blog post What to Watch for in Higher Education in 2024 By Olga Rodriguez, Kevin Cook Jan 29, 2024 With policymakers facing a sizeable state budget deficit, we highlight higher education issues to watch this year, including key opportunities and areas of concern.
Fact Sheet California’s Higher Education System By Kevin Cook Jan 10, 2024 The nation’s largest public system of higher learning is in California. Nearly 80% of state students attend a public institution, with over half enrolling in community college—making transfer into a four-year college a key path to a bachelor’s degree. Funds to support higher education and financial aid account for about 7% of the state’s budget.
blog post Testimony: Accurately Assessing College Readiness By Olga Rodriguez Apr 19, 2017 A more equitable and efficient system for assessment and placement at the community colleges is a vital step in helping all students achieve their academic goals.
blog post Addressing the Outbreak in San Quentin: Lessons from 1918 By Heather Harris Jul 16, 2020 Outbreaks in California prisons during the Spanish flu epidemic could inform how to address the current COVID-19 spread in San Quentin.
blog post California Community Colleges Are Transforming Developmental Education By Marisol Cuellar Mejia Sep 27, 2018 California's community colleges are in the midst of a major transformation of developmental education. Early evidence shows that at least one element of these reforms is promising.
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 Testimony: California’s Future Need for Bachelor’s Degrees By Patrick Murphy Nov 1, 2016 To meet the demands of the future, California needs to substantially improve access to four-year colleges, transfer rates from community colleges, and completion rates.
Report Reforming Math Pathways at California’s Community Colleges By Hans Johnson, Olga Rodriguez, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Bonnie Brooks Oct 23, 2017 The goal of developmental education (also known as remedial or basic skills education) is to help students acquire the skills they need to be successful in college courses, but its track record is poor. In fact, it is one of the largest impediments to student success in California’s community colleges. Many students do need additional work to be ready for college, particularly in math. But every year hundreds of thousands of students are deemed underprepared for college and placed into developmental courses from which relatively few emerge. Throughout the state, community colleges are revising assessment and placement procedures to ensure that students who are ready for college are not placed in developmental education. And, given the high failure rates in traditional developmental courses, colleges are also experimenting with alternative curricular approaches.
