DIVIDED WE FAIL:
Improving Completion and Closing Racial Gaps in California’s Community Colleges
Regional Profile—SOUTH SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Counties of Kern, Kings, and Tulare
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 the South San Joaquin Valley
(8,322 degree-seeking students)
•
The overall completion rate of degree-seeking community college students in the South San Joaquin
Valley was 30%, similar to the statewide rate.
•
The share of degree-seeking community college students in the South San Joaquin Valley transferring
to a university was 20%, among the lowest in the state.
•
Only one-fourth of black transfer students in the South San Joaquin Valley enrolled in a California
State University or the University of California.
•
13% of South San Joaquin Valley students earned an associate degree, slightly higher than the
statewide figure.
•
The share of students earning a certificate in the South San Joaquin Valley, 6%, was slightly higher than
the statewide rate.
•
Large percentages of black and Latino transfer students in the South San Joaquin Valley transferred
to for-profit institutions, 29% and 22%, respectively, with black students more likely to enroll in a forprofit than in one of California’s public universities.
Divided We Fail
1
South San Joaquin Valley Regional Profile
April 2011
Milestone Attainment and Completion within 6 Years
California Community College (CCC) System and South San Joaquin Valley
100%
90%
CCC
South San Joaquin Valley
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
61
56
56
60
40
30%
39
31
20%
15
10%
0%
Retained to
2nd Year
13
12+ College- 30+ College- Completed
Level Credits Level Credits
Transfer
Curriculum
5
6
Completed
Certificate
Intermediate Milestones
Completed Transferred to
Overall
Associate
University Completion
Degree
White
Asian-Pacific Islander
Black
Latino
80%
70%
60%
56
64 66
62
58
56
46
30%
44
20%
50
41
37
26
10%
0%
20
Completion
90%
40%
13
11
30
Milestone Attainment and Completion Within 6 Years
by Race/Ethnicity in the South San Joaquin Valley
100%
50%
23
Retained to
2nd Year
12+ CollegeLevel Credits
30+ CollegeLevel Credits
35 36
20 5 11
15
6 8 3 7
Completed
Transfer
Curriculum
Completed
Certificate
14 15
7
Completed
Associate
Degree
Intermediate Milestones
25 23
12
26 25
22
14
Transferred to
University
Overall
Completion
Completion
Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Degree-Seekers Compared to “Completers”
in South San Joaquin Valley Colleges
Other
Other
1%
1%
Black
API 7%
6%
Black
API 6%
8%
White
42%
White
49%
Latino
35%
Latino
44%
Degree-Seekers
N=8,322
Divided We Fail
Completers
N=2,498
2
South San Joaquin Valley Regional Profile
April 2011
Most Transfer Students in South San Joaquin Valley
Have Not Completed Two Years of Credits
100%
90%
Completed Transfer Curriculum
Completed Associate Degree
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
52
42
34
20%
47
41
31
23
20
10%
0%
All Transfers
44
34
White
API
Black
Latino
Transfer Destination of South San Joaquin Valley Students Varies by Race/Ethnicity
White Transfer Students
Out-ofState Private
10%
ForProfit
11%
Out-ofState
Public
18% In-State
Private UC
14%
5%
Out-ofState Private
7%
Divided We Fail
API Transfer Students
Out-ofState Private
7%
CSU
43%
ForProfit
7%
Out-ofState Public
18%
CSU
48%
UC
12%
In-State
Private 8%
Black Transfer Students
Latino Transfer Students
ForProfit
29%
ForProfit
22%
CSU
25%
Out-ofState
Public
33%
In-State
Private 6%
UC 1%
Out-of-State
Private 5%
CSU
54%
Out-of-State
Public 7%
In-State
Private 8%
3
UC
5%
South San Joaquin Valley Regional Profile
April 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, 53% of students who took and passed college-level English within two years completed a
certificate, degree or transfer within six years compared to only 19% who did not; 57% of students who
passed college level Math within 2 years succeeded (vs. 20% who did not); and 61% of students who
accumulated at least 20 credits in the first year succeeded (vs. 20% who did not). Unfortunately, few
South San Joaquin Valley students follow these successful patterns (see below).
Too Few South San Joaquin 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%
20%
32
10%
0%
40
36
26
25
28
39
27
31
29
14
Degree-Seekers
in South San Joaquin Valley
White
API
13
26
24
13
Black
Latino
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
South San Joaquin Valley Regional Profile
April 2011