blog post Private Schooling Played a Small Role in Declining Public School Enrollment By Emmanuel Prunty, Julien Lafortune Sep 11, 2023 Private schooling in California increased substantially during the pandemic. Still, it accounts for a small share of total K–12 enrollment and is not a major factor in public school declines, which are driven largely by broader demographic shifts.
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 Strengthening California’s Transfer Pathway By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez, Jacob Jackson Aug 29, 2023 Increasing the number of California community college students who transfer to four-year institutions is critical for creating a more diverse pool of college graduates. Despite recent progress, transfer rates remain low and racial disparities persist. Several reforms are already underway, and higher education institutions must continue to work together so more students can reach their academic goals.
blog post Civic Education Is Essential to California’s Future By Tani Cantil-Sakauye Aug 28, 2023 Today’s students are tomorrow’s voters, leaders, and problem solvers. PPIC president and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye reflects on the importance of civic education in preparing young people to engage with elections, public policy, and other elements of a democratic society.
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.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Improving College Access and Success through Dual Enrollment By Olga Rodriguez, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Iwunze Ugo, Niu Gao Aug 21, 2023 College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) has become the fastest growing dual enrollment option in California, giving a broad range of students access to dual enrollment and setting more students on the path to college. However, CCAP students are slightly less likely to complete milestones than other dual enrollment students.
blog post Video: Funding Education in California By Stephanie Barton Aug 17, 2023 Ten years ago, California implemented the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in an effort to improve student outcomes and increase equity. PPIC president and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye and a panel of experts—Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary Ben Chida, Assemblymember Josh Hoover, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond—discuss what LCFF has meant for K–12 education and talk about key issues moving forward.
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.
event District Spending of One-Time Funds for Educational Recovery Jul 11, 2023 To address COVID-19 disruptions to education, federal and state programs directed billions in stimulus aid to K–12 schools, targeting greater funding to lower-income and high-need districts. PPIC researcher Julien Lafortune will present findings from a report that examines California’s funding allocations and key areas of district spending; coauthor Bruce Fuller, a professor of education and public policy at UC Berkeley, will lead a panel discussion on district strategies for learning recovery.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: District Spending of One-Time Funds for Educational Recovery By Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill, Niu Gao, Joseph Herrera ... Jun 28, 2023 States received billions in one-time stimulus funds to help recover from pandemic disruptions to education. California allocated much of its money to districts based on their shares of low-income students, which largely targeted schools with lower achievement levels rather than greater learning loss.
