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.
Report Land Transitions and Dust in the San Joaquin Valley By Andrew Ayres, Jaymin Kwon, Joy Collins Jul 20, 2022 Agricultural operations and wind erosion are two of the largest sources of dust in the San Joaquin Valley, and the valley’s air quality may decline with increased farmland fallowing and a warmer, drier climate. This will impact low-income, rural communities first and foremost, but proactive management can help identify high-risk areas and direct funding to cost-effective interventions.
blog post Lessons in Innovation from Lindsay Unified School District By Mary Severance, Niu Gao Jul 6, 2022 Lindsay Unified, a rural district in the Central Valley, has seen dramatic improvements in students outcomes. Superintendent Tom Rooney talks about the ongoing transformation.
Report The Impact of COVID-19 on Science Education By Niu Gao, Kathy DiRanna, Maria T. Chang Fay Jun 21, 2022 COVID-19 school shutdowns were especially disruptive for science education, which has long been a lower priority than math and English language arts. But as California schools recover from the pandemic, state policymakers can take steps to promote equitable investments in science literacy.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on Science Education By Niu Gao, Mary Severance Jun 21, 2022 As California schools recover from the pandemic, policymakers can take steps to promote equitable investments in science literacy across the state.
Report Understanding the Effects of School Funding By Julien Lafortune May 18, 2022 Funding for California’s K–12 public schools has reached record highs, but gaps in student outcomes remain. Understanding the benefits of additional funds, and how to distribute those funds, are key concerns for policymakers. This report offers insights from a robust body of research on the extent to which higher spending improves outcomes.
blog post America’s Public Lands: A Bipartisan Political Success Story By Sarah Bardeen May 16, 2022 In an era marred by bitter partisanship, law professor John Leshy says that our public lands are one of the country’s greatest bipartisan achievements—and a shining political success story that’s worth emulating. Read our interview with him!
blog post Geography of Community College Transfers in California By Cesar Alesi Perez, Hans Johnson, Vicki Hsieh Mar 4, 2022 Transfers from community colleges to the University of California and California State University have increased in recent years, though transfer rates vary across community college districts and campuses and across racial/ethnic groups.
Report Equity in Voter Turnout after Pandemic Election Policy Changes By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch, Mindy Romero Mar 1, 2022 To maintain voting access during the pandemic, California shifted to universal vote-by-mail for the 2020 general election, while some counties consolidated their polling places. In this new report, we examine the sometimes-contradictory impact of these reforms on turnout, especially among young voters and voters of color.
Report Community College Math in California’s New Era of Student Access By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Olga Rodriguez, Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez Dec 7, 2021 In fall 2019, California’s community colleges began implementing AB 705, making reforms to place thousands of students away from remedial courses and directly into the introductory courses necessary to transfer to a four-year college. In this report, we focus on math courses and the progress that colleges and students have made under the new system as of fall 2020.
