blog post Young Californians May Be Choosing Work over School By Julien Lafortune, Sarah Bohn Sep 14, 2023 How have young adults across the state reacted to the COVID-induced economic downturn? Our analysis finds that, in stark contrast to the Great Recession, the share of young Californians opting for work over school has increased.
Report Examining the Reach of Targeted School Funding By Julien Lafortune, Joseph Herrera, Niu Gao Sep 6, 2023 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.
Report Strengthening California’s Transfer Pathway By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez, Jacob Jackson Aug 29, 2023 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.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Strengthening California’s Transfer Pathway By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez, Jacob Jackson Aug 29, 2023 By increasing the number of students who transfer to four-year institutions, California can preserve higher education’s critical role as a ladder of economic mobility and ensure that college graduates fully reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the state’s youth.
Fact Sheet California Voter and Party Profiles By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Aug 28, 2023 About 47% of registered voters are Democrats, 24% are Republicans, and 23% are independents. Most independent likely voters lean toward a major party.
Report Improving College Access and Success through Dual Enrollment By Olga Rodriguez, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Iwunze Ugo, Niu Gao Aug 21, 2023 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.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Improving College Access and Success through Dual Enrollment By Olga Rodriguez, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Iwunze Ugo, Niu Gao Aug 21, 2023 College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) has become the fastest growing dual enrollment option in California, giving a broad range of students access to dual enrollment and setting more students on the path to college. However, CCAP students are slightly less likely to complete milestones than other dual enrollment students.
Report District Spending of One-Time Funds for Educational Recovery By Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill, Niu Gao, Joseph Herrera ... Jun 28, 2023 To address COVID-19 disruptions to education, federal and state programs directed billions in stimulus aid to K–12 schools. These programs allocated greater funding to lower-income and high-need districts—and California districts applied their early funds to health, safety, and technology. More recently, spending has prioritized learning recovery.
blog post How Is California’s Labor Market Doing amid Inflation Pressures? By Jenny Duan, Sarah Bohn May 25, 2023 Falling inflation has coincided with a slowdown in employment growth in California, though overall the state’s labor market still appears solid.
blog post Improving Lives through Public Policy By Tani Cantil-Sakauye May 16, 2023 President and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye reflects on the role that PPIC’s independent, nonpartisan research plays in helping to improve Californians’ physical, educational, and economic well-being.