The University of California’s student academic preparation programs are making strong progress in helping educationally disadvantaged students prepare for college, according to a new report that evaluates the programs using a more rigorous methodology than ever before.

The programs are helping more students complete a college preparatory curriculum in high school, prepare for and take the standardized tests required for college admission, pass the state’s high school exit exam, and enroll in college after graduation, according to the report.

“This report demonstrates the importance of UC-led programs focused on preparing more California youth for the rigors of a college education,” said UC President Robert C. Dynes. “ California’s continued success in the global economy depends largely on our ability to bring the next generation of students into higher education and give them the knowledge and skills to be energetic contributors to our state. These programs make a vital contribution, and this report provides an important measure of accountability for the public’s investment in the programs.”

UC’s “Student Academic Preparation and Educational Partnerships” programs reach more than 116,000 students at 746 K-12 public schools and 109 community colleges in California. The programs focus largely on students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, would be the first in their families to attend college, and/or attend low-performing schools.

In April 2005, guided by recommendations from a committee representing the University, the Legislature, and the state Department of Finance, UC adopted a new and more rigorous accountability framework for the programs. The framework establishes three-year and five-year goals for the programs and uses a data-driven evaluation process that measures programs on a broader array of outcomes than before, producing a higher level of oversight and evaluation than exists for many comparable programs around the nation.

The report uses the new accountability framework and finds, among other things:

Approximately 66 percent of students in MESA, Puente, and the Early Academic Outreach Program enroll in a two-year or four-year college in the fall semester following high school graduation, compared to 46 percent of high school graduates statewide. About 61 percent of students in these programs at the state’s lowest-performing schools take the SAT-I or ACT standardized admissions test for college, compared to 29 percent of non-participants at those same low-performing schools. Program participants are also preparing for and succeeding in the college preparatory curriculum. Students in the Early Academic Outreach Program completed the “a-g” course pattern at a rate of 73 percent, and Puente participants at 53 percent, compared to a statewide course completion rate of 34 percent. More students are passing the California High School Exit Exam. For example, 10th graders in the Puente program passed the exit exam at rates of 96 percent for the English section and 92 percent for the math section, compared to 63 percent and 61 percent, respectively, for all economically disadvantaged students statewide.

As part of the 2005-06 state budget, UC was asked to provide the governor and Legislature with a comprehensive report on the performance of the programs by April 2006, using the new accountability framework. The report fulfills that obligation and provides a program-by-program assessment of progress toward the accountability framework goals. It will be used by state policy makers to help guide future funding decisions for academic preparation programs.

Because of their importance to the state, UC is strongly urging the continuation of $17 million in state funding for academic preparation programs in the 2006-07 state budget. The University also provides $12 million in ongoing internal funding to support the programs. The programs have used this $29 million in combined funding to leverage an additional $40 million in support from the federal government and private sources, according to the report.

The report is available at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/academicprep_report04-05.pdf and a summary is at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/academicprep_summary04-05.pdf.

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