Fact Sheet Student Loan Debt in California By Jacob Jackson, Darriya Starr Jun 16, 2023 Student borrowing in California has declined markedly over the past decade. Borrowing rates vary across the state’s public and private institutions; undergraduates at public universities are least likely to borrow, while students who attend for-profit schools are more likely to struggle to pay off loans.
blog post Video: A Conversation with California Attorney General Rob Bonta By Stephanie Barton May 31, 2023 PPIC president and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye talks with Attorney General Bonta about key issues he has taken on during his two years in office as well as his priorities looking ahead.
blog post College Gender Gap Starts Early and Extends across Races By Hans Johnson, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Marisol Cuellar Mejia May 23, 2023 Along every step of the educational pathway from 9th grade to college completion, women fare better than men. The college gender gap has far-reaching consequences for young men’s economic prospects, especially for those from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.
blog post Safeguarding the Future of California’s Freshwater Ecosystems By Sarah Bardeen May 22, 2023 Climate change is transforming California’s ecosystems, threatening vital habitat for many native species. Some species may be lost, which is why former Department of Water Resources lead scientist Ted Sommer and environmental law expert Jennifer Harder are joining forces as our 2023–24 PPIC CalTrout ecosystem fellows. We recently asked them to tell us more about their new project, which could help protect wildlife as the climate changes.
blog post Kindergarten Enrollment Declines Mask Differences by Age By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty May 18, 2023 Kindergarten enrollment at California’s public schools fell dramatically in 2020–21. Examining the trends for specific kindergarten ages—as well as the impact of transitional kindergarten (TK)—is key to understanding the broader decline in public school enrollment.
blog post The EPA’s Martha Guzman Discusses New Environmental Justice Initiatives By Sarah Bardeen May 15, 2023 Martha Guzman is leading the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to protect public health and the environment for Region 9, which includes California. We spoke with Ms. Guzman to learn more about the EPA’s latest environmental justice initiatives—and found her to be a fountain of both information and enthusiasm about the new opportunities.
blog post Public School Enrollment across California’s Regions, Past and Future By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty May 10, 2023 While California public school enrollment has fallen for the sixth straight year, the trend varies across regions. Coastal areas have seen some of the largest drops in enrollment and are likely to experience continued declines.
blog post Public School Enrollment Declines Vary across Grade Levels By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty May 4, 2023 California’s public school enrollment decreased slightly in 2022–23 and has now fallen for six years in a row. While the latest enrollment levels in grades 2 through 12 were close to projections, enrollment in earlier grades fell short.
blog post Pandemic-Era CalFresh Expansions Lifted Many Families Out of Poverty By Patricia Malagon, Tess Thorman May 2, 2023 Policy changes made during COVID broadened access to food assistance and increased benefit levels. We examine the impact on California families’ financial well-being.
Fact Sheet Water Use in California’s Agriculture By Caitlin Peterson, Alvar Escriva-Bou, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Spencer Cole Apr 19, 2023 California is an agricultural powerhouse that relies heavily on irrigation. Discover how much water the sector uses and how groundwater laws and climate change are bringing change.
