AB 705: Long-Term Impact on Student Completion of Transfer-Level Requirements and Education Goals

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai

AB 705 (2017) requires California community colleges to change how students are placed into transfer-level English and math, shifting away from standardized placement tests that have routed many underinvested-communitty students into remedial coursework. The RP Group’s Multiple Measures Assessment Project (MMAP) analyzes long-term outcomes using COMIS data and CCCApply high school measures, tracking completion of transfer-level requirements within one year and transfer/associate degrees within two years, with results examined by race/ethnicity and lower high school preparation groups.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

In This Brief

Data and Methods Overview

Key Findings

Since AB 705, Significantly More Students Complete Transfer-Level English and/or Math within One Year of Entry

Key Terms

AB 705: Long-Term Impact on Student Completion of Transfer-Level Requirements and Education Goals Introduction California Assembly Bill (AB) 705 (2017) calls for community colleges to transform their approach to student placement in transfer-level English and math.1 This reform seeks to dismantle college reliance on standardized placement tests that have historically channeled many students—particularly those from underinvested communities—into remedial courses. By mandating the use of high school performance and multiple measures for placement, this legislative effort facilitates direct access to transfer-level coursework in these disciplines, removing a major barrier that has disproportionately affected students of color and individuals experiencing financial insecurity (Bickerstaff et al., 2022; Barnett et al., 2020) . The state’s legislative changes reflect a national movement toward developmental education reform in service of more equitable placement, and ultimately, improved college completion outcomes. Research confirms that in California, AB 705 implementation has dramatically increased access to transferable English and math—with nearly all students now starting at that level in both disciplines (The RP Group, 2025; Cuellar Mejia et al., 2023) . Research suggests that direct enrollment is leading to significant improvements in students’completion of this coursework (The RP Group, 2025; Cuellar Mejia et al., 2023). Yet, debate remains about how this approach compares to a traditional developmental education strategy. Further, limited research exists on whether the exponential increase in students’access to these courses strengthens timely attainment of outcomes such as transfer and associate’s degrees. In This Brief New research from The RP Group’s Multiple Measures Assessment Project (MMAP) examines the long-term impact of AB 705 implementation on student completion, specifically achievement of transfer-level requirements and education goals. This brief includes: • A synopsis of the data and methods used for this research. 1 The law also applied to credit English as a second language (ESL) courses, though with separate compliance requirements. As such, this analysis focuses on English and math. • Key findings on… o Transfer-level English and/or math completion within one year of entry into the California Community Colleges (CCC) . o Attainment of transfer and associate’s degrees within two years. • Outcomes by race/ethnicity and among students with lower high school preparation. • Implications and future considerations for implementation of AB 705. Data and Methods Overview MMAP explored students’completion of transfer-level English and math and attainment of education goals during three key periods: • Baseline (2012-2013 through 2014-2015): the period prior to California’s widespread adoption of assessment and placement reform (3 cohorts) . • Transition (2015-2016 through 2018-2019): the time surrounding AB 705’s development and passage, and the movement toward developmental education reform (4 cohorts) . • Post implementation (2019-2020 through 2023-2024): the window after the legislation went into effect requiring assessment, placement, and developmental education reform (3-5 cohorts, depending on availability of data and timeframe) . These analyses used California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Management Information Systems (COMIS) data. The Chancellor’s Office also supplied high school information; specifically self-reported data collected from the CCCApply application. The total sample involved 3,400,004 students who attempted a credit math and/or English course anywhere in the CCC system2 (see Appendix C for information on the individual cohorts) . Success rates can vary depending on the timeframe observed and students’ starting point ina curricular pathway. For the purposes of this research, MMAP explored two distinct starting points: (1) from a student’s fir

FAQs

What problem does AB 705 address in student placement for English and math?

AB 705 targets the reliance on standardized placement tests that have historically directed many students into remedial courses, especially students from underinvested communities. It requires using high school performance and multiple measures to support direct access to transfer-level coursework.

What is the scope of MMAP’s analysis for AB 705’s long-term impact?

MMAP examines completion of transfer-level English and math and attainment of education goals across baseline, transition, and post-implementation periods. It evaluates outcomes within one year and degree attainment within two years, depending on students’ first CCC enrollment or first sequence attempt.

How are outcomes measured and adjusted in the brief?

Results are presented in both raw/unadjusted and adjusted forms. Adjusted means control for student demographics, high school information, and additional factors such as full AB 705 implementation for math and English and online-instruction exposure overlapping the COVID-19 period.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai