event Achieving Digital Equity for California’s Students Oct 28, 2021 The importance of digital connectivity in K–12 education has never been more apparent. Did student access to devices and the internet improve during the pandemic? Did unprecedented investments in broadband help close equity gaps in digital access? PPIC researcher Joseph Hayes will outline key findings from a new report, and a panel of experts will discuss how local, state, and national stakeholders can continue working together on this vital issue.
blog post 2020 Census: Counting Orange and San Diego Counties By Tess Thorman, Vicki Hsieh, Sarah Bohn Jan 9, 2019 Getting an accurate count in the 2020 Census is essential. Our interactive maps help pinpoint hard-to-count areas in California. Here we focus on San Diego and Orange Counties.
Report Are California’s Schools Ready for Online Testing and Learning? By Niu Gao Apr 6, 2015 In addition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), California is implementing a new, online assessment system: the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). Field tests were conducted last spring and the system is being rolled out this year, amid concerns about whether schools are technologically prepared. Using survey data from the California Educational Technology Professionals Association (CETPA), this report examines school districts’ technology infrastructure and assesses their readiness for online testing. Three findings emerge. First, school districts express confidence in the quantity and quality of their hardware and network capabilities but remain concerned about software and training of instructional and IT staff. Second, there is sizable variation in readiness across districts, linked mainly to student enrollment and district expenditure levels. Third, a clear majority of the state’s onetime CCSS Implementation Fund is going into non-technology spending such as instructional materials and teacher training. Regardless of their current readiness, districts will need targeted and ongoing support to upgrade and maintain their technology infrastructure. In the longer term, virtually all schools will need to upgrade their technology infrastructure in order to adopt and benefit from digital learning.
blog post 2020 Census: Counting California’s Northern and Sierra Regions By Tess Thorman, Vicki Hsieh, Sarah Bohn Dec 6, 2018 Home to 1.4 million people, California's northern and Sierra regions cover 40% of the state and span 23 counties. Housing conditions, diverse populations, and recent wildfires are among the challenges of counting residents here in the 2020 Census.
blog post Communicating to California’s Seniors about Coronavirus By Hans Johnson Mar 18, 2020 In California, protecting seniors from COVID-19 means conveying information in ways that can effectively reach a particularly diverse older population.
