The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted educational systems, leading to significant learning loss and credit deficiencies among high school students, particularly in California's comprehensive high schools. This research addressed these challenges by exploring innovative strategies through a social-ecological model and ecological systems theory to improve…

Access to post-secondary education for first-generation college students (FGCS) has become even more important after COVID-19 brought to the forefront the most affected in the workforce: those who had a high school degree or less. College access programs play a vital role to move the needle in closing the educational achievement gap. These…

During economic recessions, state funding for higher education contracts (Delaney & Doyle, 2011; Hovey, 1999; SHEEO, 2022). Despite this reality, public higher education officials need to offer insights and explanations to state legislators about the current status of their institutions and their needs when discussing their budget requests. We…

Improving graduation rates is one of the biggest missions in many universities across the country and it is surely the case on the campus of this institution. The work here presents a statistical tool box to use early academic performance as a predictor for graduation with logistic regression and machine learning techniques. The methods described…

Noncognitive constructs such as self-efficacy, social awareness, and academic engagement are widely acknowledged as critical components of human capital, but systematic data collection on such skills in school systems is complicated by conceptual ambiguities, measurement challenges and resource constraints. This study addresses this issue by…

Through a phenomenological approach, this study aims to identify the developmental experiences of transfer students as they moved in, through, and out of a university. The research techniques used in this study include focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Findings are derived from the narratives and experiences of seven transfer students…

Researchers, policymakers and educators are increasingly focused on the accurate identification, assessment, and referral of English learners (ELs) with disabilities, stemming in part from both the under- and over-identification of ELs for special education services, as compared to non-ELs identified for these services. Appropriate decision making…

This study examined the long-term impact of a special education residency program in high-need urban schools on the recruitment, program completion, and hiring and retention of graduates. Findings from this study, expanding research to special education teacher preparation, are consistent with a growing body of research that suggests that a…

The State of Higher Education in California is a series of reports by the Campaign for College Opportunity that provide comprehensive data on the current state of college access and completion for our state and what it means for our economy. This report analyzes the state of Black Californians in education. Specifically, this report reviews…

The purpose of this study was to explore special education graduation rates for students who were involved in sports and/or extracurricular activities. Previous research has established that participation in athletics and extracurricular activities provides important health and social benefits for children. Federal laws help to ensure that…

A changing economy and rapid advancements in technology have resulted in mismatches between employers' needs and workers' skills in a number of fields -- and are likely to continue to generate new ones. Many people in postsecondary education and workforce development see community college career and technical education (CTE) as a way to fill…

A solid majority of California's future college-age population will come from demographic groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education--including Latinos, African Americans, and those who are low income or the first in their families to go to college. PPIC research has shown that this demographic shift could make it more…

Currently, the state of California has dedicated much focus to reducing absenteeism in schools through the In School + On Track initiative, which revitalizes efforts made to keep accurate and informative attendance data. Additionally, absenteeism has been integrated into California's Local Control and Accountability Plan to monitor district…

Learning Support Services at the University of California, Santa Cruz is intended to aid students--particularly those who are at highest risk of academic failure--to master the required material and succeed in their courses. It includes two primary components: modified supplemental instruction (MSI) and tutoring. This study uses data from…

Student athletes face challenges that many of their traditional peers do not. Not only are athletes expected to perform in their sport, they're also required to achieve in the classroom, a dual hardship for a demographic already tackling the difficulties associated with non-traditional learning. But with athletics programs entrenched at many…