A new way to discover which English and/or math course is best
If you are a first-time college student, your academic counselor will look at your previous academic and professional experiences as a way to place you into college-level English and math courses that best fit your academic goals. Talk with your counselor about your past school and work history, what you want to accomplish at LASC, what your timeline is for achieving your academic goals, and what steps you will need to take to reach those goals.
The only time you will be placed into a precollege-level English or math class will be if the counselor can prove you would be highly unlikely to succeed in college-level English and/or math courses.
What Changed?
Before Fall 2019, if you were a first-time college student going into an English and/or math class, you would need to submit your academic transcripts and take a Placement Assessment to see which level of English and math would be best for you. It was your responsibility to prove you could be successful in a college-level English or math classes.
Placement Assessments were evaluations that had a range of different math and English questions for students to answer. Students’ results from taking a Placement Assessment would be used to place them into the appropriate English and math course-level that matched their capabilities.
Why Did This Change? AB 705
A study began in 2006 that was concerned with a growing trend of students dropping out of California community colleges. This study discovered that standardized Placement Assessments were frequently putting students in precollege-level courses because it assumed students wouldn’t be able to succeed in higher-level college courses.
This became a disadvantage to students who were forced to take additional classes in order to get into college-level English and math courses so they could reach their academic goals. This greatly slowed their academic progress and added additional time and financial burdens which often lead to students dropping out.
In October 2017, California’s state legislature passed a bill, named Assembly Bill (AB) 705, that was created to change how students were placed in math and English courses.
By law, this bill requires California community colleges to place all first-time college students in college-level English and math courses by using students’ academic, professional, and training experiences. It is now up to the college to prove a student should not be in college-level English or math courses instead of students needing to prove they should be in those courses.
Multiple Measures - Know Your Rights
LASC has changed our policy to the requirements set forth in AB 705 which requires all California community colleges to increase the chances that a student will enter college-level courses in English and/or math and complete college- and transfer-level courses within one academic year, unless a student’s program of study requires additional math or English.
This law makes it LASC’s responsibility to place you in the highest college-level English and math courses you qualify for by using more than one factor to determine which English and math courses would be best for you. Some of these sources include:
- High school or college transcripts and grade-point averages (GPAs) (these can be official, unofficial, or self-reported if you are unable to get ahold of your transcripts)
- The highest level of coursework completed in a subject and that course’s grade
- Professional/vocational or career aptitude interest inventories (how capable are you to be able to do a specific career or profession)
- Specialized certificates or licenses
- Education and employment histories
- Military training and experience
- Interviews and attitude surveys
- Holistic scoring processes
Courses
This is called using Multiple Measures to review what you have done academically and professionally in the past to place you in the highest possible level of English and math college courses for your abilities.
With this new law, you cannot be denied entrance into college-level English or math courses unless the College can prove you would be highly unlikely to succeed and that taking the precollege-level course would greatly improve your chances to succeed in the next two semesters of college-level courses.
LASC has created a system as a starting point for determining which level of college English or math you should be enrolled in based on your GPA or time away from college.
See the English and math placement logic trees in the Course Catalog for more specific details.
English Placement - High School Students
| High School GPA | LASC College English Course | Recommended Supplemental Course |
|---|---|---|
| 2.6 GPA or higher | English 101: College English | No additional support required |
| 1.9 – 2.6 GPA | English 101: College English | English 72: English Bridge |
| Under 1.9 GPA | English 101: College English | Reading 29: Reading Across the Curriculum |
| Optional Prep Course for English 101: English 145 (Credit) AND/OR Reading 25 (Credit) | ||
English Placement - Reentry Students
| Time Away from College | LASC College English Course | Recommended Supplemental Course |
| 2 years or Less | English 101: College English | No additional support required |
| 2 years – 4 years | English 101: College English | Discuss with the counselor to see what is best for you |
| 5 years – 9 years | English 101: College English | English 72: English Bridge |
| More than 10 years | English 101: College English | Reading 29: Reading Across the Curriculum |
Math Placement - STEM Majors: High School Students
| High School GPA | LASC College Math Course | Recommended Supplemental Course |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 GPA or higher | Math 240 OR Math 245 OR Math 260 |
Basic Skills 028CE, Basic Skills 035CE |
| 2.3 – 3.0 GPA | Math 240 OR Math 245 OR Math 260 |
Math 134 + Basic Skills 028CE + Basic Skills 035CE |
| Under 2.3 GPA | Math 240 OR Math 245 OR Math 260 |
Math 115 & Math 125S + Basic Skills 028CE + Basic Skills 035CE |
Math Placement - STEM Majors: Reentry Students
| Time Away from College | LASC College Math Course | Recommended Supplemental Course |
|---|---|---|
| 2 years or Less | Math 240 OR Math 245 OR Math 260 |
Basic Skills 028CE, Basic Skills 035CE |
| 2 years – 4 years | Math 240 OR Math 245 OR Math 260 |
Basic Skills 028CE Basic Skills 035CE + Discuss with your counselor |
| 5 years – 9 years | Math 240 OR Math 245 OR Math 260 |
Math 134 + Basic Skills 028CE + Basic Skills 035CE |
| More than 10 years | Math 240 OR Math 245 OR Math 260 |
Math 115 & Math 125S + Basic Skills 028CE + Basic Skills 035CE |
Math Placement - Non-STEM Majors: High School Students
| High School GPA | LASC College Math Course | Recommended Supplemental Course |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 GPA or higher | Math 215 OR Math 227 OR Math 236 |
Basic Skills 028CE, Basic Skills 035CE |
| 2.3 – 3.0 GPA | Math 215 OR Math 227 OR Math 236 |
Math 134 + Basic Skills 028CE + Basic Skills 035CE |
| Under 2.3 GPA | Math 215 OR Math 227 OR Math 236 |
Math 115 & Math 125S + Basic Skills 028CE + Basic Skills 035CE |
Math Placement - Non-STEM Majors: Reentry Students
| Time Away from College | LASC College Math Course | Recommended Supplemental Course |
|---|---|---|
| 2 years or Less | Math 215 OR Math 227 OR Math 236 |
Basic Skills 028CE, Basic Skills 035CE |
| 2 years – 4 years | Math 215 OR Math 227 OR Math 236 |
Basic Skills 028CE Basic Skills 035CE + Discuss with your counselor |
| 5 years – 9 years | Math 215 OR Math 227 OR Math 236 |
Math 134 + Basic Skills 028CE + Basic Skills 035CE |
| More than 10 years | Math 215 OR Math 227 OR Math 236 |
Math 115 & Math 125S + Basic Skills 028CE + Basic Skills 035CE |
Math courses will be recommended by your academic counselor that correspond with your program of study and/or educational goal.
If you have already taken a Placement Assessment and do not agree with your English and/or math course placement, ask your academic counselor to review your academic transcripts and other Multiple Measure sources to place you in the highest course level recommended for you.
Currently, there is an ESL workgroup analyzing what requirements are needed to comply with AB 705 for credit ESL courses. All ESL programs must be AB 705 compliant by Fall 2020.
If you are an English Language Learner (ELL), LASC now uses Multiple Measures as well as Placement Assessments to see if you, too, can benefit from being enrolled in college-level English and math courses.
Right now, a guideline for ELL students is that if you need to start in ESL courses, colleges need to ensure you are put on a path where you can complete your English courses within three years maximum.
If you successfully had four years of English courses in high school, even if you took ESL courses while in high school, you will be placed in college-level English and math courses using Multiple Measures sources to comply with AB 705, as listed above, unless the college can prove you would be highly unlikely to succeed.
If you are an adult immigrant or refugee, or an F1 Visa student, and don’t have any high school information available, your academic counselor will talk with you about your previous academic and professional experiences and academic goals. This Multiple Measures information along with a Placement Assessment will help place you in the highest level of English and math for your success.
The research from the Multiple Measures study for the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) shows how a student’s 11th grade GPA has a connection with how well that student will do in college-level English and math. LASC uses this information along with other Multiple Measure sources to assess whether or not a student is likely to succeed.
Below are three charts that show how likely a student will pass a college-level English or math class based on their GPA:
English Placement
College- and Transfer-level English Composition Courses
| High School GPA | Success Rate | Support Needed |
|---|---|---|
| 2.6 GPA or higher | over 78% | No additional academic or concurrent support required |
| 1.9 – 2.6 GPA | over 57% | Additional academic & concurrent support recommended |
| Under 1.9 GPA | over 42% | Additional academic & concurrent support strongly recommended |
Math Placement - Liberal Arts Majors
Statistics or Liberal Arts Mathematics Courses
| High School GPA | Success Rate | Support Needed |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 GPA or higher | 75% | No additional academic or concurrent support required |
| 2.3 – 2.9 GPA | 50% | Additional academic & concurrent support recommended |
| Under 2.3 GPA | 29% | Additional academic & concurrent support strongly recommended |
Math Placement - Business, Science, Technology, Engineering, Math Majors (BSTEM)*
College- and Transfer-Level BSTEM Mathematics Courses
| High School GPA | Success Rate | Support Needed |
|---|---|---|
| 3.4 GPA OR 2.6 GPA or higher AND enrolled in HS Calculus |
75% | No additional academic or concurrent support required |
| 2.6 GPA or higher OR Enrolled in HS Precalculus 2.6 GPA or lower AND no HS Precalculus |
53% | Additional academic & concurrent support recommended |
* It is assumed that students going into Business, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (BSTEM) programs of study have already completed the math level that is the equivalent of Intermediate Algebra 2 or higher. If not, it’s recommended to prepare for these programs by completing Algebra 2 or higher before entering these fields, as this will increase the likelihood of their success.
Currently, there is no statewide definition of what “highly unlikely to succeed” means, so at LASC, our academic counselors will talk with you about your academic goals, your academic and professional skills, and experiences, and review the support services you can use to succeed in these courses.
Also, having a low GPA doesn’t exclude you from entering a college-level English or math course. Studies by the CCCCO show that students, even with a 1.9 GPA or lower, who go into college-level English courses are two to almost four times more likely to succeed than those who are placed one-course level below and then enter college-level courses. And, these same students perform better when placed in college-level math while using academic or concurrent/corequisite support than starting one or more levels below.
Therefore, we at LASC will place you in college-level English and math courses, and support you along the way! We will only place you in precollege-level courses if you would be extremely unlikely to succeed which is on us to prove. And, with all of the evidence showing it’s better for you to go into a college-level English or math classes, the odds of you successfully completing the English and math levels you need to graduate within a year are highly likely!
Academic and concurrent/corequisite support services ensure you have a safety net to succeed in college-level courses. These support services are yours to use alongside your English and math classes.
LASC’s academic support services are:
- Academic Counseling
- Tutoring online, on-demand, and in-person at the Student Success Center with instructors and peers
- Mental Health Counseling
- English Writing Center
- Math Lab
- DisAbled Student Programs & Services (DSPS)
- Puente Program
- TRiO-STEM Program
- Continual professional development for faculty, administrators, and staff in both disciplines
LASC’s concurrent support services are corequisite courses you can enroll in along with your college-level English or math course that give you a place to better understand your college-level courses. You’ll get tips and extra pointers, have the ability to ask further questions, and gain more experience, all so you will have a foundation to help you succeed and stay on track with your educational goals.
In English, LASC offers these corequisites:
- English 72: English Bridge – assigned to specific English 101 sections that are listed in the Class Schedule.
This course enhances your essay writing techniques.
- Reading 29: Reading Across the Curriculum
- English 145: Accelerated Reading and Writing – this is an optional preparation course if you feel you need
additional support in reading and writing
- Reading 25: Reading for College Success – this is an optional preparation course if you feel you need
additional support in reading
In Math, LASC offers these corequisites for all students regardless of their major:
- Basic Skills 028CE: Pre-Algebra – prepares students to transition from arithmetic to algebra
- Basic Skills 035CE: Basic Math Skills – to strengthen basic math skills
- Math 134: Accelerated Elementary & Intermediate Algebra
- Math 115: Elementary Algebra
Math 125S: Intermediate Algebra with Support – focusing on e-commerce in international business.
It is a policy that you should have a high school diploma or its equivalents, such as a GED or California High School Equivalency Test, in order to enroll in LASC. Yet, there are exceptions, such as if you are an apprentice as defined by Section 3077 of the California Labor Code, or if your previous work and life experience give you the academic background needed to start your college education.
Contact the Counseling Office to learn more.
Questions?
Contact us during our Office Hours if you have any questions about this at (323) 241-5361, or stop by our office in the Student Services Building, Room 204. We’re available: Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Learn More
Learn more about AB 705 and Multiple Measures from California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office website (CCCCO).
Learn how the concurrent support your English and math instructors give you can help you succeed in college- and transfer-level courses.
You can watch a video created by the CCCCO on Multiple Measures.