blog post What’s Ahead for Education Recovery in California? By Niu Gao, Julian Betts, Bruce Fuller, Laura Hill Oct 20, 2022 National test scores show that the pandemic caused major disruptions to student learning, with especially large effects on Black, Latino, and low-income students. In the coming months and years, we will be studying strategies that the state’s school districts use to help students recover, and recover equitably.
Report The Effects of COVID-19 on Transfer-Intending Students in California’s Community Colleges By Cesar Alesi Perez, Jacob Jackson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Olga Rodriguez ... Oct 19, 2022 The pandemic disrupted enrollment, persistence, and course success for many transfer-intending students at California community colleges, especially those from vulnerable and underrepresented groups. Yet critical pre-pandemic reforms as well as actions taken by colleges and faculty may have helped limit the pandemic’s impact for some who stayed enrolled.
blog post Ensuring All Students Benefit from Landmark Community College Reform By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Olga Rodriguez, Cesar Alesi Perez Oct 6, 2022 Last week, Governor Newsom signed into law a bill that requires California’s community colleges to expand their efforts to enroll—and support—students in transfer-level math and English courses. What does this bill do? And how might it help close racial equity gaps?
event Homelessness in California’s Cities Oct 4, 2022 California’s homelessness crisis is a statewide issue, but it plays out differently across the state’s diverse communities. Bakersfield mayor Karen K. Goh, San Diego mayor Todd Gloria, and League of California Cities executive director and CEO Carolyn Coleman will join PPIC’s Lande Ajose to discuss how California can address homelessness during these uncertain times.
Report The Role of CalFresh in Stabilizing Family Incomes By Caroline Danielson, Tess Thorman Sep 21, 2022 CalFresh—California’s largest safety net program—helps mitigate income instability for many low-income families. But those without recent employment often do not experience this stabilizing effect. Additional efforts to automate income reporting and ensure that individuals can access CalFresh as soon as they are eligible could strengthen the program’s reach and impact.
Report How Hospital Discharge Data Can Inform State Homelessness Policy By Shannon McConville, Hemal Kanzaria, Renee Hsia, Maria Raven Sep 19, 2022 Discharge data from emergency departments provide information on where people experiencing homelessness go for hospital care and on the conditions for which they are treated. If linked with data from homeless assistance programs and safety net services, this information can help policymakers make targeted investments and evaluate outcomes.
blog post Video: The Impact of COVID-19 on Science Education By Mary Severance Aug 19, 2022 PPIC researcher Maria Fay presents findings on how the pandemic has affected California schools’ progress in implementing science education standards, and an expert panel discusses how the state can support equitable investments in science literacy moving forward.
Report Community College English in California’s New Era of Student Access By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Olga Rodriguez, Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez Aug 15, 2022 Major assessment and placement reforms at the state's community colleges have all but eliminated remedial prerequisites. As a result, students are much more likely to complete college composition—the “gateway” transfer-level English course. However, more work is needed to address persistent racial equity gaps and pandemic challenges.
blog post Video: Farmland in Transition—The San Joaquin Valley By Vicki Hsieh Aug 2, 2022 Hundreds of thousands of acres of irrigated farmland may come out of production in the San Joaquin Valley as the region brings its groundwater basins into balance. How do we manage all this newly fallowed land? We discuss our new research with a panel of experts.
blog post Repaying Student Loans a Struggle for Those Who Do Not Graduate By Darriya Starr, Jacob Jackson Jul 20, 2022 Initially enacted to ease the economic shocks of the pandemic, a pause on federal student loan payments could end later this summer. Restarting payments could pose a challenge for many borrowers, especially those who do not complete their degree.