Equity Alert: Time to Close the Loopholes in Remedial Education at Community Colleges

Two college graduates stand in the sunlight smiling.
For decades, remediation has kept predominantly Black and Latinx students in a detrimental cycle of spending tuition on coursework that does not count as a credit toward transferring or earning degrees. California Assembly Bill 705 was designed to tackle the inequitable challenges of remedial education at California’s Community Colleges. However, several loopholes in the legislation allow colleges to engage in harmful placement and assessment practices.  In the Education Trust–West’s latest equity alert, we tackle the three most significant loopholes in AB 705 and emphasize why the state needs to close them to reimagine access to transfer-level courses radically. The report explores the following loopholes derailing student success:
  1. The Placement Loophole
  2. The Maximize Success Loophole
  3. The Corequisites Loophole
In addition, Education Trust–West’s Equity Alert offers recommendations for how California can entirely eliminate remedial English and math courses. Ultimately, direct placement in English and math transfer-level courses, scaling high-impact corequisites that support student success in transfer-level courses, and other recommendations in the Alert will help more students come closer to achieving their academic dreams. Please read and share the new Equity Alert with your network by visiting the link below.

Share:

More Posts

Send Us A Message

Karla Fernandez

Communications Manager

Karla Fernandez (she/her/hers) joins Ed Trust–West as a Communications Manager with over 11 years of experience advancing social impact initiatives.

Karla started her career as a teacher at Chicago Public Schools and UIC College Prep. After teaching, Karla joined United Friends of the Children to support LA County’s youth in foster care as a college counselor. Through Leadership for Educational Equity, Karla also served as a Policy Advisor Fellow for the office of a Los Angeles Unified School Board Member. She solidified her interests in policy analysis and quantitative research during her time with the Price Center for Social Innovation, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, and the USC Presidential Working Group on Sustainability. Before joining The Education Trust–West, Karla was the Associate Director for the Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) Collaborative, a network of nonprofits advocating for communities in SELA.

Karla holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from the University of Chicago, a Master of Public Policy from the USC Price School of Public Policy, and a Graduate Certificate in Policy Advocacy from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Karla is based out of southern California and is passionate about using data analysis, communications, and digital strategies for policy advocacy and social justice efforts.