DIVIDED WE FAIL:
Improving Completion and Closing Racial Gaps in California’s Community Colleges
Regional Profile—UPPER SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Counties of Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Plumas, Sierra, and Tehama
The future of California depends heavily on increasing the number of Californians with certificates, associate
degrees, and bachelor’s degrees. Educational attainment in California has been declining with each younger
generation – a statistic that bodes poorly for the state’s economic competitiveness.
Divided We Fail is a report that tracked more than a quarter of a million students (255,253) who entered a
California Community College in 2003-04 over six years and analyzed their progress and outcomes by major
racial/ethnic population. Analyses were restricted to “degree-seekers” (students believed to be seeking a
certificate, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree), defined as all new students enrolling in more than 6 credits
in the first year.
In California, too many students fail to complete community college:
• Six years after enrolling, 70% of degree-seeking students had not completed a certificate or degree
and had not transferred to a university.
• 75-80% of Latino and black degree-seeking students did not complete.
• Only 23% of degree seekers transferred to a university, 11% earned an associate degree, and only
5% earned a certificate.
Key Findings for Upper Sacramento Valley
(2,115 degree-seeking students)
•
The overall completion rate of degree-seeking community college students in the Upper Sacramento
Valley was 31%, the same as the statewide rate.
•
The share of degree-seeking community college students in the Upper Sacramento Valley transferring
to a university was 21%, lower than the statewide figure.
•
11% of Upper Sacramento Valley students earned an associate degree, virtually the same as the state
rate.
•
The share of students earning a certificate in the Upper Sacramento Valley, while still low at 8%, was the
highest in the state.
•
42% of transfer students from community colleges in the Upper Sacramento Valley transferred to
universities out of state.
Divided We Fail
1
Upper Sacramento Valley Regional Profile
June 2011
Milestone Attainment and Completion within 6 Years
California Community College (CCC) System and Upper Sacramento Valley
100%
90%
CCC
Superior California
80%
70%
60%
50%
61
56
40%
58
52
40
30%
38
31
20%
15
10%
0%
Retained to
2nd Year
11
12+ College- 30+ College- Completed
Level Credits Level Credits
Transfer
Curriculum
5
8
Completed
Certificate
11
23
11
31
21
Completed Transferred to
Overall
Associate
University Completion
Degree
Intermediate Milestones
Completion
Milestone Attainment and Completion Within 6 Years
by Race/Ethnicity in the Upper Sacramento Valley
100%
*Figures for Asian-Pacific Islander, black,
and Latino students not shown due to small
numbers in the cohort; under-represented
minority (URM) category includes black,
Latino, and Native American students.
White
URM
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
53
58
50
55
30%
39
20%
36
11
10%
0%
Retained to
2nd Year
12+ CollegeLevel Credits
30+ CollegeLevel Credits
7
Completed
Transfer
Curriculum
9
5
Completed
Certificate
11
33
9
Completed
Associate
Degree
Intermediate Milestones
21
25
18
Transferred to
University
Overall
Completion
Completion
Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Degree-Seekers Compared to “Completers”
in Upper Sacramento Valley Colleges
Other
Other
3%
API
9%
Latino
12%
1%
Black
6%
Black
API 6%
11%
Latino
9%
White
71%
Degree-Seekers
N=2,115
Divided We Fail
White
73%
Completers
N=662
2
Upper Sacramento Valley Regional Profile
June 2011
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Most Transfer Students in the Upper
Sacramento Valley Have Not Completed
Two Years of Credits
34
26
Completed
Transfer Curriculum
Completed
Associate Degree
*Figures not shown by race/ethnicity because of the small number
of non-white transfer students.
Transfer Destination of Upper Sacramento Valley Students
ForOut-ofProfit
State Private 10%
9%
*Figures not shown by
race/ethnicity because of the
small numbers of non-white
transfer students.
Out-ofState Public
33%
In-State
Private
3%
Divided We Fail
CSU
42%
3
UC
3%
Upper Sacramento Valley Regional Profile
June 2011
Completion Rates Vary Depending on Students’ Enrollment Patterns
Students who followed certain enrollment patterns did much better. Passing college level English and Math
within 2 years and accumulating at least 20 credits in the first year increase student chances of success. As
examples, 51% of students who took and passed college-level English within two years completed a
certificate, degree or transfer within six years compared to only 21% who did not; 53% of students who
passed college level Math within 2 years succeeded (vs. 22% who did not); and 63% of students who
accumulated at least 20 credits in the first year succeeded (vs. 20% who did not). Unfortunately, few
Upper Sacramento Valley students follow these successful patterns (see below).
Too Few Upper Sacramento Valley Community College
Students Follow Successful Enrollment Patterns
100%
90%
Passed College-Level English within 2 Years
Passed College-Level Math within 2 Years
Earned 20+ Credits within 1 Year
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
35
20%
10%
0%
30
36
30
26
Degree-Seekers in Upper Sacramento Valley
White
26
32
30
24
Under-represented Minority
*Figures for Asian-Pacific Islander, black, and Latino students not shown due to small numbers in the cohort; under-represented minority (URM)
category includes black, Latino, and Native American students.
Divided We Fail: Improving Completion and Closing
Racial Gaps in California’s Community Colleges is
a report by the Institute for Higher Education
Leadership & Policy at California State University,
Sacramento and is sponsored by The Campaign for
College Opportunity.
The full report can be accessed at
www.csus.edu/ihelp
www.collegecampaign.org
Divided We Fail
4
Upper Sacramento Valley Regional Profile
June 2011