blog post Testimony: The Need for College Graduates in California’s Future Economy By Hans Johnson Nov 1, 2017 California needs to enroll more students in college—especially in our four-year institutions—and ensure greater success of those already in college.
Report Reforming Math Pathways at California’s Community Colleges By Hans Johnson, Olga Rodriguez, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Bonnie Brooks Oct 23, 2017 The goal of developmental education (also known as remedial or basic skills education) is to help students acquire the skills they need to be successful in college courses, but its track record is poor. In fact, it is one of the largest impediments to student success in California’s community colleges. Many students do need additional work to be ready for college, particularly in math. But every year hundreds of thousands of students are deemed underprepared for college and placed into developmental courses from which relatively few emerge. Throughout the state, community colleges are revising assessment and placement procedures to ensure that students who are ready for college are not placed in developmental education. And, given the high failure rates in traditional developmental courses, colleges are also experimenting with alternative curricular approaches.
blog post K–12 Test Scores Vary Widely across Student Groups By Paul Warren Oct 20, 2017 The 2017 test results for California’s public K–12 school students underscore the need to improve outcomes for economically disadvantaged students, English Learners, and students with disabilities.
blog post Housing Costs and Higher Education By Hans Johnson Oct 17, 2017 Higher education is not often considered part of a housing agenda, but it has played an important role in shielding many Californians from the state’s dramatic increases in housing costs.
blog post Reforming Remedial Education in Community College By Olga Rodriguez, Mina Dadgar Oct 5, 2017 Reforming developmental, or remedial, education is essential to improving students’ success in community colleges. The good news is that there is major support for reform.
blog post DACA and California’s Future By Hans Johnson Sep 7, 2017 The DACA program has been particularly significant in California—home to 70,000 “Dreamers” and other undocumented immigrants who attend public colleges.
blog post New CSU Admissions Policy Could Increase Access, Enrollment By Kevin Cook Sep 5, 2017 A change in the admissions process could boost access to California State University and increase the number of college-educated Californians overall.
blog post College Graduates Have Higher Net Worth By Hans Johnson Jul 12, 2017 In California, median household net worth is almost four times higher for adults with at least a bachelor’s degree ($356,000) than for high school graduates ($95,000).
blog post Regional Action to Boost College Success By Linda Strean Jul 5, 2017 Higher education experts from Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, and the San Joaquin Valley describe their efforts to meet California’s need for college-educated workers.
event A Regional Approach to Closing the Workforce Skills Gap Jun 28, 2017 If current trends persist, California will face a severe shortage of college graduates by 2030. What can colleges and universities do to help close this workforce skills gap? PPIC researcher Kevin Cook will outline findings from a new report, and a panel of experts will discuss the challenges facing California’s higher education systems and the promise of regional approaches in key parts of the state: Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire, and the San Joaquin Valley.