Report outlines major successes at local colleges

Students in the Coast Community College District succeed more often than their peers around the state, according to a report last week that measured students’ ability to earn degrees, transfer to four-year universities and more.

On March 19, the California Community Colleges released a report outlining the performance of all 109 campuses in the state.

The study determined the percentages of first-time students who earned at least 30 units, enrolled in back-to-back fall semesters and achieved other goals.

All three schools in the Coast district — Orange Coast College, Golden West College and Coastline Community College — topped the state average in “student progress and achievement rate,” which measures the number of students who earn certificates or degrees, transfer to universities or complete enough units to transfer.

Last year, 52% of all students met their goals statewide, compared with 55.3% at Coastline, 54.1% at Golden West and 60% at OCC.

OCC topped the state in all six measuring categories, while Golden West and Coastline fell short in some, including the percentage of students completing vocational courses. Still, district spokeswoman Martha Parham said she was pleased with the numbers.

“They are as expected,” she said. “We submitted our own data, so we were aware of the numbers. Of course, we are very pleased by our numbers. We’re also pleased to know what areas we need to improve, now that we have a mechanism by which to measure our progress. It’s nice to have a measuring stick.”

The report, titled “Focus on Results: Accountability Reporting for the Community Colleges,” was the first that the statewide college system has compiled.

A 2004 Assembly bill created a performance measurement system for community colleges, and schools across the state began submitting data and writing self-assessments in October of last year.

District board trustee Mary Hornbuckle said she wasn’t surprised by the district’s high marks, noting its reputation for turning out transfer students.

OCC leads all California community colleges in transfers to the California State University system and ranks fifth in sending students to University of California schools.

“We have had quite a push districtwide on retaining students and on helping them reach their goals, whether it’s to enter the workforce or move on into higher education,” Hornbuckle said.