In recent years, California policymakers have prioritized strengthening alignment across the K–12 system, higher education, and workforce demand as a strategy for promoting statewide economic growth and expanding economic mobility. Central to these efforts are students’ academic experiences in high school, which play a decisive role in shaping postsecondary attainment and early career trajectories (Arbona & Nora, 2007; College Futures Foundation & California Education Lab, 2025). Strengthening students’ academic preparation in high school has been at the heart of multiple policy measures in California, including legislation supporting students’ access to and success in college preparatory coursework (A-G Completion Improvement Grant Program, 2021), expanding dual enrollment opportunities (College and Career Access Pathways Partnerships, 2019; College and Career Access Pathways Grant Program, 2023), increasing the diversity of advanced math offerings (California Mathematics Readiness Challenge Initiative, 2016), and improving education-to-workforce pathways and participation (Golden State Pathways Program, 2022; Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives Grant Program, 2021; Master Plan for Career Education, 2025). Along with changes to college admissions requirements, course placement policies, and the expansion of direct admissions programs (e.g., Senate Bill 640), efforts across the state emphasize a commitment to expand and bolster opportunities that can better prepare all California students for college and career.
These policy efforts are supported by extant research that indicates advanced or college-level high school coursework is associated with improved student outcomes, including high school graduation, college enrollment, performance in college courses, and degree completion (Adelman, 1999, 2006; An & Taylor, 2019; Allen & Dadgar, 2012; Avery et al., 2018; Chajewski et al., 2011; DiBenedetto, 2018; Evans, 2018; Horn & Kojaku, 2001; Jackson, 2014; Lee, 2002; Lee et al., 1997; Morgan & Klaric, 2007; Patrick et al., 2020; Rose & Betts, 2004; Scott et al., 2010; Speroni, 2011; Velasco et al., 2025; Woods et al., 2018), particularly for historically underrepresented students (An, 2013; Lee et al., 2022; Long et al., 2012). Yet, little research to-date has examined the high school coursetaking patterns of California public high school students in the wake of these policy efforts, and the postsecondary outcomes of students who enroll in and complete college and preparatory coursework. Using detailed administrative data from California on students who were expected to complete high school in 2022, along with existing research evidence, we synthesize our current knowledge of college and career preparatory coursetaking among California public high school students. Specifically, we explore participation and/or completion for each of the following college and career preparatory pathways (individually and in combination): A–G course completion (a sequence of 15 courses required for admissions eligibility to California’s public 4-year colleges); the highest level math course taken (a single course indicative of a full math sequence) college-credit coursework, including Advanced Placement (AP) and dual enrollment (individual courses); as well as career technical education (CTE) pathway completion (a sequence of two to three courses and a capstone course in any one of 15 industries). In addition to examining overall patterns, this work examines how course enrollment varies by students’ demographic characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender identity, SED status, English learner status), students’ prior academic achievement (performance on the state standardized assessment), and school characteristics (e.g., enrollment size, proportion SED). Finally, this study investigates the relationship between participation in each of these course types (independently and in combination) and later postsecondary enrollment at both 2-year and 4-year colleges.
