Once a national model for education in kindergarten through university, California has fallen behind on many measures, including student achievement and spending per pupil. Its education system faces daunting fiscal and demographic challenges, as well as clear inequities in distribution of educational resources. To understand the causes of these problems and weigh possible solutions, PPIC researchers are studying the various influences on student achievement, how the state's changing demography affects education, how education affects future earnings, the effects of education reforms, and education finance issues.