Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) has successfully helped bring the Long Beach College Promise Program across the state to increase student success in higher education. Gov. Jerry Brown this week signed AB 1741 by O’Donnell and Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez (D-Pomona), creating the California College Promise Innovation Grant Program. The program will incentivize partnerships between local school districts and higher-education institutions, similar to the joint commitment between the Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach City College and Cal State Long Beach.
“The Long Beach College Promise is a model program that demonstrates when schools and college campuses work together, higher education enrollment increases and graduation rates improve. My own experience as a classroom teacher also supports the notion that when the road to continuing education is more accessible, students are more likely to succeed,” said O’Donnell, chair of the Assembly Education Committee. “The California College Promise will take Long Beach’s success statewide by ensuring districts across the state have the resources to create similar pathways that help students achieve their educational goals.”
According to O’Donnell’s office, California’s College Promise will ensure students graduate high school college-ready and prepared to enter college-level courses, increase the percentage of students who earn degrees or career technical education certificates, increase transfer rates from a community college to a 4-year institution and reduce and eliminate achievement gaps.
Source: O’Donnell’s office
