Improving bachelor’s degree attainment among Hispanic individuals in California is critical, given their significant representation in the state and the substantial disparity in degree attainment compared to other racial groups. Currently, only 12% of California's Hispanic population holds a bachelor’s degree, notably lower than the 42% among the White population. This disparity, coupled with challenges like lower transition rates from community colleges, projects a shortage of 1.1 million bachelor’s degrees by 2030. Addressing this gap necessitates tailored policies considering the diverse needs and assets within the Hispanic community, particularly across different immigrant generations. Research on parental influences reveals the impact of social networks and engagement in college-aligned actions, significantly boosting the likelihood of Hispanic students attending a four-year institution. Policies need to engage Hispanic parents as essential partners and consider their diverse needs to bridge the degree gap and meet the demands of California’s workforce, especially within the context of the state’s educational funding formula.

A current study analyzes the outcomes of students in Washington State's Community and Technical Colleges over seven years after enrollment. Researchers examine wage increases and employment patterns based on the type of credentials earned—short-term certificates, Associate Degrees, and Long-Term Certificates. The study highlights the significant economic benefits and enhanced employability associated with Associate Degrees and Long-Term Certificates, except for Humanities Associates Degrees, which show minimal wage increases. Interestingly, short-term certificates fail to contribute to increased wages or employment likelihood beyond earning college credits. The findings emphasize the need for prioritizing investment in credentials with higher market value, like Associate Degrees and Long-Term Certificates, despite their higher cost compared to short-term certificates. This is crucial, especially as there's been increased funding for short-term certificates despite their limited returns, as indicated in various state studies. Additionally, advocating for stackable short-term certificates to align with longer-term credentials could enhance the value of these programs. Lastly, efforts to guide students towards higher-return career pathways from the Humanities and Social Sciences, perhaps through early career awareness initiatives, are suggested.

Research on community college education, particularly for men from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, investigates the impact of different learning styles on academic success and course retention. Comparing face-to-face instruction with various online methods, findings reveal that Asian, Black, Latino, and White men generally fare better in traditional in-person classes. Online learning formats don't consistently outperform face-to-face instruction except for Black men, who show higher success rates with asynchronous learning involving multimedia. A new study highlights the effectiveness of in-person teaching for these students and recommends expanding online options while ensuring equitable success for diverse racial and ethnic groups. Given the significant proportion of community college students in California and the high representation of racial ethnic minorities, there is a need for special consideration when promoting online education among Asian, Black, Latino, and White men. Further research is urged to identify online teaching methods that replicate the benefits of face-to-face learning, focusing on variations in online material presentation and classroom interactions.

Researchers exploring the role of school counseling site supervisors in California have discovered gaps in their training and practices. Despite a state requirement for these supervisors to hold credentials as school counselors, there are no established standards or guidelines for their preparation or practice in this role. Out of 220 practicing school counselor site supervisors surveyed, a notable 41% felt unprepared by their counselor education programs for their supervisory role. Furthermore, a significant majority received inadequate training during their graduate programs, with only a small percentage participating in dedicated courses or workshops on supervision. A news study highlights a lack of ongoing supervision for these supervisors, with most indicating a strong interest in receiving proper training, particularly through handbooks, workshops, and conferences. The research underscores the necessity for counselor education programs to take the lead in developing appropriate supervision models, advocating for clearer standards, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders to address this critical need in school counseling.

Community colleges, serving diverse student bodies, often rely on placement tests to assess readiness for college-level coursework, resulting in roughly 80% of new California community college students enrolling in remedial classes. Concerns about accuracy and low completion rates associated with tests like ACCUPLACER and COMPASS have prompted a push for reforms, leading to various experimental changes in college placement policies. A new study explores these policy shifts, comparing the use of MDTP diagnostics with ACCUPLACER, uncovering that the switch negatively impacted remediation, causing fewer students to advance through math sequences and a rise in severe placement errors, indicating increased misplacement rates. Conversely, minor adjustments to placement cutoffs demonstrated no significant effects. Recommendations advocate for integrating MDTP diagnostics into placement policies, exploring lower placement cutoffs over higher ones due to the perceived lesser impact of under-placement compared to over-placement, and utilizing regression discontinuity for a more refined evaluation of placement impacts. These suggestions aim to optimize developmental math placement practices, leveraging diagnostic tools and cautiously adjusting cutoffs to bolster student success.