blog post Video: 3 Cities Address Economic Challenges By Linda Strean May 31, 2016 The mayors of Oakland and Fresno and a councilmember from South Gate tell different stories about economic problems in their communities. But all see education as part of the solution.
blog post Voter Registration: Not Quite Automatic Yet By Eric McGhee Nov 11, 2015 A new law has the potential to register millions more Californians to vote—depending on how it is implemented.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Population Issues Feb 25, 2009 Some findings of the current survey: Californians are far more likely to say the government should not interfere with abortion access (61%) than pass more restrictions (35%), but the latter choice has risen 8 points since January 2000. Births have been and are expected to be the single biggest factor in the state’s population growth, but half of Californians believe that immigration is the biggest cause. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s approval rating dropped 7 points to 33 percent but Californians give President Barack Obama a 70-percent approval rating in his first month. This is the 95th PPIC Statewide Survey and the 2nd focusing on population issues. It is supported with funding from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Occasional Paper, Report Changing the Kindergarten Cutoff Date: Effects on California Students and Schools By Jill Cannon, Stephen Lipscomb May 29, 2008 California has one of the latest kindergarten entry cutoff dates in the nation, December 2, which effectively allows children as young as four years, nine months to enter kindergarten. Proponents of moving the cutoff date to earlier in the year contend that children who enter kindergarten before age five are not developmentally mature enough yet for school, and that entering at an older age should improve academic performance. The authors examine 14 recent studies on the short- and long-term effects of entering kindergarten at an older age, and their review suggests that moving California’s entry age would likely have a number of benefits, including boosting student achievement test scores. But it may also have the potential to increase the achievement gap among certain student subgroups.
California Counts, Report Birth Rates in California By Hans Johnson Nov 15, 2007 Teen birth rates in California are dropping dramatically, and last year were the lowest the state has ever recorded. In this edition of California Counts, PPIC researchers explore changing birth rates and fertility trends in the state, and find that in some counties, teen birth rates fell more than 25 percent from 2000 to 2005. They also found that over the last two decades, California has experienced an accelerating trend in delayed childbearing--a growing percentage of women are not giving birth until their early forties. Despite this rise in birth rates among older women, rates of childlessness in the state are also increasing. Reference Maps
