blog post Testimony: Crime Data on Retail Theft and Robberies in California By Magnus Lofstrom Jan 4, 2024 At the inaugural hearing of the Assembly Select Committee on Retail Theft, PPIC policy director and senior fellow Magnus Lofstrom discussed trends in shoplifting and other offenses, including variations across the state.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Policies for Creating and Keeping Jobs in California By David Neumark, Emma Wohl, Stephanie Barton Dec 13, 2023 California offers 21 programs intended to add jobs or grow employment. Which policies work and how well? Three programs show strong evidence for creating jobs or increasing employment; others show mixed evidence or are too new to be evaluated. The state should consider expanding effective programs and build features to better evaluate the others.
Report Factors and Future Projections for K–12 Declining Enrollment By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty Dec 11, 2023 Over the past five years, enrollment has fallen in nearly three-quarters of California school districts, and the trend is expected to continue into the next decade. Faster declines could bring pressure to close schools, along with concerns about the students and neighborhoods bearing the costs of downsizing.
data set PPIC Urban Water Use Standards Analysis Nov 28, 2023 This spreadsheet includes data on reported water uses, calculated water use objectives, and estimated compliance costs of meeting new urban water use standards to comply with the 2018 Making Conservation a California Way of Life legislation for 398 retail urban water suppliers across California. It accompanies the November 2023 blog post “A Better Way to Promote Urban Water Conservation.”
blog post A Better Way to Promote Urban Water Conservation By David Mitchell, Ellen Hanak Nov 28, 2023 Californians have been making great strides in water conservation in recent years. Now the State Water Board is considering new urban water use regulations whose statewide costs would far exceed their benefits—and significantly impact affordability. Are there better approaches? We take a look.
blog post Video: Assessing Transitional Kindergarten’s Impact on Elementary School Trajectories By Mary Severance Nov 21, 2023 Launched a decade ago with limited scope, transitional kindergarten will soon be open to all four-year-olds in California. PPIC researchers Julien Lafortune and Laura Hill discuss the program’s impact so far—especially among multilingual and special education students.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Understanding the Reach of the California Earned Income Tax Credit By Tess Thorman, Mary Severance Nov 13, 2023 The CalEITC, introduced in the 2015 tax year, was originally designed to complement the federal EITC; it remains most generous to Californians with incomes too low to receive the maximum EITC. A better understanding of the factors associated with credit claiming can help the state increase participation.
Report Priorities for California’s Water By Jeffrey Mount, Letitia Grenier, Ellen Hanak, Caitlin Peterson ... Nov 1, 2023 California has made great strides in preparing for a drier, hotter future, but it remains a challenge to harness the bounty of wet years while also reducing flood risk. How did California’s water sector manage the unusually wet 2023 water year—and what lessons can we glean for the future?
blog post California’s Violent Crime Rate Is Diverging from the National Trend By Magnus Lofstrom Nov 1, 2023 In the decade preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, California's violent crime rate roughly mirrored the nationwide trend. But as of 2022, California's violent crime rate is nearly one-third higher than the US rate, a divergence driven largely by aggravated assaults.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Assessing Transitional Kindergarten’s Impact on Elementary School Trajectories By Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill, Mary Severance Oct 23, 2023 Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program provides an early year of schooling within California’s K–12 system. Now that the program is being expanded to all four-year-olds, it is important to take stock of its impact so far—especially among multilingual students and students with disabilities, who might benefit from additional support early on.
