Policy Brief Policy Brief: Drought and California’s Agriculture By Alvar Escriva-Bou, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Ellen Hanak, John Abatzoglou Apr 13, 2022 California’s agricultural sector is the nation’s largest: it generates more than $50 billion dollars in annual revenue and employs more than 420,000 people. The ongoing drought is taking a toll on agriculture, related sectors, and rural communities, but there are ways to increase resilience in a warming world.
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.
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.
Report Equity in Voter Turnout after Pandemic Election Policy Changes By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch, Mindy Romero Mar 1, 2022 To maintain voting access during the pandemic, California shifted to universal vote-by-mail for the 2020 general election, while some counties consolidated their polling places. In this new report, we examine the sometimes-contradictory impact of these reforms on turnout, especially among young voters and voters of color.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Feb 2, 2022 Californians say that COVID-19, homelessness, and jobs, the economy, and inflation are the top issues for the governor and legislature to work on this year.
Report Community College Math in California’s New Era of Student Access By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Olga Rodriguez, Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez Dec 7, 2021 In fall 2019, California’s community colleges began implementing AB 705, making reforms to place thousands of students away from remedial courses and directly into the introductory courses necessary to transfer to a four-year college. In this report, we focus on math courses and the progress that colleges and students have made under the new system as of fall 2020.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Economic Well-Being By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Nov 9, 2021 Our latest survey examines views on the state’s economy as well as residents’ perspectives on their employment and personal finances.
Report Police Use of Force and Misconduct in California By Deepak Premkumar, Alexandria Gumbs, Shannon McConville, Renee Hsia Oct 26, 2021 Nearly 200 Californians die each year in police encounters. Amid growing concern over civilian deaths and racial injustice, we examine what the existing data can—and cannot—tell us about police use of force and misconduct. We also offer recommendations for strengthening the state’s ongoing efforts to improve police transparency and accountability.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Achieving Digital Equity for California’s Students By Joseph Hayes, Niu Gao, Vicki Hsieh Oct 25, 2021 Unprecedented investments during the pandemic led to great strides in digital access for California’s students. But progress stalled in spring 2021 and major equity gaps remain for low-income, Black, and Latino households. Learn what steps the state can take to achieve the goal of affordable broadband and devices for all.
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.
