Fact Sheet California’s Digital Divide By Joseph Hayes, Eric Assan, Niu Gao Apr 1, 2024 Digital access is at an all-time high in California—and major investments by state and federal governments have helped narrow the digital divide. But racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities persist.
blog post Video: Spotlight on Rural California By Mary Severance Mar 29, 2024 PPIC president and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye speaks with assembly Republican leader James Gallagher and then with a panel of local and regional leaders about key rural issues for state policymakers to address.
Fact Sheet Rural California By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia Mar 19, 2024 Rural California is home to 2.3 million residents—5.8% of the state’s population. And every county in the state—except San Francisco—has rural residents. This fact sheet provides essential information about key demographic, economic, and societal issues in California’s rural areas.
blog post Student Homelessness Reaches 10% or Higher in Some Counties By Brett Guinan, Julien Lafortune Mar 5, 2024 Student homelessness is most concentrated on the central and north coasts and in the Sierra region, while living arrangements for homeless students differ widely across counties. This is the second in a series on homelessness among California K–12 students.
blog post Student Homelessness Rises to Pre-Pandemic Levels By Brett Guinan, Julien Lafortune Feb 26, 2024 Nearly a quarter million K–12 students in California experienced homelessness at some point during the 2022–23 school year. After three years of declines, the state's homeless student population has returned to pre-COVID levels.
blog post Testimony: California’s K–12 Digital Divide Has Narrowed, but Access Gaps Persist By Niu Gao Feb 21, 2024 At an Assembly Education Committee hearing on addressing students’ post-pandemic needs, PPIC senior fellow Niu Gao discussed the role that federal, state, and local efforts have played in increasing digital connectivity and outlined key challenges that remain.
blog post Chronic Absenteeism in K–12 Schools Remains Troublingly High By Emmanuel Prunty, Laura Hill Feb 20, 2024 The rate of chronic absenteeism in California schools declined slightly during the 2022-23 school year but is still double what it was prior to the pandemic. Districts that have conducted student outreach in partnership with community organizations have had promising results in bringing down absenteeism.
blog post Learning Recovery Is Uneven for Urban and Rural School Districts By Saayili Budhiraja, Thomas Pearson, Emmanuel Prunty, Niu Gao Feb 14, 2024 Half of California's K–12 students are enrolled in urban or rural districts. Compared to the rest of the state, these districts have seen a slower pace of recovery from pandemic learning loss.
