blog post Without Testing, Challenges for School Districts Add Up By Laura Hill May 11, 2020 The lack of statewide K–12 standardized tests this spring will pose significant difficulties for teachers and districts when schools ultimately reopen.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Factors and Future Projections for K–12 Declining Enrollment By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty, Stephanie Barton Dec 11, 2023 California counties serving higher shares of low-income, English Learner (EL), and Asian, Black, and Latino students expect greater enrollment losses in coming years. In the past, schools that closed due to falling enrollment had more low-income and EL students as well as lower test scores than the rest of the district.
blog post High School Graduation during the COVID-19 Crisis By Niu Gao, Joseph Hayes Apr 16, 2020 School closures and the move to distance learning present challenges in ensuring that California students, especially those from low-income families or with special educational needs, stay on track for graduating.
blog post Test Scores Show Six-Year Setback for California Students By Darriya Starr, Emmanuel Prunty, Joseph Herrera, Iwunze Ugo Dec 14, 2022 Recently released standardized test scores show sharp declines in proficiency among the state’s fourth graders—reversing nearly six years of progress. The declines were sharpest among Black, Latino, and low-income students but do not appear to be tied to length of school closures during COVID.
blog post Students Prepare for AP Exams during COVID-19 By Niu Gao Apr 30, 2020 Students who are less economically advantaged and those with special educational needs could face challenges in preparing for and taking AP tests this year.
blog post Video: Californians and Education By Stephanie Barton Apr 28, 2020 PPIC’s Mark Baldassare and Alyssa Dykman discuss a new statewide survey that examines a variety of education issues, including concerns about school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
blog post Private Schools Dominate the Approval Process for Reopening By Niu Gao, Joseph Hayes Sep 23, 2020 The state has approved waivers allowing more than 500 elementary schools to open in counties with the highest level of COVID-19 risk, with private schools accounting for more than nine in ten.
blog post Addressing Inequities in Reopening Schools during COVID By Joseph Herrera, Darriya Starr, Emmanuel Prunty, Niu Gao Jun 23, 2022 While nearly all California schools switched to remote learning early in the pandemic, the return to in-person instruction varied across the state—potentially worsening educational inequities.
blog post Video: Californians and Education By Vicki Hsieh May 7, 2021 PPIC’s Rachel Lawler and Mark Baldassare discuss new survey findings about Californians’ views on student learning during the pandemic, Governor Newsom’s handling of K–12 education, and other topics.
Report Surveying the Landscape of California’s English Learner Reclassification Policy By Laura Hill, Andrew Lee, Joseph Hayes Feb 10, 2021 Measuring the progress of English Learners grew more complex after California schools switched to online learning, as some tools to assess students became unavailable. This report shares results from our survey of district policies and offers recommendations for standardizing reclassification criteria.
