California’s community colleges are leading the way with a historic reform to end a legacy of gatekeeping that has held back nearly all students, particularly students of color.
Just 10 years ago, 85% of community college students in California were forced to begin in remedial education courses that don’t provide credits toward a degree or transfer, and too often didn’t lead to the completion of critical math and English courses.
The state took a bold step five years ago to transform remedial education by requiring community colleges to drop placement tests, which were poor predictors of college performance, and instead take a more holistic look at students’ high school coursework, grades and overall GPA in placing students in their first courses.
