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.
Report The Impact of COVID-19 on Science Education By Niu Gao, Kathy DiRanna, Maria T. Chang Fay Jun 21, 2022 COVID-19 school shutdowns were especially disruptive for science education, which has long been a lower priority than math and English language arts. But as California schools recover from the pandemic, state policymakers can take steps to promote equitable investments in science literacy.
Report The Effects of COVID-19 on Transfer-Intending Students in California’s Community Colleges By Cesar Alesi Perez, Jacob Jackson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Olga Rodriguez ... Oct 19, 2022 The pandemic disrupted enrollment, persistence, and course success for many transfer-intending students at California community colleges, especially those from vulnerable and underrepresented groups. Yet critical pre-pandemic reforms as well as actions taken by colleges and faculty may have helped limit the pandemic’s impact for some who stayed enrolled.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Dual Enrollment in California By Olga Rodriguez, Niu Gao, Mary Severance Oct 18, 2021 Key takeaways from a report on promoting the equitable expansion of dual enrollment, which provides opportunities for high school students to take college courses and earn college credit.
Report Reforming Math Pathways at California’s Community Colleges By Hans Johnson, Olga Rodriguez, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Bonnie Brooks Oct 23, 2017 The goal of developmental education (also known as remedial or basic skills education) is to help students acquire the skills they need to be successful in college courses, but its track record is poor. In fact, it is one of the largest impediments to student success in California’s community colleges. Many students do need additional work to be ready for college, particularly in math. But every year hundreds of thousands of students are deemed underprepared for college and placed into developmental courses from which relatively few emerge. Throughout the state, community colleges are revising assessment and placement procedures to ensure that students who are ready for college are not placed in developmental education. And, given the high failure rates in traditional developmental courses, colleges are also experimenting with alternative curricular approaches.
Report Equitable State Funding for School Facilities By Julien Lafortune, Niu Gao Mar 14, 2022 Most funding for California’s K–12 facilities comes from local tax revenues, which depend on property wealth. State funding could potentially address wealth disparities, but it has disproportionately benefited more-affluent districts. Policymakers should prioritize equity in facility funding so that all students have access to safe and effective learning environments.
blog post How Did California Schools Assess Student Learning in Fall 2020? By Niu Gao, Laura Hill, Julien Lafortune Mar 10, 2021 K–12 school districts used a variety of tools this past fall to measure student learning, with assessments developed locally—by teachers or districts—being the most common.
