Report Educational Progress Across Immigrant Generations in California By Deborah Reed, Laura Hill, Christopher Jepsen, Hans Johnson Sep 8, 2005 The children and grandchildren of California’s substantial and growing immigrant population are consistently attaining higher levels of educational achievement than their parents and grandparents did—good news for them and for the future of California. But levels of educational success vary widely among different groups of immigrants, and some groups, notably those from Mexico, lag well behind others. In this report, the authors explore the disparities in educational attainment among these groups, while also showing that data clearly affirm the overall positive trend. Their research shows that disparities in the education levels of the parents in these groups play a significant role in explaining these gaps in educational attainment. This insight suggests opportunities for policy makers seeking to help all youth to achieve their own educational—and therefore economic—success stories.
Report Assessing Transitional Kindergarten’s Impact on Elementary School Trajectories By Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill Oct 23, 2023 California’s Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program provides an early year of schooling within the K–12 system. Launched a decade ago with limited eligibility, TK will soon be open to all four-year-olds. Taking stock of the program’s impact so far—especially among multilingual and special education students—can help TK expansion succeed.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Dual Enrollment in California By Olga Rodriguez, Niu Gao, Mary Severance Oct 18, 2021 Key takeaways from a report on promoting the equitable expansion of dual enrollment, which provides opportunities for high school students to take college courses and earn college credit.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Understanding the Effects of School Funding By Julien Lafortune, Stephanie Barton May 18, 2022 A wide body of recent research offers insights into how and where additional dollars to fund K–12 public schools can improve student outcomes such as test scores and graduation rates. Estimates also reveal how long it may take to close gaps by race and income, based on current trends in funding.
Report Academic Progress for English Learners: The Role of School Language Environment and Course Placement in Grades 6-12 By Laura Hill, Julian Betts, Megan Hopkins, Magaly Lavadenz ... Jan 23, 2019 English Learners in middle and high school come from a variety of backgrounds and face unique challenges. The school’s language environment and course placement practices are two factors that may affect their academic and linguistic progress.
Report Equitable State Funding for School Facilities By Julien Lafortune, Niu Gao Mar 14, 2022 Most funding for California’s K–12 facilities comes from local tax revenues, which depend on property wealth. State funding could potentially address wealth disparities, but it has disproportionately benefited more-affluent districts. Policymakers should prioritize equity in facility funding so that all students have access to safe and effective learning environments.
