Report Dual Enrollment in California By Olga Rodriguez, Niu Gao Oct 18, 2021 Dual enrollment provides opportunities for high school students to take college courses and earn college credit. The pandemic has fueled a nationwide surge in participation, and equity-centered legislation has raised dual enrollment’s profile in California. As dual enrollment expands, state leaders can take steps to promote equitable access and outcomes.
blog post Testimony: A New Era of Student Access at California’s Community Colleges By Olga Rodriguez Jan 19, 2021 In testimony for the California Community Colleges Board of Governors, PPIC’s Olga Rodriguez presents research showing that expanded access to transfer-level English and math courses improves student outcomes and narrows—but does not erase—racial inequities.
blog post Video: A New Era of Student Access at California’s Community Colleges By Vicki Hsieh Nov 24, 2020 An expert panel discusses new PPIC research showing that broader access to transfer-level courses at community colleges increased student success and narrowed racial equity gaps.
blog post Video: Increasing Community College Transfers By Stephanie Barton Oct 7, 2020 Researchers Marisol Cuellar Mejia and Hans Johnson discuss obstacles to community college transfers as well as how certain reforms may improve outcomes.
blog post COVID-19 Further Disrupts Testing for College Admissions and Placement By Niu Gao, Olga Rodriguez Sep 16, 2020 As the pandemic continues to cause major shifts in the educational landscape, California’s public colleges and universities are exploring how new admissions and placement approaches might promote equity and access.
Report Increasing Community College Transfers: Progress and Barriers By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia Sep 14, 2020 Community college transfers are an essential route for underrepresented groups to achieve a bachelor’s degree. This study shows that students who reach key early milestones are much more likely to succeed. Recent reforms have the potential to lead to large increases in student transfer and success.
blog post Video: New Realities for Higher Education By Mary Severance Jul 28, 2020 California’s public higher education leaders—UC’s Janet Napolitano, California Community Colleges’ Eloy Ortiz Oakley, and CSU’s Timothy White—discuss how their systems are addressing COVID-19 and other key challenges.
blog post The Role of Community Colleges in Supporting Mental Health By Olga Rodriguez Jun 17, 2020 With two-thirds of California community college students reporting higher levels of mental distress during the pandemic, colleges can play a central role in providing counseling, financial assistance, and other support.
blog post 2020 Primary: Funding Higher Education Facilities By Patrick Murphy, Radhika Mehlotra, Kevin Cook Oct 24, 2019 A bond measure that will appear on the March 2020 statewide ballot would provide $15 billion to upgrade education buildings and facilities, including $6 billion for higher education.
Report What Happens When Colleges Broaden Access to Transfer-Level Courses? Evidence from California’s Community Colleges By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Olga Rodriguez, Hans Johnson Oct 7, 2019 California community colleges that have significantly expanded access to transfer-level courses—important steps toward degrees and transfers to four-year schools—have seen increased student success, particularly in English. Prompted by a new law (AB 705), placement and curricular reforms are now being enacted system-wide; it will be important to monitor their impact.
