College Prep, Transfer Pathways May Address Tepid College Completion Rates

Low college achievement rates identified in a new policy study in California’s San Joaquin Valley stem from a lack of college readiness and confusing transfer processes, experts say. Despite the valley’s high population of 4.3 million people, just 57 percent of high school graduates in the region go on to attend public or nonprofit colleges, according to data from the Public Policy Institute of California. The institute also observed that a mere 26 percent of ninth-grade students in the San Joaquin Valley were “on the path” to achieving a four-year degree. Although the San Joaquin Valley is located in an agriculturally-rich region—it’s the southern half of California’s vast, fertile Central Valley—few residents in the area work in the industry, according to the data. Only 9 percent work in agriculture, and most live in urban areas, suggesting that students are not choosing farm-related labor jobs after they graduate from high school....