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Policy Brief

Policy Brief: Tracking Progress in Community College Access and Success

By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez, Sidronio Jacobo, Fernando Garcia ...

We examine how student outcomes have changed in the years following Assembly Bill 705, which broadened access to transfer-level math and English courses at California’s community colleges.

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Tracking Progress in Community College Access and Success

By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez, Sidronio Jacobo, Fernando Garcia

In 2019, a landmark reform removed barriers for community college students in accessing transfer-level math and English courses. While more students are now completing these key early milestones for transfer, additional efforts are needed to address persistent racial equity gaps and promote students’ longer-term success.

Report

Assessing Transitional Kindergarten’s Impact on Elementary School Trajectories

By Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill

California’s Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program provides an early year of schooling within the K–12 system. Launched a decade ago with limited eligibility, TK will soon be open to all four-year-olds. Taking stock of the program’s impact so far—especially among multilingual and special education students—can help TK expansion succeed.

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Californians Hold Dismal Views of the US Supreme Court

By Dean Bonner

As a new US Supreme Court term begins, more than two in three Californians disapprove of the court. Views of the Supreme Court—as well as of some recent decisions—vary widely across party lines.

blog post

Regional Trends in Unemployment

By Sarah Bohn, Jenny Duan

While California’s unemployment rate has ticked up over the past year, in some regions unemployment is lower than it was before the pandemic.

Report

Examining the Reach of Targeted School Funding

By Julien Lafortune, Joseph Herrera, Niu Gao

Under California’s ten-year-old funding formula, districts with higher shares of high-need students receive additional dollars on top of base funding. Districts have flexibility around spending these funds, but when money is not fully directed to the intended students and schools, the impact on achievement gaps is diluted.

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Strengthening California’s Transfer Pathway

By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez, Jacob Jackson

Increasing the number of California community college students who transfer to four-year institutions is critical for creating a more diverse pool of college graduates. Despite recent progress, transfer rates remain low and racial disparities persist. Several reforms are already underway, and higher education institutions must continue to work together so more students can reach their academic goals.

Report

Improving College Access and Success through Dual Enrollment

By Olga Rodriguez, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Iwunze Ugo, Niu Gao

At one time, mainly high-achieving high school students took college courses through dual enrollment; but access has widened under the College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) program. While CCAP students are benefiting from the program—they enroll in community college at high rates and reach key milestones—CCAP has room to improve.

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Californians Hold Mixed Views on Their Personal Finances

By Rachel Lawler

A slim majority of Californians say they and their family are in about the same financial situation as a year ago, while one in three say they are worse off and a smaller share say they are better off.

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.

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