To complete the bachelor's degrees that 82% of community college students aspire to and that the knowledge economy needs, there is an obstacle: most students have to transfer to a four-year institution. But less than one third of all students and about one sixth of Black, Latinx, and Native American, or underserved minority (USM), students get…

Some states have enacted inclusive policies that reduce constraints and uncertainty for undocumented students, potentially changing their academic decisions and postsecondary goals. We explore shifts in continuing undocumented community college students' course-taking before and after the California DREAM Act, which provided access to state…

In the classic game of "Chutes and Ladders," the player can see square 100--the finish line--but it is not easy to get there. The player may climb one ladder only to land on the wrong spot and be sent spiraling down a chute. In the game, players are aiming for the blue ribbon on square 100, but for students enrolling in college, the…

The California Community Colleges (CCC) are central to the economic strength and social mobility of California and its residents. They serve the majority of undergraduates in California. Each year, over 2 million students attend one of the 116 community colleges across the state, including the online campus--Cal Bright. Like "Chutes and…

This is the executive summary for the report, "Dual Enrollment for Students from Special Populations: Improving College Transitions for English Learners, Students with Disabilities, Foster Youth, and Young People Experiencing Homelessness." Interest in dual enrollment is rising in California and nationwide, but students from special…

Interest in dual enrollment is rising in California and nationwide, but students from special populations--including English learners, students with disabilities, foster youth, and young people experiencing homelessness--are too often left on the sidelines. This report explores promising practices and recommendations for designing dual enrollment…

In 2008, The James Irvine Foundation launched the Concurrent Courses initiative to make dual enrollment programs--which allow high school students to take college courses and earn college credit--available to low-income youth who struggle academically or who are from populations historically underrepresented in higher education. This work advances…

This paper discusses the importance of institutionalizing practices that promote equitable outcomes for all students within the vast California Community College (CCC) system. The CCC system, which annually provides educational opportunities for almost three million students, exists at the heart of the state economy and future labor pool. Because…