blog post How Many Districts Have Been Providing In-person Instruction? By Laura Hill, Niu Gao, Julien Lafortune Feb 18, 2021 More than half of California districts are open for some in-person instruction amid the pandemic, but there are notable disparities by race/ethnicity and income.
blog post Are Students Spending Enough Time on School during the Pandemic? By Niu Gao, Laura Hill, Julien Lafortune Jan 26, 2021 Most K–12 students in California are spending less time on educational activities during the pandemic, with significant racial and socioeconomic disparities.
Report Who Is Losing Ground with Distance Learning in California? By Niu Gao, Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill Oct 19, 2020 As the pandemic continues, K–12 districts must understand where and how to refine remote instruction. In this report, we examine obstacles and disparities that may have caused some California students to fall behind after the switch to distance learning last spring, and we offer insights to help schools develop interventions to best serve these students.
Report Funding California Schools When Budgets Fall Short By Julien Lafortune, Radhika Mehlotra, Jennifer Paluch Oct 5, 2020 Even as districts prioritize safety amid COVID-19, they face hard choices as they try to maintain services and balance budgets. By examining district reserves and spending, this report aims to understand how the Great Recession affected K–12 funding and how prepared districts are now to manage future cuts.
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.
Report Improving K-12 School Facilities in California By Niu Gao, Julien Lafortune Aug 5, 2020 Amid a statewide spike in coronavirus cases, most California schools will start the year remotely. When in-person classes do resume, cleanliness and safety will be paramount. But four in ten students attend schools that do not meet minimum facility standards.
blog post The Coronavirus Pandemic Will Test the State’s Budget Reserves By Radhika Mehlotra, Jennifer Paluch Apr 20, 2020 State reserve policies enacted since the Great Recession have boosted the capacity of California’s budget to weather a downturn, but a major recession due to COVID-19 would pose significant fiscal challenges.
blog post Video: Fiscal Challenges of Declining Enrollment in California Schools By Mary Severance Mar 5, 2020 PPIC researcher Paul Warren outlines a new report on projected declines in K–12 enrollment over the next decade, and a panel of experts offers state and local perspectives.
page COVID-19 Mar 1, 2020 The coronavirus outbreak poses a tremendous challenge to California, the nation, and the global community. PPIC’s analyses examine the impacts of COVID-19 and how policy choices and other actions can help address them.
Report Declining Enrollment in California Schools: Fiscal Challenges and Opportunities in the Coming Decade By Paul Warren, Julien Lafortune Feb 12, 2020 Statewide K–12 enrollment is projected to fall 7% over the next 10 years. Districts with declining enrollment face fiscal pressures, as state funding is tied to the number of students they serve. Enrollment declines also have important implications for the state budget.
