Report Higher Education in California: New Goals for the Master Plan By Hans Johnson Apr 23, 2010 California’s Master Plan for Higher Education defined a strategy to meet the state’s needs in 1960—but today, California faces new challenges. By 2025, the state will have one million fewer college-educated workers than the economy will require, according to PPIC projections. Updating the Master Plan is crucial to closing this skills gap. This report proposes that the plan set explicit new goals in several key areas, including UC and CSU eligibility levels, community college transfers to four-year institutions, and college completion rates. Supported with funding from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation as part of the California 2025 project on the state's future challenges and opportunities.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Sonja Petek, Jui Shrestha Apr 17, 2013 Some findings of the current survey: A strong majority of Californians favor Governor Brown’s K–12 funding proposal, which would direct extra money to lower-income and English Learner students. Most Californians believe that targeting funds in this way will improve the academic achievement of disadvantaged students. An overwhelming majority also favor giving local school districts more flexibility over how state money is spent. Job Approval Ratings: Governor Brown [PDF] California State Legislature [PDF] Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings: Governor Brown [XLS] California State Legislature [XLS] This survey was supported with funding from The Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, The Silver Giving Foundation, and the Stuart Foundation.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Sonja Petek, Nicole Willcoxon Apr 28, 2010 Some findings of the current survey: 62 percent of Californians are very concerned the state budget gap will cause significant spending cuts in K–12 education. Three-fourths (74%) of Californians say that improving education should be a high priority for the next governor. Governor Schwarzenegger’s job approval rating of 24 percent matches his record low, while President Obama’s approval rating stands at 61 percent. Job Approval Ratings: President Obama [PDF]Governor Schwarzenegger [PDF]California State Legislature [PDF] Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings: President Obama [XLS]Governor Schwarzenegger [XLS]California State Legislature [XLS] This survey was supported with funding from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education By Mark Baldassare, Jennifer Paluch, Dean Bonner, Sonja Petek Apr 25, 2007 Some findings of the current survey: Most Californians today (80%) believe the quality of the state’s K-12 education system is at least somewhat of a problem, with about half (52%) calling it a big problem. Forty-four percent of blacks say the quality of education has worsened in the past two years compared to just 28 percent of whites, 21 percent of Latinos, and 20 percent of Asians. Most state residents (78%) would prefer to see local, rather than state, decision-making when it comes to allocating school resources—specifically, teachers (34%) and local school districts (31%). This is the 76th PPIC Statewide Survey and the sixth in a three-year survey series funded by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation focusing on education, environment, and population issues.
Report The Changing Role of Education in the California Labor Market By Julian Betts Sep 1, 2000 It has been well-documented that the economic returns to education—that is, the wage gains associated with additional schooling—have risen dramatically in the United States since the late 1970s. In this study, the author examines the extent to which trends in California reflect those of the nation. This report examines: Changes in the educational composition of California's workforce between 1970 and 1997 and how these changes compare with those in the rest of the nation. The extent to which California's postsecondary education sector met the demand for skilled workers between 1970 and 1990. The overall trend in the wage premium earned by college graduates, as well as the trends for high school graduates and those with less than 12 years of schooling. How these trends varied across industrial and regional sectors in California and between native Californians, natives from elsewhere, and immigrants.
Report Rethinking the State-Local Relationship: K-12 Education By Margaret Weston Jun 30, 2011 Governor Brown’s administration has sparked renewed interest in "realignment”—that is, in changing how the state and localities divide responsibility for programs and services. This study examines the tradeoffs between state and local control of education finance, focusing on the state’s funding system for categorical programs. Thoughtful revisions to this system would be a good first step toward improving California’s approach to school finance. This report is part of a PPIC series on rethinking the state-local relationship. The other reports in this series include: An Overview of Realignment Child Welfare Services Corrections Local Economic Development This work is supported by funding from the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and by contributions of unrestricted support to PPIC’s Donor Circle.
Report District Spending of One-Time Funds for Educational Recovery By Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill, Niu Gao, Joseph Herrera ... Jun 28, 2023 To address COVID-19 disruptions to education, federal and state programs directed billions in stimulus aid to K–12 schools. These programs allocated greater funding to lower-income and high-need districts—and California districts applied their early funds to health, safety, and technology. More recently, spending has prioritized learning recovery.
Report School Finance and California’s Master Plan for Education By Julian Betts, Jon Sonstelie, Anne Danenberg, Peter Richardson ... Jun 1, 2001 Responding to a request from the Joint Committee to Develop a Master Plan for Education – Kindergarten through University, the Public Policy Institute of California commissioned a series of reports on adequacy-based school finance, alternative approaches to school governance, and local revenue options for school districts. These reports were delivered to the Joint Committee and its staff between August 2000 and April 2001. School Finance and California’s Master Plan for Education brings together those essays and makes them available to more general audiences. Taken together, they suggest that a new system of school finance and governance could help provide adequate resources to California’s schools. They also consider the link between those resources and improved student achievement.
Fact Sheet Career Technical Education in California By Sarah Bohn, Niu Gao, Shannon McConville Jun 6, 2018
Policy Brief Policy Brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on Science Education By Niu Gao, Mary Severance Jun 21, 2022 As California schools recover from the pandemic, policymakers can take steps to promote equitable investments in science literacy across the state.
