Report Achievement in California’s Public Schools: What Do Test Scores Tell Us? By Paul Warren, Julien Lafortune Jul 10, 2019 California’s student test scores show significant progress in English—but they also show stalled gains in math and persistent income achievement gaps. State actions to improve math instruction and support struggling districts could help boost student performance.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Alyssa Dykman, Rachel Lawler Apr 22, 2020 Key findings from the current survey include many California parents see school closures for COVID-19 as somewhat of a problem and are concerned with providing productive learning at home. An overwhelming majority of parents approve of school districts’ handling of closures and Governor Newsom’s handling of K–12 education. As optimism wanes about the economy, views on school bonds are mixed.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education By Mark Baldassare, Jennifer Paluch, Dean Bonner, Sonja Petek Apr 30, 2008 Some findings of the current survey: More than half (53%) of the state’s residents say the quality of K-12 public schools is a major problem. Blacks (72%) and whites (60%) are much more likely than Latinos (42%) and Asians (38%) to say that educational quality is a big problem. But more than half of Californians (54%) give their public schools an A (18%) or B (36%). Among public school parents, 27 percent give an A and 40 percent a B. A strong majority (60%) of Californians choose K-12 public education as the area they would like to protect from budget cuts. This is the 85th PPIC Statewide Survey. It is part of a series covering K-12, higher education, environment, and population issues. This survey includes the responses of 2,502 Californians and is supported by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
blog post Addressing Inequities in Reopening Schools during COVID By Joseph Herrera, Darriya Starr, Emmanuel Prunty, Niu Gao Jun 23, 2022 While nearly all California schools switched to remote learning early in the pandemic, the return to in-person instruction varied across the state—potentially worsening educational inequities.
blog post More California Students Are Getting Live Instruction, but Gaps Remain By Niu Gao, Laura Hill, Julien Lafortune Nov 20, 2020 The share of K-12 students receiving live instruction this fall is slightly higher than in the spring. However, notable equity gaps—by income, parental education, and race/ethnicity—persist.
blog post School Funding, COVID-19, and the 2020 Election Year By Mark Baldassare Apr 28, 2020 Although many Californians prioritize K-12 schools for state spending, a looming recession could dampen support for ballot measures for school funding.
Report Making College Possible for Low-Income Students: Grant and Scholarship Aid in California By Hans Johnson Oct 15, 2014 California’s economic future depends on improving college enrollment and completion. But college costs are rising and a majority of students in California’s public K–12 schools are from low-income families. Policymakers can pursue a number of strategies to make college more affordable and accessible. This research was supported with funding from the College Access Foundation of California and the Donald Bren Foundation.
