blog post Native American Students May Gain Better Access to UC with New Aid Program By Kevin Cook, Laura Hill May 18, 2022 Set to begin in fall 2022, a recently announced UC tuition assistance program could encourage more Native American students in California to enroll, which might improve representation at the university.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Understanding the Effects of School Funding By Julien Lafortune, Stephanie Barton May 18, 2022 A wide body of recent research offers insights into how and where additional dollars to fund K–12 public schools can improve student outcomes such as test scores and graduation rates. Estimates also reveal how long it may take to close gaps by race and income, based on current trends in funding.
blog post California’s Housing Divide By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Hans Johnson, Julien Lafortune May 13, 2022 African Americans and Latinos have been especially affected by the state’s housing affordability crisis, and the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on households of color threatens to widen disparities in homeownership.
Report Setting the Stage for Universal Preschool By Laura Hill, Emmanuel Prunty May 9, 2022 As the state expands its Transitional Kindergarten program, one key issue is whether access will be equitable. While the current program serves many Dual Language Learners and Latino children, some other student groups appear underenrolled. Ensuring that all elementary schools and districts offer the program is critical to improve access going forward.
blog post California K–12 Enrollment Declines Continue to Exceed Expectations By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty Apr 21, 2022 K–12 public school enrollment statewide has fallen for five straight years, with a decrease of more than 270,000 students over the past two years alone. Examining the variation across regions provides insights into this enrollment decline.
blog post How Has California Narrowed Its K–12 Digital Divide? By Niu Gao, Joseph Hayes, Darriya Starr Apr 5, 2022 Since the onset of the pandemic, educators and policymakers have made substantial strides in addressing two key barriers to universal digital access—affordability and infrastructure.
blog post California’s Jobs Recovery Has Been Stronger than We Thought By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune Mar 25, 2022 While overall employment is still below pre-pandemic levels, the pace of the COVID recovery is unprecedented. Still, some key sectors of the economy have been slower to rebound.
blog post The Pandemic’s Effects on Higher Education By Hans Johnson, Kevin Cook, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Jacob Jackson Mar 15, 2022 COVID-19 has created wide-ranging disruptions for college students and the institutions they attend. Looking ahead, a focus on student-centered policies and programs that improve access, completion, and equity will be critical.
Report Equitable State Funding for School Facilities By Julien Lafortune, Niu Gao Mar 14, 2022 Most funding for California’s K–12 facilities comes from local tax revenues, which depend on property wealth. State funding could potentially address wealth disparities, but it has disproportionately benefited more-affluent districts. Policymakers should prioritize equity in facility funding so that all students have access to safe and effective learning environments.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Equity in Voter Turnout after Pandemic Election Policy Changes By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch, Mindy Romero, Stephanie Barton Mar 1, 2022 While California has made progress toward voting equity, reforms meant to address running an election during the pandemic may have disrupted voting habits for some communities.
