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District Spending of One-Time Funds for Educational Recovery

By Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill, Niu Gao, Joseph Herrera ...

To address COVID-19 disruptions to education, federal and state programs directed billions in stimulus aid to K–12 schools. These programs allocated greater funding to lower-income and high-need districts—and California districts applied their early funds to health, safety, and technology. More recently, spending has prioritized learning recovery.

Fact Sheet

Student Achievement on California’s K–12 Assessments

By Iwunze Ugo, Emmanuel Prunty

The results from California’s 2022 Smarter Balanced Assessments suggest that pandemic disruptions to K–12 education reversed nearly six years of academic progress. Declines in proficiency were widespread, but there was substantial variation across grade levels and demographic groups.

Fact Sheet

Student Loan Debt in California

By Jacob Jackson, Darriya Starr

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

College Gender Gap Starts Early and Extends across Races

By Hans Johnson, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Marisol Cuellar Mejia

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.

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Financial Aid Applications for College Increase after New Law

By Jacob Jackson

Under a state law that aims to ensure graduating high school seniors seek financial aid, the number of potential first-time college students applying for assistance by the UC/CSU deadline increased 12% over the prior year.

Explainer

Is College Worth It?

By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez, Vicki Hsieh, Hans Johnson

Rising college costs and a reluctance to take on debt lead many students and families to wonder if college will actually yield a brighter future with higher earnings and better jobs. In this explainer, we explore whether the benefits of a college degree outweigh the costs.

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Are Summer School Programs Reaching Students Who Need Them Most?

By Darriya Starr, Niu Gao

Nearly three in ten California students attended summer programs in 2022, on par with the national average. In light of significant disparities in how the pandemic affected learning, we look at participation in these programs and the role new federal and state investments might play in expanding educational opportunities.

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Video: A Conversation with California’s Legislative Leadership

By Mary Severance

At our first in-person Speaker Series event in three years, State Senate leaders—Toni G. Atkins, President pro Tempore, and Brian Jones, Minority Leader—talked with PPIC president and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye about their legislative priorities for 2023.

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What’s Next for Higher Education in 2023?

By Olga Rodriguez, Kevin Cook

After three years of disruption, California’s higher education institutions are ready to turn the page on the pandemic. We explore the key issues to watch this year in shrinking equity gaps, addressing enrollment concerns, and increasing college affordability and access.

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