Research cited at Assembly hearing: AB705 greatly increased access and completion but implementation remains uneven

At an Assembly Higher Education Committee oversight hearing, researchers and California Community Colleges officials summarized a decade of evidence showing that AB705 and follow‑on policies greatly increased direct enrollment and successful completion of transfer‑level math and English, while emphasizing that implementation and student supports remain uneven across colleges.

Public Policy Institute of California research fellow Marisol Cuellar Mejia said the reforms dramatically changed placement: "practically all students were able to enroll directly in a transfer level course," and the share of first‑time math students completing transfer‑level math in one term rose from about 30 percent in 2017 to 53 percent in fall 2023. She told the committee the raw count of students completing transfer‑level math in the fall term rose from about 30,000 to about 62,000.

The committee heard parallel findings from the Chancellor's Office and the RP Group. John Hetz, executive vice chancellor for the Chancellor's Office, said prior reliance on placement tests had placed most…