blog post Federal Spending Bill Boosts Education Funds in California By Courtney Lee, Niu Gao, Patrick Murphy May 2, 2018 California’s schools stand to gain in the recent spending bill passed by Congress, despite cuts proposed by the president.
blog post How Has California Narrowed Its K–12 Digital Divide? By Niu Gao, Joseph Hayes, Darriya Starr Apr 5, 2022 Since the onset of the pandemic, educators and policymakers have made substantial strides in addressing two key barriers to universal digital access—affordability and infrastructure.
blog post Accountability Reports Leave Some Students Out By Paul Warren Jun 2, 2017 The state’s new school accountability "dashboards” leave some students out.
event Statewide Survey: Californians and Education Apr 20, 2017 About the ProgramPPIC's 13th annual statewide survey on Californians and K–12 education tracks opinions on educational quality and school funding. It also examines views on immigration enforcement and public schools, vouchers and charter schools, early childhood education, and the Local Control Funding Formula. PPIC researcher Lunna Lopes will outline these and other key findings. The survey was supported with funding from the Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the Silver Giving Foundation, and the Stuart Foundation.
Report Low-Income Students and School Meal Programs in California By Caroline Danielson Mar 12, 2015 School nutrition programs help improve nutrition among vulnerable children. In so doing, they help build a better future for these children and the state. Now that California is implementing the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), there is additional reason to make sure all students who are eligible for free or low-cost meals enroll in these programs. Along with English Learners and foster youth, low-income students—in other words, students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals—are targeted for additional funds under the LCFF. This renewed focus on enrollment could also prompt further consideration of participation in school nutrition programs. This report looks at factors that might be linked to variations in student enrollment and participation in free or reduced-price meals. Not surprisingly, we find that districts with higher poverty rates identify higher levels of eligibility than wealthier districts. Low-income high school students appear to be enrolled at levels comparable to younger students, but students in elementary school districts are much more likely to participate in lunch programs than students in other types of districts. We also find that schools in districts with higher shares of foreign-born residents have modestly lower participation levels (but not identification of low-income students). Finally, we find evidence that schools with smaller enrollments are more successful than larger schools at identifying and serving low-income students. One way to further the goal of full enrollment among low-income students is to cut the large share of low-income students who must submit applications for free or reduced-price meals. Achieving this objective is arguably an important part of a larger state effort to integrate social safety net programs and services.
event Statewide Survey: Californians and Education Apr 25, 2019 PPIC’s latest survey examines Californians’ views on elected officials and key issues facing the state and nation. It looks at opinions on housing affordability, income inequality, and public pensions in California. It also tracks federal policy preferences on health care, immigration, and taxes. PPIC researcher Dean Bonner will outline these and other key findings.