals the report suggests community colleges make seven commitments: (1) focus relentlessly on students’ end goals; (2) always design and decide with the student in mind; (3) pair high expectations with high support; (4) foster the use of data, inquiry and evidence; (5) take ownership of goals and performance; (6) enable action and thoughtful innovation; and (7) lead the work of partnering across education and workforce development systems.
Vision for Success notes that change will not occur without collective effort by community colleges and stakeholders, and serves as a call to action for the colleges to “reach their full potential as California’s engine of social and economic mobility.”
- Partner
Sharon Ormond chairs AALRR’s Associate Mentoring and Training Committee and is a member of the firm’s Higher Education, Title IX, Civil Rights, and Wage and Hour teams. She represents numerous community college districts and ...
- Partner
Warren Kinsler advises California school and community college districts and county offices of education on a wide range of outside general counsel issues. He is a recognized expert on the Brown Act, with additional expertise in the ...
Other AALRR Blogs
Recent Posts
- AALRR’s 2024 Title IX Virtual Academy
- Unmasking Deepfakes: Legal Insights for School Districts
- How to Address Employees’ Use of Social Media
- How far is too far? Searching Students’ Homes and Remote Test Proctoring
- Making Cybersecurity a Priority
- U.S. Department of Education Issues Proposed Amendments to Title IX Regulations
- Inadvertent Disability Discrimination May Lurk in Hiring Software, Artificial Intelligence and Algorithms
- Students and Social Media – Can Schools Discipline Students for Off-Campus Speech?
- Fact Specific Analysis is Key when Restricting on Employee Expression
- Monitoring Students’ Online Activities
Popular Categories
- (55)
- (12)
- (81)
- (96)
- (43)
- (53)
- (22)
- (40)
- (11)
- (22)
- (6)
- (4)
- (3)
- (2)
- (3)
- (2)
- (4)
- (1)
- (1)
- (1)
- (1)
- (1)
- (1)
- (1)
Contributors
- Steven J. Andelson
- Ernest L. Bell
- William M. Betley
- Mark R. Bresee
- W. Bryce Chastain
- J. Kayleigh Chevrier
- Andreas C. Chialtas
- Georgelle C. Cuevas
- Scott D. Danforth
- Alexandria M. Davidson
- Mary Beth de Goede
- Anthony P. De Marco
- Peter E. Denno
- William A. Diedrich
- A. Christopher Duran
- Amy W. Estrada
- Jennifer R. Fain
- Eve P. Fichtner
- Paul S. Fleck
- Mellissa E. Gallegos
- Stephanie L. Garrett
- Karen E. Gilyard
- Todd A. Goluba
- Jacqueline D. Hang
- Davina F. Harden
- Suparna Jain
- Jonathan Judge
- Warren S. Kinsler
- Nate J. Kowalski
- Tien P. Le
- Alex A. Lozada
- Kimberly C. Ludwin
- Bryan G. Martin
- Paul Z. McGlocklin
- Stephen M. McLoughlin
- Anna J. Miller
- Jacquelyn Takeda Morenz
- Kristin M. Myers
- Katrina J. Nepacena
- Adam J. Newman
- Anthony P. Niccoli
- Aaron V. O'Donnell
- Sharon J. Ormond
- Gabrielle E. Ortiz
- Beverly A. Ozowara
- Chesley D. Quaide
- Rebeca Quintana
- Elizabeth J. Rho-Ng
- Todd M. Robbins
- Irma Rodríguez Moisa
- Brooke Romero
- Alyssa Ruiz de Esparza
- Lauren Ruvalcaba
- Scott J. Sachs
- Gabriel A. Sandoval
- Peter A. Schaffert
- Constance J. Schwindt
- Justin R. Shinnefield
- Amber M. Solano
- David A. Soldani
- Dustin Stroeve
- Constance M. Taylor
- Mark W. Thompson
- Emaleigh Valdez
- Jonathan S. Vick
- Jabari A. Willis
- Sara C. Young
- Elizabeth Zamora-Mejia
Archives
2024
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
- December 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- January 2018
2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
2015
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
2014
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
2013
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
2012
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012