EdTrust-West partners with California Community Colleges to dismantle racial and economic barriers in higher education. Through tailored technical assistance, we help college teams identify challenges, analyze root causes, and implement equity-driven strategies that advance course placement and completion reforms, ensuring students of color and multilingual learners have the supports they need to thrive.

One example of this work is our 2024–2025 Community of Practice, sponsored by Ascendium Education Group. Over the course of the academic year, our educator engagement and higher education policy teams collaborated with eight colleges to provide structured technical assistance, including data analysis, planning templates, and expert facilitation. This initiative supported cross-functional teams in developing actionable plans to improve equitable access to transfer-level math and English courses, driving systemic change and better outcomes for students.