Policy Brief Policy Brief: Community College English in California’s New Era of Student Access By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Olga Rodriguez, Hans Johnson, Cesar Alesi Perez Aug 15, 2022 Three years after a landmark law prompted major reforms across the state's community colleges, significant progress has been made. Students are now much more likely to complete college composition—the “gateway” transfer-level English course. But more can be done to address persistent racial equity gaps and pandemic challenges.
Report Labor Force Participation in California By Julien Lafortune, Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Jenny Duan ... Feb 14, 2024 California’s labor force participation is shrinking, mainly because of an aging population. But significant gaps across demographic groups are also a concern. How can California remove barriers to work, boost participation, and build a strong workforce for years to come?
Report Improving California’s Water Market By Andrew Ayres, Ellen Hanak, Brian Gray, Gokce Sencan ... Sep 14, 2021 Water trading and banking will prove important tools to help California bring its groundwater basins into balance under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). A broad range of policy changes could help improve and expand California’s water market while protecting communities from harm.
event Community College Math in California’s New Era of Student Access Dec 9, 2021 Over the past few years, a landmark law (AB 705) has required California’s community colleges to move away from remedial courses, dramatically expanding student access to the math and English courses needed to transfer to a four-year college. How has the pandemic affected these reforms? Is AB 705 leading to better—and more equitable—student outcomes? PPIC researcher Cesar Alesi Perez will outline new findings, and a panel of experts will talk about promoting equity and student success in the AB 705 era.
blog post Testimony: Water Supply and Quality Challenges in the San Joaquin Valley By Ellen Hanak Apr 30, 2019 Ellen Hanak, director of the PPIC Water Policy Center, describes how the state can help address difficult water problems in California’s largest agricultural region.
Report Health Care Access among California’s Farmworkers By Paulette Cha Apr 25, 2022 Farmworkers are a key link in the food supply chain and important contributors to California’s economy. As farmworkers age, their health care needs are changing—and cost and lack of insurance are often barriers to care. While recent state and federal policies have made insurance more accessible, not all policies improved coverage among farmworkers.
Report Priorities for California’s Water By Jeffrey Mount, Letitia Grenier, Ellen Hanak, Caitlin Peterson ... Nov 1, 2023 California has made great strides in preparing for a drier, hotter future, but it remains a challenge to harness the bounty of wet years while also reducing flood risk. How did California’s water sector manage the unusually wet 2023 water year—and what lessons can we glean for the future?
Report What If California’s Drought Continues? By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ... Aug 19, 2015 California is in the fourth year of a severe, hot drought—the kind that is increasingly likely as the climate warms. Although no sector has been untouched, impacts so far have varied greatly, reflecting different levels of drought preparedness. Urban areas are in the best shape, thanks to sustained investments in diversified water portfolios and conservation. Farmers are more vulnerable, but they are also adapting. The greatest vulnerabilities are in some low-income rural communities where wells are running dry and in California’s wetlands, rivers, and forests, where the state’s iconic biodiversity is under extreme threat. Two to three more years of drought will increase challenges in all areas and require continued—and likely increasingly difficult—adaptations. Emergency programs will need to be significantly expanded to get drinking water to rural residents and to prevent major losses of waterbirds and extinctions of numerous native fish species, including most salmon runs. California also needs to start a longer-term effort to build drought resilience in the most vulnerable areas.
