5 years after education reform, Black and Latino men in California are faring slightly better

Ezra Lee found math to be a difficult subject when he entered college. 

“Statistics was a different ballgame compared to any other math I’d taken,” he said. 

But with the help of his mentor at Improve Your Tomorrow, also referred to IYT – a nonprofit organization focused on academic success of Black and brown boys – Lee did well on the final.

“I felt like that was the hardest math course you can take in college,” said Lee. “I definitely feel I can take any other math course now.” 

Now, Lee is closer to earning a college degree than most Black men in California, who have the lowest levels of educational attainment in the state, according to a new report from the Public Policy Institute of California, or PPIC.

The favorable outcome could be a byproduct of a 2017 bill which bypassed remedial math and English courses at the state’s community colleges, placing students directly into transfer-level classes and putting intervention services in place.

Assembly Bill 705's goal was to reduce barriers to graduation and increase equity in higher education for Black and Latino students, like Lee.

The law aimed at improving college completion rates for Black and Latino students is showing positive results, the PPIC report found. 

Marisol Meija, a research fellow with the PPIC, co-authored the report and is optimistic that community colleges are on the right track. 

“More Latino and Black men are accessing these courses, and we’re seeing more successfully complete them,” she said. “Students who completed transfer-level math during their first year were significantly more likely to stay in the system and eventually earn a degree or transfer.” 

However, challenges persist. Mejia noted that over 60% of Black and Latino male students left the community college system without earning a degree or transferring to a four-year institution within three years.

Community organizations like IYT are helping to close the gap by providing resources and mentorship tailored to the needs of Black and Latino students.

“The programs and partnerships on campus are critical,” said Michael Lynch, co-founder of IYT. “They’re bringing equity by giving students, who are least likely to succeed, the tools they need to thrive.”

IYT works with more than 200 community college students in the Sacramento area — in addition to 3,000 other students statewide — offering academic guidance and support.

For Lee, an IYT participant and college student, the program has been formative in his educational success.

“I’ve always had a mentor through IYT who gives me resources, checks in on how I’m doing, and advocates for me,” said Lee. After transferring from a community college in Sacramento, he’s two years away from earning his degree at Grambling State University in Louisiana.

While the law is not a cure-all, the report suggests that legislation like AB 705 is an important step toward addressing long standing inequities in higher education.