In this report, the authors explore the patterns in mathematics course-taking among California public high school seniors. They describe what courses students are enrolled in and how course participation varies by key student characteristics, such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and performance level on the state's 11th grade assessments.…

During the past decade, education leaders and policymakers have made significant investments to better align California's K-12 and postsecondary education systems and to address persistent disparities in educational attainment by race and socioeconomic status. This report distills important lessons emerging from these efforts, integrating the…

This paper builds on current knowledge by examining patterns of career technical education (CTE) pathway completion for California public high school students in two consecutive years and using multiple data sources on course-taking, student demographics, and school characteristics. Specifically, the paper answers the following questions: (1) What…

Research shows that dual enrollment--a practice in which high school students take college courses while they are still in high school--has multiple benefits for student success in both systems. To capitalize on those benefits, California and other states have moved in recent years to increase high school students' access to college courses. In…

California voters ranked college affordability as the second most important education policy issue in the 2019 PACE/USC Rossier poll, a concern reflected in Governor Gavin Newsom's first budget proposal and in a number of bills currently progressing through the state legislature. Though desire for making college affordable is high among the…

The Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC), implemented in California in 2014-15 as part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, is designed to evaluate students' levels of college and career readiness. Student scores on the Smarter Balanced Assessment are currently used for both accountability and school improvement…

In 2014, the state of California implemented the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) in order to align state assessment and accountability policies with the newly adopted Common Core State Standards (CCSS). At the heart of the new performance and accountability system is the Smarter Balanced Assessment. The Smarter…

Career Technical Education (CTE)--a structured series of courses that provides high school students technical and vocational skills, paving the way to postsecondary education and careers--is key to aligning secondary education with both labor market needs and college opportunities. CTE provides high school students with the chance to engage in…

The 2021 PACE/USC Rossier poll provides key insights into Californians' perceptions of higher education issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically equity and affordability. A large percentage of Californians acknowledge that college affordability is an important educational issue, and they generally express support for increased access to…

In 2004, California launched the Early Assessment Program (EAP), developed jointly by the California Department of Education (CDE), the State Board of Education, and the California State University (CSU), to help bridge the gap between preparation for college in high school and the knowledge and skills necessary for success in postsecondary…

For as much as we know about the economic benefits of a college degree, California policymakers and educators have little information about the college destinations of high school graduates. To fill this information gap, we assembled a unique data set of three recent cohorts of public high school students matched with college enrollment data from…