Prepared to help develop a vision for California's community colleges into the 21st century, this report presents data on the colleges' performance up to 1996 and estimations of trends up to 2005. Data presented focus on the issues of student access, outcomes, and funding. Selected findings include the following: (1) participation rates peaked in the late 1970's but have declined since, reaching 59 per 1,000 adults in 1996; (2) participation rates in the 1990's have been highest among 18-24 year olds, but have fallen for Blacks, have been low for Hispanics, and high for Asians; (3) between 1985 and 1990 transfers to the University of California and the California State University increased by 9% from 52,043 to 56,685; and (4) the colleges' share of taxes declined by 27% between 1975 and 1995, while the colleges' costs per student are just three-fifths of the national average. In the future, the state's population is expected to continue to grow, especially among 18-24 year olds; the greatest job growth will occur in jobs requiring higher skills and postsecondary education; and participation rates will likely increase. Recommended reforms to respond to the future include developing higher and more consistent revenue streams through partnerships with business and other agents; improving productivity through technology, delivery reorganization, and legal reforms; and improving assessment, degree/award structures, accountability, and planning. Includes data tables. (TGI)