EDITORIAL : MAKING THE GRADE; PIERCE COLLEGE'S NO. 1 RANKING IN TRANSFER RATES TO FOUR-YEAR STATE COLLEGES TESTIFIES TO ITS POTENTIAL.

ONE of the top items on Darroch ``Rocky'' Young's agenda when he became president of Pierce College a month ago was to increase the transfer rate of students from the Woodland Hills community college to four-year schools.

This week, he got some good news on that front: Pierce rated first among two-year institutions in the percentage of its students who transferred last year to campuses in the University of California and California State University systems, according to a study conducted by Pierce's governing body, the Los Angeles Community College District.

The study rated Southern California's 56 community colleges.

By sending 850 of its 13,628 students to UC and CSU campuses, Pierce ranked ahead of such successful campuses as Santa Barbara College (758 of 12,345) and Santa Monica College (1,409 of 28,601).

The report's conclusions are a bit ironic for Young, for he was noted for improving the transfer rate at Santa Monica, where he worked for 28 years.

Still, the news is surprising, considering Pierce's decade of declining infrastructure and enrollment. It was once the plum of the state's two-year college system, a standing Santa Monica arguably holds now.

That Pierce rated so high is a testament to the quality of students who go there, the courses the school offers and the dedication of its faculty.

Fortunately, the campus is in good hands. Young knows what it will take to boost attendance and has the savvy marketing skills necessary to use the report to his advantage. Santa Monica aggressively pursues students through radio and print ads, touting its selection as the best two-year school as rated by Rolling Stone magazine.

Therein lies the challenge for Young. To stay on top, the Pierce president and the district need to invest in academics and prepare students for the challenges they will face as they work toward bachelor degrees.