blog post Starting the Year with Less (Real) Money By Sarah Bohn, Julien Lafortune Jan 21, 2022 Over the last two years combined, prices have increased more than 8%. The impact on family economic well-being is especially large for those at the lower end of the income spectrum.
blog post Groundhog Day for the California Economy? By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune Dec 6, 2021 A close look at the state’s recent job growth sheds light on whether California will see a repeat of last winter’s economic slowdown.
Report Keeping College Affordable for California Students By Kevin Cook, Jacob Jackson Dec 1, 2021 California’s financial aid programs reduce tuition for most students. But the state and its higher education institutions can improve college access and success by providing additional aid to lower-income students, addressing growing non-tuition costs, and eliminating barriers that increase the time it takes to earn a degree.
Report Achieving Digital Equity for California’s Students By Joseph Hayes, Niu Gao Oct 25, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of digital connectivity for learning—while highlighting serious inequities in access to broadband and computing devices. Learn about the progress California made last year and the steps the state can take to achieve the goal of affordable broadband and devices for all California students.
Report Targeted K–12 Funding and Student Outcomes By Julien Lafortune Oct 6, 2021 As students return to the classroom, record-high funding through the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) will help California districts address gaps after a year of remote learning. In this report, we examine school and district spending against trends in student outcomes to offer insight into whether the LCFF is meeting its goal of improving equity in education.
blog post California’s High Housing Costs Increase Poverty By Patricia Malagon, Caroline Danielson Aug 13, 2021 Many families across the state struggle to afford housing, and periods of rising home prices—such as the pandemic recession—can pose a particularly large challenge.
blog post The Digital Divide Has Narrowed but Still Affects California’s Children By Paulette Cha, Niu Gao Aug 10, 2021 California has made progress over the past year, but many children—particularly those in low-income families—still lag behind their peers in technology access.
blog post In El Dorado County, Early Preparation and Communication Were Key to the Return to School By Laura Hill, Mary Severance Jul 23, 2021 We talked with Dr. Ed Manansala, superintendent of schools for El Dorado County, about how his mostly rural districts weathered the COVID-19 pandemic and handled the return to in-person instruction.
blog post Tax Hurdles May Limit Impact of the Expanded Child Tax Credit By Caroline Danielson, Tess Thorman Jul 1, 2021 The one-year expansion of the federal Child Tax Credit could reduce child poverty in California by a third. But the actual impact of this expanded credit depends on how many eligible families claim it.
Report California’s Safety Net in Recession and Recovery By Caroline Danielson Jun 3, 2021 As California emerges from the COVID-19 shutdown, the social safety net can play a key role in facilitating an equitable recovery. Evidence from the last recession and recovery shows that safety net programs do grow in response to increased need. But the state can take additional steps to deliver benefits more effectively and equitably.
