Report California School District Revenue and Student Poverty: Moving Toward a Weighted Pupil Funding Formula By Heather Rose, Margaret Weston Feb 21, 2013 Governor Brown has proposed a new funding system—known as a weighted pupil formula—that would direct more revenue to California school districts serving many economically disadvantaged students. This report examines the relationship between funding and student disadvantage and addresses questions about converting the current school finance system to a weighted pupil formula. We gratefully acknowledge the support of The Silver Giving Foundation and the Stuart Foundation.
blog post Reducing Tuition Volatility at California’s Universities By Jacob Jackson Apr 28, 2016 It’s clear that California’s public universities will raise tuition, but it’s not clear when or by how much. History shows that periods of low or no tuition growth are often followed by large increases.
blog post How Has California’s K–12 Education Landscape Changed over the Past Thirty Years? By Laura Hill, Julien Lafortune, Iwunze Ugo Sep 13, 2024 As part of an ongoing series commemorating PPIC's 30th anniversary, researchers Laura Hill, Julien Lafortune, and Iwunze Ugo reflect on the major developments that have shaped K–12 education over the past three decades as well as key challenges that lie ahead.
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 Setting the Stage for Universal Preschool By Laura Hill, Emmanuel Prunty May 9, 2022 As the state expands its Transitional Kindergarten program, one key issue is whether access will be equitable. While the current program serves many Dual Language Learners and Latino children, some other student groups appear underenrolled. Ensuring that all elementary schools and districts offer the program is critical to improve access going forward.
Explainer Is College Worth It? By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez, Vicki Hsieh, Hans Johnson Mar 8, 2023 Rising college costs and a reluctance to take on debt lead many students and families to wonder if college will actually yield a brighter future with higher earnings and better jobs. In this explainer, we explore whether the benefits of a college degree outweigh the costs.
blog post How Have California School Districts Used the Emergency Connectivity Fund? By Joseph Hayes, Niu Gao Dec 4, 2023 The state's school districts have received about $859 million from the federal Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF), which supports access to internet connectivity and digital devices. Most of these funds have gone to districts with large proportions of Black, Latino, or low-income students, and the ECF dollars have been used more for connectivity than for devices.
Fact Sheet Proposition 13: 40 Years Later By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Alyssa Dykman, Lunna Lopes Jun 18, 2018
blog post Declining K–12 Enrollment Forces Major Budget Cuts in Many Districts By Paul Warren Mar 4, 2019 About half of all K-12 school districts in California saw enrollment declines over the past five years, leading to decreased state funding. For many districts, this has meant making cuts in teachers, administrators, and other staff.
blog post The Importance of California’s Tax Ranking By Mark Baldassare Apr 7, 2015 A growing share of likely voters say that California’s state and local tax burden is "near the top” compared to other states.
