Transportation

Research in this section focuses attention on the structure of and access to transportation opportunities.

U.S. Economic Vitality Depends on Immigration

Over the last decade, the United States has continued to face an aging of its population, which has been widely documented. The aging population is expected to create several problems for the U.S., especially for the future productivity of its labor markets. At this juncture, it is critical to understand the key dynamics driving the aging population, as well as to identify new sources of population growth and how to meet their needs. Public policies that can address this situation will best contribute to the well-being of U.S. society in the new era. The research presented here is based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau, National Bureau of Economic Research, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

California’s Geography of Opportunity: Intergenerational Mobility in the Golden State

In anticipation of the next twenty-five years of civil rights policy in California, this work investigates social mobility in the Golden State between the last two generations to gain insight into which groups could be best served by civil rights policy interventions.

From Institutions to Individuals: A Paradigm Shift for California's Master Plan for Higher Education

This essay outlines a new Master Plan for a unified, student-centered higher education system. It emphasizes the principles of ensuring equitable access and support for all students, streamlining processes to minimize barriers for students, enabling affordable enrollment without excessive debt, aligning programs with career opportunities and personal development, and creating a system that can successfully evolve with changing student needs and societal demands.

The Case for a Right to a Racially Just Education

This paper examines how, at its core, the California statewide education system has constructed educational pipelines that perpetuate and expand stark inequities based on race, income, and immigrant status.

Academic Disparities in California’s Central and Imperial Valleys

This report focuses on the racial and ethnic academic disparities in California’s Central and Imperial Valleys (CIV). Using a decade’s worth of data on K-12 students, the authors examine standardized test scores in mathematics and English language arts (ELA), absenteeism, and graduation rates while controlling for student-level demographics and school district characteristics.

Segregated by Teacher Experience in California

Given the importance of teacher experience and possible changes to the racial distribution of experience in recent years, this policy brief examines the distribution of teacher experience across segregated schools in California. The authors analyzed 7 years of the most recent publicly available data from California’s public schools, focusing on the relationship between student race and teacher experience.

Barriers to Racial Equity for Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers in California’s Teaching Pipeline and Profession

This paper explores obstacles to recruiting and retaining teachers of color and Indigenous teachers (TOCIT) in California’s schools. The researchers used a mix of qualitative and quantitative data collected over the course of one year from system leaders in teacher preparation, pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and former teachers to better understand current policies and practices that may be contributing to teacher burnout, turnover and early retirement.