Report Examining the Reach of Targeted School Funding By Julien Lafortune, Joseph Herrera, Niu Gao Sep 6, 2023 Under California’s ten-year-old funding formula, districts with higher shares of high-need students receive additional dollars on top of base funding. Districts have flexibility around spending these funds, but when money is not fully directed to the intended students and schools, the impact on achievement gaps is diluted.
Report Improving College Access and Success through Dual Enrollment By Olga Rodriguez, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Iwunze Ugo, Niu Gao Aug 21, 2023 At one time, mainly high-achieving high school students took college courses through dual enrollment; but access has widened under the College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) program. While CCAP students are benefiting from the program—they enroll in community college at high rates and reach key milestones—CCAP has room to improve.
blog post Educating the Judiciary on Water and Climate Change By Sarah Bardeen Aug 21, 2023 Justices Ron Robie and Stacy Boulware Eurie are spearheading an effort to educate California’s judiciary about climate change and water issues. We asked them why they’ve taken on this task—and what they hope to accomplish.
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 Achieving Universal Broadband in California By Joseph Hayes, Niu Gao, Darriya Starr, Amy Gong Liu Mar 29, 2023 In 2021, California invested over $6 billion to expand broadband infrastructure, address affordability, and promote digital literacy. This report examines barriers to installing broadband in underserved communities and offers recommendations as the state aims to close the digital divide.
Report English as a Second Language at California’s Community Colleges By Olga Rodriguez, Laura Hill, Daniel Payares-Montoya Nov 28, 2022 Colleges began implementing reforms aimed at improving English as a Second Language pathways in fall 2021—during a historic pandemic. We cannot yet disentangle the impact of reforms from the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, but an analysis of early implementation finds that colleges have made significant progress.
Report The Effects of COVID-19 on Transfer-Intending Students in California’s Community Colleges By Cesar Alesi Perez, Jacob Jackson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Olga Rodriguez ... Oct 19, 2022 The pandemic disrupted enrollment, persistence, and course success for many transfer-intending students at California community colleges, especially those from vulnerable and underrepresented groups. Yet critical pre-pandemic reforms as well as actions taken by colleges and faculty may have helped limit the pandemic’s impact for some who stayed enrolled.
Report How Hospital Discharge Data Can Inform State Homelessness Policy By Shannon McConville, Hemal Kanzaria, Renee Hsia, Maria Raven Sep 19, 2022 Discharge data from emergency departments provide information on where people experiencing homelessness go for hospital care and on the conditions for which they are treated. If linked with data from homeless assistance programs and safety net services, this information can help policymakers make targeted investments and evaluate outcomes.
Report Exploring the Potential for Water-Limited Agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley By Caitlin Peterson, Cameron Pittelkow, Mark Lundy Jul 20, 2022 As irrigated farmland comes out of production in the San Joaquin Valley, valley residents will face increased pests, weeds, and dust—as well as a loss of employment and economic activity. Water-limited cropping is one alternative to fallowing that can improve soil health and air quality, create habitat, and keep land in production.
Report The Impact of COVID-19 on Science Education By Niu Gao, Kathy DiRanna, Maria T. Chang Fay Jun 21, 2022 COVID-19 school shutdowns were especially disruptive for science education, which has long been a lower priority than math and English language arts. But as California schools recover from the pandemic, state policymakers can take steps to promote equitable investments in science literacy.
