blog post Serving California’s Diverse College Students By Sergio Sanchez, Hans Johnson Feb 27, 2019 California is enrolling more historically underserved students in the state's public higher education systems, but helping them to graduate in four years remains a big challenge.
Report School Finance By Margaret Weston Nov 14, 2012 There is broad consensus that California's school finance system is inequitable, inadequate, and overly complex. In response to these critiques, this year Governor Jerry Brown proposed an overhaul of our school finance system. Also, two initiatives on the November ballot asked voters to increase education funding through tax increases: voters approved Proposition 30, which was integral to the governor's budget plan, and rejected Proposition 38, a citizens' initiative. Despite the passage of Proposition 30, California faces many school finance challenges. This report provides an overview of the state's school finance system and outlines some longstanding school finance issues that may be in play next year.
blog post Video: How Community Colleges Spent Pandemic Relief Funds and What’s Next By Stephanie Barton Jul 15, 2024 The federal government provided significant funding—including almost $25 billion for community colleges—to help higher education institutions and students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers from the Community College Research Center and PPIC, along with an expert panel, discuss how community colleges used this support and how these institutions are adapting as these emergency funds expire.
blog post Testimony: Cybersecurity Needs and Higher Education By Hans Johnson Oct 10, 2017 California can best serve the growing number of students who want to pursue technology jobs by taking advantage of the strengths of each segment of its public higher education system.
blog post Policy Expert Olga Rodriguez to Lead PPIC Higher Education Center By Vicki Hsieh Jul 5, 2022 New director Olga Rodriguez talks about her vision for the PPIC Higher Education Center and discusses the key issues for California’s colleges and universities today.
Report California Prison Programs and Reentry Pathways By Heather Harris, Brandon Martin, Sean Cremin Jun 26, 2024 In recent years, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has expanded programs that support community reintegration. But participation has been low. A new report details the rehabilitative needs of people in prison, CDCR efforts to expand programs to meet those needs, and factors that may affect participation.
Report Will California Run Out of College Graduates? By Hans Johnson, Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia Oct 12, 2015 California’s higher education system is a critical driver of the state’s economic progress. As the state’s economy continues to change, will its workforce be ready for the jobs of tomorrow? This report updates and extends projections of California’s workforce skills through 2030, focusing on the supply and demand for workers with a bachelor’s degree. We find that the state will fall about 1.1 million college graduates short of economic demand if current trends persist—a problem we call the workforce skills gap. Even the arrival of highly educated workers from elsewhere is unlikely to be large enough to fill this gap. Today’s college graduates have better economic outcomes than those who do not hold a bachelor’s degree. Over time, college graduates have seen lower rates of unemployment and higher wages than other workers—even through the Great Recession—suggesting that college degrees have become increasingly valuable in California’s labor market. The future workforce skills gap looms large. But California and its higher education institutions can take several practical steps to close it. The core of a new plan for higher education should include increasing access to the state’s four-year institutions, improving college completion rates, expanding transfer pathways from community colleges, and being smart about aid programs.
event Improving College Access and Success through Dual Enrollment Sep 7, 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. PPIC researchers Daniel Payares-Montoya and Iwunze Ugo will present findings from a report that outlines how CCAP students are benefiting from the dual enrollment program as well as areas where CCAP can be improved.
Report California’s English Learner Students By Laura Hill Sep 6, 2012 English Learner (EL) students in California’s schools are numerous and diverse, and they lag behind their native-English-speaking peers. Closing the achievement gap for EL students has been a long-standing goal for California educators, and there are some signs of success. Now that EL funding and curriculum issues are receiving a fresh level of scrutiny from decisionmakers in Sacramento, it is important to assess our understanding of this diverse group, highlight the opportunities to improve policies around demonstrating mastery of English, calibrate funding formulas involving EL students, and implement new curriculum standards thoughtfully.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: COVID-19 Emergency Funding and California’s Higher Education Systems By Jacob Jackson, Kevin Cook, Darriya Starr, Chansonette Buck Nov 16, 2022 Just before the pandemic hit, state funding for higher education was high and increasing, student outcomes were improving, and programs for students in need were robust. COVID-19 sent shocking changes through these educational institutions’ means and methods of operating.
