blog post Who Stands to Gain from Changes in School Enrollment Funding? By Julien Lafortune, Joseph Herrera Jan 31, 2022 The state legislature is considering a change in how California K–12 schools are funded. Examining how attendance varies across districts—and how this relates to student demographics—sheds light on which districts might see the largest funding increases.
blog post What’s Next for Higher Education? By Hans Johnson, Kevin Cook, Lande Ajose Jan 13, 2022 Another uncertain year is likely, even as students and the institutions they attend seek to return to some semblance of normalcy. What are key issues to watch in 2022 in improving access, completion, and equity in California’s higher education systems?
blog post What’s Next for California’s K–12 Enrollment? By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty, Vicki Hsieh Dec 9, 2021 The statewide decline in K–12 enrollment is projected to accelerate over the next decade, though with significant variation across counties.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Community College Math in California’s New Era of Student Access By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Olga Rodriguez, Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez Dec 7, 2021 After AB 705 expanded access to courses needed for transfer, the rate of students passing introductory math shot up. Racial equity gaps in access have narrowed, but some students are still enrolling in courses that don’t count for transfer.
Report Community College Math in California’s New Era of Student Access By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Olga Rodriguez, Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez Dec 7, 2021 In fall 2019, California’s community colleges began implementing AB 705, making reforms to place thousands of students away from remedial courses and directly into the introductory courses necessary to transfer to a four-year college. In this report, we focus on math courses and the progress that colleges and students have made under the new system as of fall 2020.
Report Keeping College Affordable for California Students By Kevin Cook, Jacob Jackson Dec 1, 2021 California’s financial aid programs reduce tuition for most students. But the state and its higher education institutions can improve college access and success by providing additional aid to lower-income students, addressing growing non-tuition costs, and eliminating barriers that increase the time it takes to earn a degree.
blog post Geography of College Aid in California By Cesar Alesi Perez, Kevin Cook, Vicki Hsieh Dec 1, 2021 Completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is vital to improving college access and affordability. Yet many California high school graduates do not complete the form, with wide variation across districts.
event Seizing the Drought: Water Priorities for Our Changing Climate Nov 15, 2021 The PPIC Water Policy Center will convene a diverse group of experts to discuss how to tackle the highly disruptive effects of climate change on our water system. It’s clear that we must step up our game to cope with the increasingly severe, warm droughts that are coming our way. This year’s conference will identify immediate actions we can take to boost the state’s resilience.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Economic Well-Being By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Nov 9, 2021 Our latest survey examines views on the state’s economy as well as residents’ perspectives on their employment and personal finances.
Report Targeted K–12 Funding and Student Outcomes By Julien Lafortune Oct 6, 2021 As students return to the classroom, record-high funding through the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) will help California districts address gaps after a year of remote learning. In this report, we examine school and district spending against trends in student outcomes to offer insight into whether the LCFF is meeting its goal of improving equity in education.