blog post Testimony: California’s K–12 Digital Divide Has Narrowed, but Access Gaps Persist By Niu Gao Feb 21, 2024 At an Assembly Education Committee hearing on addressing students’ post-pandemic needs, PPIC senior fellow Niu Gao discussed the role that federal, state, and local efforts have played in increasing digital connectivity and outlined key challenges that remain.
Explainer What’s Behind California’s Recent Population Decline—and Why It Matters By Hans Johnson, Eric McGhee, Carolyn Subramaniam, Vicki Hsieh Oct 2, 2023 California’s unprecedented population loss during the pandemic raises questions about what a shrinking or slowly growing population means for the state’s future.
blog post Lack of Plumbing Makes Fighting COVID-19 Difficult By Paulette Cha Jul 8, 2020 For some Californians, lack of reliable access to running water is a barrier to regular handwashing and other means of reducing coronavirus spread.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Tracking CalFresh Participation among Young Children By Tess Thorman Jul 10, 2023 CalFresh food assistance not only helps prevent hunger among young children but is an effective public investment in long-term health and economic outcomes. About one in three infants receive CalFresh each year. Geographic variation in newborn enrollment suggests that more could be done to help eligible families get support right after childbirth.
California Counts, Report California’s Newest Immigrants By Joseph Hayes, Laura Hill Nov 20, 2003 Explores the demographic characteristics of recent immigrants—those who arrived in the United States between 1991 and 2000—including their region of origin, age at arrival, geographic concentration throughout California, share of the state’s population, family composition, educational attainment, hourly wages, poverty rates, employment, rates of home ownership, and English language ability. Compares socioeconomic outcomes of these immigrants with the outcomes of immigrants who arrived in the United States between 1980 and 1990.
Report Higher Education in California: Meeting California’s Workforce Needs By Hans Johnson, Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia Oct 1, 2019 Strong and growing demand for highly educated workers has been a hallmark of the state’s economy for decades, and forecasts show this demand continuing into the future. But the importance of increasing the number of college graduates goes beyond workforce needs.
blog post Commentary: How Rural Schools Survived the Pandemic By Niu Gao Oct 12, 2022 Educational disruptions caused by the pandemic presented unique challenges for rural schools in California. Still, some rural districts and schools have made significant strides in bridging the digital divide, addressing teacher shortages, and supporting English learners.
