CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025 had mixed success at the end of its 10-year run.
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If state lawmakers decide to continue funding California State University’s efforts to improve graduation rates, they should tighten oversight of how those dollars are spent, California’s nonpartisan fiscal and policy adviser said Wednesday.that while CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025 had mixed success at the end of its 10-year run, a lack of detailed financial reports clouds lawmakers’ ability to assess which interventions were most cost-effective. As CSU works to implement new and more wide-ranging criteria for student progress, the analyst’s office calls for lawmakers to more closely track future spending across the 22-campus system. LAO recommends state lawmakers “continue to monitor whether existing programs are meeting their objectives cost‑effectively and make adjustments accordingly. While a new CSU graduation initiative likely would provide some state benefits , those benefits could be less sizable or less significant than the potential public benefits of other state programs.” Funding for the graduation initiative grew from roughly $50 million in 2016-17 to more than $400 million annually by 2024-25, an LAO analysis found, backed by state and tuition revenue. Systemwide, Cal State hadfor transfer students and four-year rates for freshmen, but saw slower progress on six-year freshmen and four-year transfer rates. AchievementIf you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.Hydee Feldstein Soto called an opposing side’s expert witness for campaign money before a high-profile trial this fall. Her campaign says she didn’t know about the connection.As deadlines loom, fire survivors call for more mortgage help A state law extended mortgage forbearance for up to a year, but survivors say there’s far more to do. LAO’s interviews with campus administrators suggested the graduation effort had several positive effects beyond raising completion rates, including better Cal State data systems and heightened public scrutiny that held campuses accountable for students’ success. But LAO found that CSU campuses struggled to balance multiple graduation objectives. Cal State also has not provided enough data to the state about how much campuses spent on specific activities like tutoring, academic advising and mentoring, LAO noted. Data on students’ use of those services also wasn’t available for Graduation Initiative 2025, though recent CSU survey results suggest use of counseling and career services is relatively low.CSU is now launching a new and broader framework for measuring student achievement, which includes not only graduation rates, but metrics like placement into jobs or graduate school and post-graduation earnings. If lawmakers opt to back those goals, LAO recommends they explicitly link funding to a single objective and set a formula for how the money is divided among CSU campuses. LAO also calls for campuses to release consistent annual tables breaking down spending and student utilization rates.is an independent nonprofit organization that provides analysis on key education issues facing California and the nation. LAist republishes articles from EdSource with permission. You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead . Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community. Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.One of SoCal's most infamous roads has reopened, but locals don't want you to know — for good reason
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