California has the world’s largest system of higher education, but too many students who enter it don’t achieve their education goals. California is implementing a series of major reforms to promote postsecondary success, including reforming remedial education, increasing access for qualified students, and addressing college affordability. It is also beginning to focus on workers in the workplace who don’t have college degrees. Gov. Newsom is targeting “near completers” – the 60,000 students who started at the University of California and the California State University, but never completed their studies since 2000. Former Gov. Jerry Brown initiated an online-only community college to serve “stranded workers” who find themselves in the workplace with out the skills they need to advance. EdSource will track these reforms — and identify what’s working, and what’s not.
California's community colleges and state university system are deeply involved in training and educating police officers and are making changes a year after George Floyd was murdered.
We must ensure every child, regardless of apparent interest, has access to a high-quality curriculum, advising, mentoring and data that help them make informed decisions about their futures and to apply, enroll and matriculate to a college or university.
Colleges and universities that serve large numbers of low-income students need to accommodate the varied lives of our students, and that requires truly understanding the demands and structures of their lives.
The agency that regulates California’s 1800 for-profit colleges needs reauthorization from the Legislature to keep operating. Lawmakers say they want it to do a better job protecting the 260,000 students at for-profit schools.
California higher education leaders support President Biden’s proposal to double the maximum amount of the Pell Grant, the main source of federal financial aid available to students.
California higher education supporters say the state legislature needs to change an arcane state law that inadequately funds efforts
to diversify community college faculty. An EdSource investigation revealed the system's failings.
