UC expands successful college-eligibility evaluation platform to help Stockton students

The University of California will provide approximately 10,000 students in the Stockton Unified School District access to an online tool to help them better track their progress toward college eligibility, UC President Janet Napolitano announced today (Oct. 5) during a rally at Franklin High School in Stockton.

Currently used by more than 300 high schools in 42 districts across California, UC’s Transcript Evaluation Service (TES) uses data based on completion of required courses to generate personalized roadmaps that help students determine their respective eligibility for UC and California State University (CSU). All 11 high schools in the district will be launching TES.

“Access to this important tool can forever alter a student’s academic trajectory,” Napolitano said. “We want more hardworking Stockton students to attend UC, and our resources and support will help strengthen that academic pipeline.”

Advisers at high schools already using TES say they have noticed a substantial uptick in the number of students taking the SATs, applying to college, and enrolling in community college with the hope of one day transferring to a UC campus. In fact, after only four years of using the service, participating schools have been shown to increase students’ eligibility for UC by 21 percent, and for California State University by 32 percent.

“We’re excited to partner with the University of California to bring the Transcript Evaluation Service to our high schools,” said Dr. John E. Deasy, Superintendent of Stockton Unified School District. “We will use this data tool in our mission to lift students out of poverty by ensuring our graduates are well-prepared for the future.”

The transcript service also enables administrators to assess school-wide or district-wide progress toward meeting college admission requirements. Educators can use this crucial data to analyze trends, tailor college preparatory course offerings across the district and close completion gaps.

"A world-class education from the University of California is within reach for the students of San Joaquin County, and I would like to thank President Napolitano for coming here to personally deliver that message to our students," San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools James Mousalimas said.

During UC’s visit to Franklin High, UC Davis staff met with juniors and seniors throughout the day to provide advising sessions and administer workshops about financial aid and the UC application process.

Napolitano’s visit is part of Achieve UC, a multiyear effort to encourage students in communities with low college-going rates to aim for and attain a high-quality college education. Seventy-seven percent of Franklin High students are Latino, and 88 percent come from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.