The need for California to increase education levels has been highlighted by numerous studies, including the Public Policy Institute of California's (PPIC) "CA 2025" projections. "One of the most threatening trends," the authors wrote, "is the potential mismatch between the education requirements of the new economy and the amount of education its future population is likely to have." By the year 2020, PPIC projects, almost 40 percent of jobs will require a college degree and another 36 percent will need "some college" (e.g., associates' degrees and certificates).
The Hewlett Foundation's strategy to address the gap centers on students attending California's community colleges. Numerous national initiatives have focused on community colleges as a critical access point to postsecondary education. But nowhere are the two-year institutions more pivotal in providing opportunity than in California. Through its 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education, the state restricts the percentage of students who can enter state universities as freshmen. Only the top third of high school graduates can enroll directly at the University of California or California State University. Other students wishing to enter public postsecondary education must begin at community colleges and, if they choose, transfer to a four-year university. As a result, about two-thirds of California students attending public institutions enroll in community colleges, compared to just 42 percent nationally.
In addition to transfer, community colleges provide essential workforce preparation, pre-collegiate instruction, and adult education. Because of the high proportion of students attending community colleges, increasing success rates of students in that area is essential for improving overall postsecondary attainment and workforce skill levels. The long-term goal is to ensure that college participation and completion rates in the state increase instead of decline. Specifically, reaching the PPIC projections is likely to require a 17 percent increase in high school graduation rates, a 17 percent increase in college-going and a 17 percent increase in certificate and degree completion in higher education. For community colleges to achieve this increase, we have two intermediate goals:
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