blog post Commentary: On California Funding Formula’s 10th Anniversary, Celebrate Progress but Double Down on Fairness By Julien Lafortune, Bruce Fuller Dec 1, 2023 Enacted in 2013, the Local Control Funding Formula shifted state K–12 dollars to increase support for districts serving greater shares of low-income students and English Learners. We look at advances in student performance under this funding approach—and where further work is needed.
Fact Sheet Financing California’s Public Schools By Julien Lafortune Nov 29, 2023 K–12 funding has been at record-high levels in recent years, and California’s per student spending is now slightly above the national average. Spending is higher for low-income students, English Learners, and foster youth. However, enrollment declines, rising costs, and the expiration of pandemic funding pose fiscal challenges for school districts.
Report Assessing Transitional Kindergarten’s Impact on Elementary School Trajectories By Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill Oct 23, 2023 California’s Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program provides an early year of schooling within the K–12 system. Launched a decade ago with limited eligibility, TK will soon be open to all four-year-olds. Taking stock of the program’s impact so far—especially among multilingual and special education students—can help TK expansion succeed.
Fact Sheet Poverty in California By Sarah Bohn, Caroline Danielson, Sara Kimberlin, Patricia Malagon Oct 18, 2023 With the end of many pandemic relief programs, poverty rates—especially for children—have gone up in the last two years.
blog post School Vaccination Rates Vary across California By Shalini Mustala, Shannon McConville Oct 10, 2023 Maintaining adequate school vaccination rates is essential for public health and community well-being, but many schools across the state could be vulnerable to disease outbreaks due to lower vaccination rates.
Explainer Race and Diversity in the Golden State By Hans Johnson, Eric McGhee, Carolyn Subramaniam, Vicki Hsieh Oct 2, 2023 California is one of the most diverse states in the nation, but disparate outcomes persist across and within racial groups.
Explainer What’s Behind California’s Recent Population Decline—and Why It Matters By Hans Johnson, Eric McGhee, Carolyn Subramaniam, Vicki Hsieh Oct 2, 2023 California’s unprecedented population loss during the pandemic raises questions about what a shrinking or slowly growing population means for the state’s future.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Lauren Mora, Deja Thomas Sep 26, 2023 PPIC's latest survey finds that almost nine in ten Californians believe there is a mental health crisis in the US. Also, most Californians are now less comfortable making a major purchase like a home or a car compared to six months ago.
blog post Video: Examining the Reach of Targeted School Funding By Stephanie Barton Sep 22, 2023 All school districts in California saw large funding increases over the past decade, through the Local Control Funding Formula. PPIC researcher Julien Lafortune explores how districts managed these funds—and how they affected student outcomes.
event Examining the Reach of Targeted School Funding Sep 14, 2023 Under California’s ten-year-old funding formula, districts with higher shares of high-need students receive added dollars on top of base funding. Join PPIC research fellow Julien Lafortune for a presentation on a new report that looks at how these added dollars impact student outcomes, how districts spend these funds, and whether dollars are fully directed to the students and schools that generate them.
