Report Understanding the Effects of School Funding By Julien Lafortune May 18, 2022 Funding for California’s K–12 public schools has reached record highs, but gaps in student outcomes remain. Understanding the benefits of additional funds, and how to distribute those funds, are key concerns for policymakers. This report offers insights from a robust body of research on the extent to which higher spending improves outcomes.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Factors and Future Projections for K–12 Declining Enrollment By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty, Stephanie Barton Dec 11, 2023 California counties serving higher shares of low-income, English Learner (EL), and Asian, Black, and Latino students expect greater enrollment losses in coming years. In the past, schools that closed due to falling enrollment had more low-income and EL students as well as lower test scores than the rest of the district.
press release Special Survey On Californians And The Future: Little Knowledge, Big Worries About State’s Future Aug 5, 2004
Report Financing Higher Education Capital Projects By Patrick Murphy, Radhika Mehlotra, Kevin Cook Dec 5, 2018 Aging infrastructure should be a major priority as California seeks to produce more college-educated workers. Modernizing and maintaining facilities at the state’s community colleges, CSU, and UC could cost billions of dollars, with each system facing its own unique challenges.
blog post How Has California’s K–12 Education Landscape Changed over the Past Thirty Years? By Laura Hill, Julien Lafortune, Iwunze Ugo Sep 13, 2024 As part of an ongoing series commemorating PPIC's 30th anniversary, researchers Laura Hill, Julien Lafortune, and Iwunze Ugo reflect on the major developments that have shaped K–12 education over the past three decades as well as key challenges that lie ahead.
blog post Californians Favor Funds for School Construction By Dean Bonner Sep 18, 2019 On prior PPIC Statewide Surveys, majorities of Californians across regions supported bonds for K-12 and higher education construction projects.
blog post Do Californians Support the Proposed School Bond? By Dean Bonner Oct 31, 2019 Slightly more than half of likely voters approve of the school bond measure that will be on the March 2020 ballot, but support varies across regions.
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.
blog post Video: Funding Education in California By Stephanie Barton Aug 17, 2023 Ten years ago, California implemented the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in an effort to improve student outcomes and increase equity. PPIC president and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye and a panel of experts—Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary Ben Chida, Assemblymember Josh Hoover, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond—discuss what LCFF has meant for K–12 education and talk about key issues moving forward.
blog post Californians Support Universal Preschool, but Take-up of Transitional Kindergarten Is Uneven By Deja Thomas, Laura Hill, Emmanuel Prunty, Maya Lawton Aug 6, 2024 Solid majorities of all Californians and public school parents support state funding of voluntary preschool programs such as transitional kindergarten (TK). Statewide TK enrollment has been increasing, but take-up rates have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.
