College And Career Readiness

Strong Performance on Career-Tech Metrics

Career technical education (CTE) integrates academic and technical skills, supporting educational goals, workforce development, and economic development. It offers students research-based, relevant curricula developed expressly for success in college and careers. For those just entering the workforce, changing careers, or needing on-the-job skill upgrades, CTE provides applicable skillsets and increased career opportunities. For those entering college, CTE provides a foundation of real-world skills that will enhance academic learning. In addition to CTE coursework, preparation for success in college includes taking coursework that is academically rigorous and required for college admission. Successful completion of college can lead to increased earning power, better health, a stronger workforce, and societal benefits, such as increased voter participation and increased tax receipts.¹ This indicator shows enrollment in high school CTE and AP/IB courses, participation in work-based learning offered through the three Regional Occupational Programs serving the county, and CTE Pathways completions. This indicator also shows the number of high school graduates who have fulfilled minimum course requirements to be eligible for admission to University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU) campuses, as well as the college-going rates among graduates.²

How is San Bernardino County Doing?

TREND

Participation in CTE and AP/IB courses, work-based learning, and eligibility for UC/CSU admission requirements has increased over time. At the same time, San Bernardino County’s overall college-going rates have not changed substantially since tracking began in 2014/15, and remain below statewide averages.

CTE and AP/IB Coursework

San Bernardino County CTE course enrollment rose 10% in the five-year period between 2014/15 and 2018/19; over the same period, AP/IB course enrollment grew 8%. These growth rates are significant in the face of an overall high school enrollment decline of 2% since 2014/15. The CTE industry sectors posting the fastest five-year rate of growth in enrollments were Energy and Utilities (+877%), Public Services (+104%), and Arts, Media and Entertainment (+33%). The fastest rates of increase for AP/IB class enrollments were in Computer Education (+320%), Science (+22%), Drama/ Theatre (+18%), Foreign Languages (+17%), and History/Social Science (+9%). Overall, nearly a quarter (23%) of San Bernardino County high school graduates in 2018 completed a CTE pathway, indicating they completed of a series of courses in an industry sector with a grade of a C minus or better in the last class of the series.

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY UC/CSU ELIGIBILITY RATE FALLS FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

Percentage of High School Graduates Eligible for UC/CSU in San Bernardino County and California, 2018/19 – 2021/22

FASTEST RATE OF INCREASE IN CTE ENROLLMENT IS IN ENERGY AND UTILITIES

Enrollment (2018/19) and Percent Change of Students Enrolled in CTE Courses (2014/15-2018/19) in San Bernardino County Public High Schools

FASTEST RATE OF INCREASE IN AP/IB ENROLLMENT IS IN COMPUTER EDUCATION

Enrollment (2018/19) and Percent Change of Students Enrolled in AP/IB Courses (2014/15-2018/19) in San Bernardino County Public High Schools

Work-Based Learning

Work-based learning opportunities for ROP students remain strong. Over the past five years, signed agreements with business partners to provide work-based learning opportunities have increased 49%. A total of 507 students participated in ROP “community classroom” work-based learning in 2019/20.

The pandemic had a significant impact on number of students participating in spring semester and summer ROP activities, resulting in significantly decreased annual participation numbers. The spring semester is historically the semester with the highest enrollment in community classroom sections. Many students chose not to enroll, or to withdraw, from a community classroom due to the inability to complete workplace training at external training sites due to the COVID-19 public health crisis.

49%

Growth in ROP work-based business partnerships (2015/16 – 2019/20)

 

507

ROP students participating in community classroom learning (2018/19)

 

Sources: San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, Baldy View, and Colton-Redlands-Yucaipa Regional Occupational Programs

UC/CSU Eligibility

The UC/CSU eligibility rate improved between 2018/19 and 2019/20. Nearly half (47%) of the San Bernardino County cohort graduating in 2019/20 completed the necessary coursework to be eligible for a UC or CSU campus. This rate of UC/CSU eligibility is three points higher than the previous year, however, San Bernardino County’s rate of eligibility is lower than the statewide average of 51%.

UC/CSU ELIGIBILITY RATE IMPROVED BETWEEN 2018/19 AND 2019/20

Percentage of High School Graduates Eligible for UC/CSU in San Bernardino County and California, 2018/19 – 2019/20

Measuring and Improving College Readiness

California’s math and English language arts/literacy assessments taken by 11th grade students are designed to give high school students an early indication of college readiness and to avoid incoming college students’ need for remediation.

2019 Snapshot

• 98% of San Bernardino County juniors took the literacy assessment and the math assessment.
• In literacy, 21% of San Bernardino County students were deemed college ready and 30% were conditionally ready (i.e. the student can take identified coursework in their senior year of high school that, following completion, will deem them college ready). Statewide, 22% of students were college ready in English and 29% were conditionally ready.
• In math, 9% of San Bernardino County students were deemed college ready and 17% were conditionally ready. Statewide, 20% of students were college ready in math and 20% were conditionally ready.

College-Going Rates

San Bernardino County’s overall college-going rates have not changed substantially since tracking began in 2014/15. Over half (58%) of San Bernardino County public high school graduates in 2017/18 enrolled in college within 12 months of completing high school, below the statewide rate of 64%. Of the 58% enrolling in college, most (57%) enrolled in a California community college, followed by 19% enrolling at a CSU campus and 10% enrolling at a UC campus. The remaining 14% enrolled at a California private college or an out-of-state public or private institution.

PERCENT OF COLLEGE-GOING STUDENTS DECLINE AT STATE AND COUNTY LEVEL

Percentage of Public High School Graduates Enrolling in College within 12 Months of Completing High School in San Bernardino County and California, 2014/15-2019/20

AVID: Empowering Every Student’s Potential

The Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) college readiness system has a mission to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society. Since the California budget eliminated AVID funding in 2012/13, San Bernardino County, along with Riverside, Inyo and Mono counties (the RIMS region), has funded the program locally to keep it thriving and growing in the region. In an effort to plant the seed for college aspirations early, the AVID college readiness system is increasing dramatically at the elementary levels across the region.

2018/19 AVID Snapshot

In 2018/19, a countywide total of 50,588 students (23,474 in secondary schools and 27,114 in elementary schools) took AVID classes during the academic year. Of the 2,710 AVID seniors in the county graduating in 2019, 100% graduated from high school and 95.4% successfully completed their A-G course requirements (courses that count toward eligibility for CSU/UC schools). In addition, 86.2% of AVID seniors were accepted to a four-year college or university and 92.9% planned on attending a 2- or 4-year college for 2019/20.

RACE/ETHNICITY DETAIL

Racial and ethnic disparities in outcomes remain across all college and career readiness indicators where race and ethnicity data are available.

College-Going Rates

Asian students enroll in college at a markedly higher rate (83%) than their peers from other racial and ethnic groups. Pacific Islander students have the lowest college-going rate at 46%, followed by Native American students at 51%. These disparities contribute to an Equity Gap Score of 1.8, signaling that the group with the highest rate of college-going (Asian students) is nearly twice as high as the group with the lowest rate (Pacific Islander students).

ASIAN STUDENTS ENROLL IN COLLEGE AT THE HIGHEST RATE

Percentage of High School Graduates Enrolling in College within 12 Months of Completing High School by Race and Ethnicity in San Bernardino County, 2017/18

UC/CSU Eligibility

Asian graduates had the highest rate of UC/CSU admission requirement eligibility, at 79%. White, Black, and Latino students completed the necessary coursework to be UC/CSU eligible at rates around or at the countywide average of 45%. Pacific Islander and Native American students have the lowest rates of UC/CSU eligibility (31% and 40%, respectively). The Equity Gap Score for UC/CSU eligibility is 2.5.

ASIAN GRADUATES HAVE THE HIGHEST RATE OF UC/CSU ELIGIBILITY

Percent of High School Graduates Eligible for UC/CSU by Race and Ethnicity in San Bernardino County, 2019/20

CTE Pathway Completion

Among the four largest race and ethnic student groups in San Bernardino County, Latino graduates had the highest CTE pathway completion rate at 25%. A low Equity Gap Score of 1.3 for CTE pathway completions signals that the different race/ethnic groups are more closely aligned than other college and career metrics.

MORE LATINO STUDENTS COMPLETE CTE PATHWAY THAN COUNTYWIDE AVERAGE

Percentage of High School Graduates Completing a CTE Pathway by Race/Ethnicity in San Bernardino County, 2018

SOCIOECONOMIC DETAIL

In 2018, CTE pathway completion rates for graduates who identified as homeless (27%), English learners (25%), socioeconomically disadvantaged (25%), or as having a disability (24%) were higher than the overall county CTE pathway completion rate of 23%.

MORE HOMELESS STUDENTS COMPLETE CTE PATHWAY THAN COUNTYWIDE AVERAGE

Percentage of High School Graduates Completing a CTE Pathway by Sociodemographic Characteristics in San Bernardino County, 2018