In 2015, researchers and practitioners at LCI helped to establish the pioneering Regional Learning Collaborative (now called LC @ Pomona) – our first Learning Collaborative – at the Claremont Graduate University Evaluation Center, to address the startling statistic that only 14% of graduates from a neighboring district who enrolled in their local community college succeeded in earning college credits. Working together with Pomona Partners, using the validated LC Framework© for evidence-based, collaborative social action, that ratio improved to 85% in only two years.

Situation and Strategic Approach

  • Intersegmental partnership of education to career Pipeline Partners serving more than 150,000 students annually across Pomona Unified School District (90% low-income, vulnerable population in Pomona, Calif.) and the Partner IHEs
  • First pipeline-wide regional collaborative of its kind pioneered model for the nation
  • Evidence-based collaboration between researchers and PreK through university and career stakeholders to implement systemic and structural changes that result in improved equity-focused education and career outcomes for students of all backgrounds
  • Within two years of its founding, achieved proof of concept with unprecedented student outcomes, particularly for low-income, Latinx, and African-American students

Objectives

  • Improve college readiness, enrollment and graduation rates, and career success for low-income, minority and first-generation students through systemic change

Strategic Priorities

Pathways Articulation & Alignment
Pipeline Advising for Students & Families and Advising
Dual Enrollment & College in High School
Near-Peer College Mentoring
Transfer Culture, Infrastructure, & Advising

Strategies

  • Identify problems from needs assessment / root-cause analysis
  • Integrate voiced needs of students and families in evaluation and research efforts
  • Create an aligned and cohesive inter-segmental ecosystem of educational stakeholders across the PK-college pipeline
  • Identify and cross-share best practices amongst pipeline partners and stakeholders
  • Create college readiness initiatives and counselor training programs to group of counselors who don’t usually talk to each other or even compete with one another
  • Offer college mentors to high school students
  • Create dual enrollment college-credit bearing classes at all high schools in district

Partners

  • All elementary, middle school and high schools in the district represented by the superintendent, administrators, and other leadership
  • Neighboring community colleges and 4-year colleges/universities represented by provosts, deans, academic enrollment & retention directors, advising directors, and other student support leadership
  • National and regional education partners, advisors and benefactors

Groundbreaking Results and Collaboration

The LC@Pomona’s innovative and groundbreaking outcomes have garnered national
and state recognition.

  • Increased enrollment from 14% to 86% for credit bearing, transfer level courses in community college; >500% increase in dual enrollment participation in first year of intervention.
  • In 2015, 85% of students disengaged from local community college without earning a single credit but by 2017, 86% of local community college students were enrolled in transfer-level credit-bearing courses
  • By 2019, 96% completion rate and 88% pass rate for dual enrollment courses
  • By 2021, 88% low-income participation for dual enrollment courses (200% increase)
  • By 2022, expanded from 1 DE class at 1 largely high-income, high-performing HS to DE at 20 courses across all 7 high schools in district with focus on low income students
  • 50% of low-income high school students graduate with college credit
  • 78% of students found the “transfer pathway” beneficial; in prior years, the majority did not consider it beneficial or even know about the pathway
  • Increased by 300% the number of Latinx and by 150% the AA students who graduate high school with college credits and observed a 20% increase in their college attendance rate
  • 90% of high school graduates reported they had identified or had some idea of a career interest by graduation