blog post PPIC Board Welcomes Two New California Leaders By Tani Cantil-Sakauye Sep 21, 2023 Two distinguished Californians—John Chiang and Dave Puglia—joined PPIC’s board of directors yesterday. Together, they bring to our organization a wealth of leadership experience, a strong record of public service, and a rich knowledge of the forces shaping our state.
event Managing Water and Farmland Transitions in the San Joaquin Valley Sep 20, 2023 Achieving groundwater sustainability is vital to the health of the San Joaquin Valley’s communities, agriculture, environment, and economy—but the transition will be challenging. How can the region ensure the best outcomes? Authors of a new PPIC study and a diverse group of local and state experts will discuss key issues and solutions to some of the valley’s looming challenges.
blog post Video: Strengthening California’s Transfer Pathway By Vicki Hsieh Sep 20, 2023 PPIC research associate Cesar Alesi Perez presents a new report on recent trends in community college transfers, and research fellow Marisol Cuellar Mejia and a panel of higher education leaders discuss efforts to streamline the transfer process.
Report Managing Water and Farmland Transitions in the San Joaquin Valley By Ellen Hanak, Andrew Ayres, Caitlin Peterson, Alvar Escriva-Bou ... Sep 18, 2023 How can the San Joaquin Valley adapt to a future with less water? We’ve been researching this issue for the past seven years, and our new report presents highlights from we’ve learned, including a robust list of policy suggestions to help the valley weather—and make the most of—the coming changes.
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.
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.
blog post New State Budget Maintains Water and Natural Resources Funding in an Uncertain Economy By Gokce Sencan Aug 1, 2023 When it comes to state funding for water and natural resource projects, California has typically turned to general obligation bonds as the first resort. The historic budget surpluses of recent years have shaken up this long-standing arrangement, but is that funding source drying up?
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and the Environment By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Jul 12, 2023 Key findings of the survey include: Most Californians think it is very important that the state take steps now to respond to climate change, though views vary across party lines. An overwhelming majority say that extreme weather events are a problem in their part of the state. A majority believe the use of electric vehicles helps address climate change; half have seriously considered getting one, and nearly one in ten have already done so.
blog post Californians Like Voting on Environmental Issues By Mark Baldassare Jul 12, 2023 According to a new PPIC Statewide Survey, Californians value their ability to vote on environmental issues—and are so far unsupportive of a referendum on new oil wells that will appear on next year's ballot.
Report District Spending of One-Time Funds for Educational Recovery By Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill, Niu Gao, Joseph Herrera ... Jun 28, 2023 To address COVID-19 disruptions to education, federal and state programs directed billions in stimulus aid to K–12 schools. These programs allocated greater funding to lower-income and high-need districts—and California districts applied their early funds to health, safety, and technology. More recently, spending has prioritized learning recovery.
