About 30 percent of California's future jobs will require some training beyond high school but less than a four-year college degree. And in today's economy, jobs that offer family-supporting incomes often require some postsecondary education. Career education prepares students for these "middle-skill" jobs by providing occupation- and…

California's higher education system is not keeping up with the economy's changing needs, and California stands to face a large skills gap by 2030--it will be 1.1 million workers with bachelor's degrees short of economic demand. Closing the gap will require increasing the number of degrees awarded by every higher education sector in the state. New…

Higher education is a key driver of economic growth and individual opportunity in California. But the state has not been keeping up with a strong and growing demand for skilled workers. Recent investments and initiatives have helped increase enrollment, graduation rates, and the number of degrees awarded. Substantial gains in these…

California is at a crossroads in terms of STEM and health workforce development. On the one hand, California has more available entry-level STEM jobs than any other state in the country and a steadily growing health workforce, giving large segments of its population access to stable careers. On the other hand, California's public colleges and…

Concerns over the United States' global standing have spurred a national focus on improving postsecondary attainment. At the same time, many sectors of the economy find they have difficulty recruiting highly trained individuals to fill the good jobs that exist; jobs like nursing, respiratory care, dental hygiene, and various mid-level management…

Higher education enhances Californians' lives and contributes to the state's economic growth. But population and education trends suggest that California is facing a large shortfall of college graduates. Addressing this short­fall will require strong gains for groups that have been historically under­represented in higher education. Substantial…

The California Community Colleges served more than 2.2 million students in 2011-12 and just shy of 2.1 million students in 2012-13. It is the largest system of higher education in the nation. All colleges and districts use state funding allocated for Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) to assist in providing support services and…

This fifth annual update on America's high school dropout crisis shows that, for the first time in history, the nation has crossed the 80 percent high school graduation rate threshold and remains on pace, for the second year in a row, to meet the goal of a 90 percent high school graduation rate by the Class of 2020. This report highlights key…

The California Community Colleges (CCC) serve more than 2.4 million students and comprises the largest system of higher education in the nation. Each of the 112 colleges in all 72 districts use state funding allocated for Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) to assist it in providing support services and educational accommodations to…

A 50-state analysis of postsecondary correctional education policy conducted by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) in 2005 found that 68 percent of all postsecondary correctional education is provided by community colleges. The IHEP findings were the basis for this review of partnerships between community colleges and prisons. This…

America's K-12 education system faces three significant challenges: (1) increased global demands for skilled workers, (2) significant financial shortfalls, and (3) a looming teacher shortage. Independently, these factors present significant challenges for U.S. schools. In combination, they create a national imperative for swift action to create a…

There is a persistent concern over mismatches between the degrees awarded by universities and the needs of the job market. Although there are shortages of graduates in some fields, many university graduates have difficulty finding jobs that make good use of their education. This has been discussed in newspaper articles, in education and business…

This report responds to the California Postsecondary Education Commission's interest in pursuing further study of the gender gap for males in California postsecondary education. It provides some additional data on the gap in K-12 graduation rates and university eligibility and discusses the implications for future workforce needs. Recommended…