UC Irvine Awarded Major Grant to Study the Impact of California’s AB 705 Developmental Education Reform

By Sofia Del Fine
December 8, 2025

The School of Education is pleased to share that Professor Di Xu, along with co-investigators XunFei Li and Loris Fagioli, has received a $359,510 grant from Arnold Ventures to study the statewide effects of Assembly Bill 705, California’s major developmental education reform.

Implemented in 2018, AB 705 requires community colleges to use high school performance for placement and default students into transfer-level math and English. While the policy has expanded access to college-level courses, questions remain about long-term outcomes and equity across student groups.

The project will examine how AB 705 has shaped student pathways across all 114 California community colleges, using a comprehensive dataset that links systemwide college records with National Student Clearinghouse outcomes. The team will assess impacts on transfer-level course completion, persistence, degree attainment, transfer to four-year institutions, and bachelor’s degree completion, as well as differences across demographic and academic subgroups.
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Building on earlier NSF-funded work, this study will deepen understanding of developmental education reforms and provide critical evidence to inform policy refinement. The grant underscores UCI’s leadership in advancing research that strengthens college access, equity, and student success.

Di Xu