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: Assessing Transitional Kindergarten’s Impact on Elementary School Trajectories By Mary Severance Nov 21, 2023 Launched a decade ago with limited scope, transitional kindergarten will soon be open to all four-year-olds in California. PPIC researchers Julien Lafortune and Laura Hill discuss the program’s impact so far—especially among multilingual and special education students.
event Assessing Transitional Kindergarten’s Impact on Elementary School Trajectories Nov 16, 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. PPIC researchers Julien Lafortune and Laura Hill will discuss a new report that examines TK’s impact through grade five.
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.
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.
event Improving College Access and Success through Dual Enrollment Sep 7, 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. PPIC researchers Daniel Payares-Montoya and Iwunze Ugo will present findings from a report that outlines how CCAP students are benefiting from the dual enrollment program as well as areas where CCAP can be improved.
event Funding Education in California Aug 9, 2023 Ten years ago, California implemented a new funding plan for public K–12 education. The goal of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) was to improve student outcomes and increase equity by providing more resources to districts with larger populations of low-income students, English language learners, and foster youth. How has this funding approach served our students? Following a brief presentation by PPIC research fellow Julien Lafortune, PPIC president and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye will moderate a conversation with a panel of experts, including Tony Thurmond, state superintendent of public instruction; Josh Hoover, assemblymember; and Ben Chida, chief deputy cabinet secretary, Office of Governor Gavin Newsom.
blog post Kindergarten Enrollment Declines Mask Differences by Age By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty May 18, 2023 Kindergarten enrollment at California’s public schools fell dramatically in 2020–21. Examining the trends for specific kindergarten ages—as well as the impact of transitional kindergarten (TK)—is key to understanding the broader decline in public school enrollment.
blog post Public School Enrollment Declines Vary across Grade Levels By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty May 4, 2023 California’s public school enrollment decreased slightly in 2022–23 and has now fallen for six years in a row. While the latest enrollment levels in grades 2 through 12 were close to projections, enrollment in earlier grades fell short.
blog post As the COVID Emergency Ends, a Look at the Pandemic’s Economic Impact By Sarah Bohn, Dean Bonner, Jenny Duan Feb 27, 2023 Looking back over the past three years, how did the economic challenges of the pandemic—and the state’s response—evolve? And what are Californians’ economic circumstances today?
