Persistence Beyond Placement (AB 705): An Analysis of Re-Enrollment Patterns Among California Community College Students Failing Transfer-Level Mathematics

In 2017, California passed Assembly Bill 705, which transformed developmental education in the California community college system. A significant aspect of this transformational legislation was greater access to transfer-level math by leveraging high school transcript data and eliminating assessment testing. A comprehensive review of developmental education in the California community college system and the historical context of developmental education that led to the passage of AB 705 is explained. This study examined re-enrollment patterns of students who did not successfully complete transfer-level math on their first attempt at a large suburban community college in southern California. With a focus on students who did not successfully complete transfer-level mathematics, ethnicity, sex, major, and the total number of units attempted were the predictor variables analyzed in this study. In exploring the connection between re-enrollment trends, Wang’s Theory of Momentum provided a theoretical foundation that highlighted academic motivation in achieving key academic milestones such as successfully completing transfer-level math, especially in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses. A quantitative research methodology included descriptive statistics of the student cohort, re-enrollment data, and logistic regression to analyze student data over two academic years (summer 2022 through spring 2024). The statistical analysis revealed several key findings, such as the higher likelihood of STEM students re-enrolling in transfer-level math compared to non-STEM students and disparities in re-enrollment rates by ethnicity. The study concluded by discussing the broader implications for higher education and recommendations for the California community college system to improve student success in transfer-level math.