Returning California Community College Student Outcomes in the wake of AB 705

• In Event: Holistic Success: Institutional Influences on Community College Student Outcomes

Abstract

In 2017, California passed AB 705 to address persistent challenges with existing developmental education placement practices and student outcomes in community colleges. Community college faculty, academic counselors, and students in California have consistently expressed concerns about whether AB 705 supports success among students returning to the classroom after an absence from the classroom, especially in introductory, transfer-level math courses. This paper utilizes both qualitative and quantitative data to confirm these concerns and show that returning students who enrolled in a community college after the implementation of AB 705 struggled more than students enrolling in community college directly from high school.

Authors

• Taylor Stenley, Research for Action

• Mark Duffy, Research for Action

• Dae Y. Kim, Research for Action