blog post Video: A Conversation with Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond By Mary Severance Aug 19, 2020 Superintendent Thurmond talks with PPIC’s Mark Baldassare about how the state can support school districts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
blog post Testimony: Assessing the Pandemic’s Effects on Student Learning, Absenteeism, and Graduation By Iwunze Ugo Mar 15, 2023 At an Assembly budget subcommittee hearing, PPIC’s Iwunze Ugo discusses how K–12 students are faring as California emerges from the pandemic. His testimony focuses in part on test scores from 2022, the first full administration of state standards tests in nearly three years.
blog post Are California’s Jobs Rebounding? By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune Jun 25, 2020 Job losses across the state’s economy have leveled off, but California still has among the highest unemployment rates in the nation.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Apr 28, 2021 Key findings from the current survey include: More than eight in ten Californians think K–12 students are falling behind academically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most Californians approve of Governor Newsom’s handling of the K–12 education system; most also approve of the way he is handling school reopening. Most say that the state’s public schools should be at least partially open now, and six in ten are concerned that schools will not be open for full-time in-person instruction this fall. Majorities say their local public schools do an excellent or good job of preparing students for college and for the workforce, but four in ten parents would opt for private school if cost and location were not at issue.
blog post Learning Recovery Is Uneven for Urban and Rural School Districts By Saayili Budhiraja, Thomas Pearson, Emmanuel Prunty, Niu Gao Feb 14, 2024 Half of California's K–12 students are enrolled in urban or rural districts. Compared to the rest of the state, these districts have seen a slower pace of recovery from pandemic learning loss.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Sep 1, 2021 Key findings include: A majority of likely voters say they will vote no on removing Governor Newsom; about half do not favor any replacement candidate or won’t vote [for one]. Californians name COVID as the top issue facing the state. Six in ten favor requiring proof of vaccination to enter large outdoor gatherings or some indoor spaces. Californians are divided on whether the US will see good financial times ahead.
blog post Video: A Conversation with Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis By Stephanie Barton Feb 10, 2021 Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis talks with PPIC’s Mark Baldassare about state efforts to combat COVID-19 and address the economic impact of the pandemic.
blog post Emergency Child Care for Essential Workers By Caroline Danielson, Daniel Tan, Tess Thorman Apr 15, 2020 With most schools and many child care providers across California now closed, many essential workers could have a hard time arranging for care for their children. New state and federal policies take steps to help address this need.
blog post Helping K–12 Students Recover from the Pandemic By Laura Hill, Niu Gao, Julien Lafortune Mar 10, 2022 Increased state and federal resources will play a key role as California helps students overcome learning disruptions of the past two years, though longer-term challenges remain.