blog post K–12 Test Scores Vary Widely across Student Groups By Paul Warren Oct 20, 2017 The 2017 test results for California’s public K–12 school students underscore the need to improve outcomes for economically disadvantaged students, English Learners, and students with disabilities.
blog post Promoting Labor Force Opportunities for California’s Latina Population By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Sarah Bohn, Julien Lafortune Sep 4, 2024 Labor force participation among Latinas in California falls below the state average. Increasing their participation could help California meet future workforce needs while promoting economic mobility.
blog post Video: California’s Care Workforce By Mary Severance May 16, 2024 PPIC researchers Daniel Payares-Montoya and Shannon McConville discuss a new report on the care workforce—which provides essential services to children, older residents, and people with disabilities—and talk with state policymakers about the challenges of meeting future demand.
Report Expanding Health Coverage in California: County Jails as Enrollment Sites By Shannon McConville, Mia Bird May 10, 2016 In 2014, the first year of Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation, the number of Californians with health insurance increased substantially. However, millions of state residents continue to lack comprehensive health coverage, and those who remain uninsured are likely more difficult to enroll through traditional strategies. In this report, we find that uninsured rates are highest for young men and for those with low levels of education, income, and employment. The prevalence of these same characteristics among correctional populations suggests that the justice system—and, in particular, county jails—may offer points of contact for many uninsured individuals who would otherwise be hard to reach. Outreach and enrollment efforts aimed at local jail populations are set within the policy context of California’s 2011 Public Safety Realignment, which created incentives and resources for local corrections agencies to improve reentry outcomes. With expansions in access to health insurance coverage under the ACA, nearly all counties are establishing programs to provide enrollment assistance to jail inmates as part of a more comprehensive reentry strategy. But resources and capacity are limited, so it is important to identify effective models to maximize the potential of county correctional systems as sites of insurance enrollment.
blog post Improving Special Education in California By Paul Warren, Laura Hill Sep 25, 2018 More accountability could improve inequities in special education funding in California.
Report Anticipating Changes in Regional Demand for Nursing Homes By Laurel Beck, Landon Gibson Nov 2, 2016 California’s nursing homes provide a major source of personal and medical care for the state’s most vulnerable residents—the elderly and the disabled. By 2030 the state’s 65-and-over population will grow by 87 percent. The number of people requiring skilled nursing care could increase by 32,000, far outstripping current capacities. We find that there will be significant disparities in regional growth rates across racial/ethnic groups and in regions’ abilities to absorb higher numbers of patients. Specifically: The Bay Area and the Inland Empire have the largest discrepancies between existing nursing home capacity and projected demand in 2030; Los Angeles and Northern California (excluding the Bay Area) have the smallest. Regional growth rates in the 65-and-over population vary widely within racial/ethnic groups. For example, rates among Latinos range from 159 percent on the state’s Southern Border (Imperial and San Diego Counties) to 193 percent in the Inland Empire; among Asians they range from 93 percent in the Central Coast to 212 percent in Northern California (excluding the Bay Area). In order to meet the growing and changing demands for senior care at the statewide and regional levels, policymakers will need to address ways to increase nursing home capacity. These solutions must also include recruiting and training health workers who can provide effective, culturally competent care, whether in skilled nursing facilities or home- and community-based settings.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: California’s Care Workforce By Shannon McConville, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Sarah Bohn, Mary Severance Apr 3, 2024 Demand for caregiving services is growing as California’s population ages and as the state invests in early childhood care and learning. There are many workforce challenges—including low pay and limited opportunities for advancement. Efforts in several key areas could improve prospects for care workers and help California meet its caregiving needs.
blog post The Cradle-to-Career System Continues to Develop, Adding Partner Agencies and Data By Iwunze Ugo Jun 14, 2024 California is making strides in building a system that links data across government agencies. The ultimate goal? Improving educational and career outcomes for all Californians.
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 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.
