Policy Brief Policy Brief: Factors and Future Projections for K–12 Declining Enrollment By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty, Stephanie Barton Dec 11, 2023 California counties serving higher shares of low-income, English Learner (EL), and Asian, Black, and Latino students expect greater enrollment losses in coming years. In the past, schools that closed due to falling enrollment had more low-income and EL students as well as lower test scores than the rest of the district.
blog post Video: A Conversation with California’s Public Higher Education Leaders By Vicki Hsieh Dec 8, 2023 PPIC president and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye talks with leaders from across the state's higher education systems—UC president Michael V. Drake, CSU chancellor Mildred García, and California Community Colleges executive vice chancellor Aisha Lowe—about their priorities for expanding educational opportunity.
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.
blog post Video: Tracking Progress in Community College Access and Success By Vicki Hsieh Nov 8, 2023 Four years ago, state lawmakers dramatically broadened access to key transfer-level courses at California’s community colleges. PPIC researcher Cesar Alesi Perez presents findings from a new report on what these reforms have meant for improving student outcomes.
blog post Testimony: Improving College Access and Success through Dual Enrollment By Olga Rodriguez Nov 6, 2023 At a hearing of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, PPIC Higher Education Center director and senior fellow Olga Rodriguez discusses the state landscape for dual enrollment—by which high school students take college courses and earn college credit—and how this approach can help improve student outcomes.
Report Priorities for California’s Water By Jeffrey Mount, Letitia Grenier, Ellen Hanak, Caitlin Peterson ... Nov 1, 2023 California has made great strides in preparing for a drier, hotter future, but it remains a challenge to harness the bounty of wet years while also reducing flood risk. How did California’s water sector manage the unusually wet 2023 water year—and what lessons can we glean for the future?
event Tracking Progress in Community College Access and Success Oct 31, 2023 Three years after a landmark reform broadened access to transfer-level math and English courses for community college students, have outcomes improved? PPIC researcher Cesar Alesi Perez will present findings from a new report, discussing both the significant progress to date and essential areas of future reform.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Tracking Progress in Community College Access and Success By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez, Sidronio Jacobo, Fernando Garcia ... Oct 30, 2023 We examine how student outcomes have changed in the years following Assembly Bill 705, which broadened access to transfer-level math and English courses at California’s community colleges.
Report Tracking Progress in Community College Access and Success By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez, Sidronio Jacobo, Fernando Garcia Oct 30, 2023 In 2019, a landmark reform removed barriers for community college students in accessing transfer-level math and English courses. While more students are now completing these key early milestones for transfer, additional efforts are needed to address persistent racial equity gaps and promote students’ longer-term success.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Assessing Transitional Kindergarten’s Impact on Elementary School Trajectories By Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill, Mary Severance Oct 23, 2023 Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program provides an early year of schooling within California’s K–12 system. Now that the program is being expanded to all four-year-olds, it is important to take stock of its impact so far—especially among multilingual students and students with disabilities, who might benefit from additional support early on.