LOCAL COLLEGES GET MIXED MARKS FIRST-OF-KIND REPORT TO SERVE AS STARTING POINT TO TRACK FUTURE PROGRESS.

Byline: HARRISON SHEPPARD

Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO -- The first detailed look at California's community colleges reveals a plethora of facts and figures on course-completion rates and transfers to four-year schools, but it's too early to know if the findings are good news or bad news for students.

For example, about half of the students who enroll in the state's community colleges go on to earn an associate's degree or transfer to a four-year school, according to the study released Monday.

But because it is the first-ever evaluation of the state's 109 community colleges based on transfer rates and completion of courses in basic skills, English language and vocations, there is no way to tell whether things are getting worse or better, the report said.

"Because the (report) indicators have unique definitions, we cannot compare these indicators to those generated for other states or by other studies of the California community colleges," the report says.

The study, "Accountability Reporting for the Community Colleges," was requested by the Legislature in 2004.

Mark Drummond, chancellor of the community college system, said the report is useful in comparing the individual college campuses on a variety of performance measures. The report also will serve as a starting point to track the system's progress over time on an annual basis.

"On these different measures, they can say how we are doing compared to the other colleges," Drummond said. "And if they aren't doing very well, they can go over and see what the other people are doing. That's very helpful. It's good introspection."

Among the new findings: About one-third of the state's freshman-age population is enrolled in a community college, and 45 percent of graduates of the University of California and California State University systems first attended a community college before transferring.

Also, students who earn a vocational degree or certificate get a significant jump in their wages, going from an average of $25,600 before to $47,571 three years after receiving the degree or certificate.

Schools in the San Fernando Valley faced mixed results.

The study's top measurement of campus performance, "student progress and achievement rate," measures how many first-time students get associate degrees or certificates, or transfer to a four-year college. The state average for this category is 52 percent.

Los Angeles Mission College scored below average in all categories compared with others overall statewide and with similar schools in its peer group. Mission's student-achievement rate was 42 percent, while the peer-group rate was 46 percent.

Los Angeles Pierce College came in above the state and peer-group averages in most categories. Its student achievement rate was 58 percent, the exact average for its peer group.

Los Angeles Valley College was mostly below the state average, but was better than its peer group in some categories and worse in others. Its student achievement rate was 49.6 percent, just above its peer group average of 45.9 percent.

Maury Pearl, dean of institutional research and planning at Mission College, said the school has been working to improve in some of the areas measured in the report.

In recent years, the college has received federal grants to help students improve their basic math skills and focus on transferring and graduation. The college also got a grant for serving a high population of Latino students. The school's student population is about 65 percent Latino.

harrison.sheppard(at)dailynews.com

[phone]