Career and technical education (CTE) battles outdated perceptions as a fallback for struggling students. Despite national academic reforms, CTE has evolved, emphasizing college and career readiness through blended academic and technical skills. Federal initiatives like the Perkins Acts transformed CTE into a broader curriculum, aiming to equip students with various skills through career clusters and integrated courses. Analyzing over 7,000 students' transcripts, a recent study found that those taking occupational CTE courses alongside academics showed similar math learning gains to those solely in academic courses. This challenges expectations of CTE's academic impact, particularly amidst initiatives like the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which emphasize academics and integration. The study questions CTE's effectiveness in improving math learning and suggests the need for refined courses that better reinforce academic skills. It prompts a reevaluation of federal investments in CTE, highlighting the necessity for alignment with evolving academic standards to benefit students' overall educational outcomes.

California's 2011–12 academic year showed a drop in dropouts and a rise in high school graduation rates. Graduates from the ninth grade in 2008–9 reached 78.5%, a 3.8% increase over two years. Federal data also highlight this trend, marking California's highest graduation rate in two decades. However, challenges persist, with significant disparities among racial groups. Factors like national campaigns and local initiatives contribute to these positive shifts, yet broader improvements will require addressing societal issues like unemployment and poverty. These advancements in graduation rates reflect collaborative efforts from various stakeholders, but the trajectory for future progress hinges on deeper community and familial support, especially in tackling socioeconomic challenges.

California's famed 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education, a triumph in many regards, has faltered in one key aspect: the state ranks at the bottom among states in the percentage of college-age individuals achieving a bachelor's degree. This low attainment stems from restrictions within the Master Plan, limiting access to 4-year baccalaureate institutions to only the top eighth and third of high school graduates for the University of California and state colleges, respectively. Consequently, community colleges have absorbed the majority of enrollment growth, with 40% to 50% of all students seeking a B.A. Now, California ranks last in college students attending 4-year institutions. Researchers advocate for expanded 4-year enrollment capacity, citing the powerful link between 4-year college enrollment and bachelor's degree attainment across states. A new study proposes restructuring through hybrid institutions, like university centers and 2-year university branch campuses, aimed at bridging the gap between 2-year and 4-year institutions to facilitate more direct entries into bachelor's programs. These adjustments, while not altering the Master Plan's core, strive to enhance the collective capacity of UC, CSU, and the community colleges toward supporting baccalaureate education, aligning with the overarching aim they share.

California faces declining enrollment in public colleges amid budget cuts, while demanding more graduates. For-profit colleges (for-profits) offer a viable solution. Despite past demonization, for-profits were significant in 2009, enrolling around 400,000 and issuing 1 in 5 long-term certificates or degrees in California. Partnering with for-profits could bridge educational gaps. However, California’s fragmented higher education system needs a unified state-level body to set objectives, assess needs, and regulate institutions. Creating such an entity could streamline education goals and methods. Additionally, revising the federal 90/10 financial aid policy for for-profits could foster quality. Implementing a modified 90/10 rule in California would require at least 10% of students to pay tuition from non-federal sources, ensuring market-driven quality standards. While this wouldn't solve larger strategic issues, it offers an initial step to ensure educational standards while protecting student and taxpayer investments.

In response to concerning National Assessment of Educational Progress data indicating 79% of urban eighth graders reading below proficiency, scholars offer varied explanations—cultural disparities, instructional oversight, and a content-focused approach in secondary education. Few instances are documented of schools successfully addressing these challenges. A new study chronicles Grant Street Secondary School's transformation, witnessing a notable drop from 30% to 2.9% in students reading far below level in five years, fostering a robust "culture of reading." It explores the school's context, highlighting the principal's role as a literacy advocate, engaging in professional development and modeling reading initiatives. Collaborative schedules enabled teachers to jointly design curriculum, review student work, and integrate innovative methods. Grant Street's success underscores the importance of gradual changes and the interaction between schoolwide accountability and teacher autonomy. Prioritizing teacher growth and cultivating a reading-focused environment led to significant progress, emphasizing the pivotal role of leadership, collaboration, and pedagogical emphasis in enhancing literacy.

In recent years, California has prioritized multicultural education to serve its diverse student body and enhance global competitiveness. Despite this focus, a study highlighted concerns regarding minority student retention, citing feelings of alienation and stereotypes among students. Surprisingly, fewer than half of the state's community colleges had multicultural graduation requirements, lacking depth in higher-order thinking skills in this realm. The study emphasized the discrepancy between campus diversity and the existence of these requirements. The Academic Senate initiated investigations into implementing ethnic studies requirements and urged curriculum committees to evaluate student compliance. Multicultural education remains pivotal in shaping diverse student experiences, warranting further research to gauge recent progress in these requirements across California's community colleges.

In the post-World War II era, community colleges expanded significantly, initially tasked with providing higher education access to broader populations. However, from the 1970s, fiscal constraints led to reduced state funding, creating competition with other priorities like criminal justice. This shift resulted in declining support for community colleges, contrasting sharply with increased investment in incarceration. The repercussions of this budgetary shift are evident. Recent studies show that while community colleges significantly boosted local employment during periods reliant on state funding, more recent years marked by rising tuition fees and decreased appropriations saw a decline in their employment impact. Ironically, where community colleges maintained low tuition rates, an unexpected inverse relationship between their presence and local employment growth emerged. Despite the soaring demand for community colleges, they face constraints and are compelled to operate with limited resources, compromising both educational opportunities and their contributions to local employment. A recent study advocates for a reprioritization towards community colleges and other postsecondary educational opportunities, urging states to reconsider their allocation of resources to bolster educational access and promote rural employment growth.

American community colleges enroll 46% of U.S. undergraduates, with a majority being African American and Hispanic students. Facing budget constraints, California community colleges are vital, and the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, successful in middle and high schools, is explored as a model for supporting underprepared students. A case study examines AVID's initial implementation in a northern California community college, revealing positive impacts on student focus, organization, and motivation. Challenges include faculty resistance and institutional change. The implementation aims to transform college culture to better serve underrepresented students transferring to four-year institutions. With Governor Jerry Brown's funding cut for high school AVID programs, AVID in community colleges gains importance. AVID for Higher Education emphasizes essentials like retention and graduation time. The study offers a framework for leveraging AVID's potential in higher education, supporting underprepared and historically underrepresented students in community colleges.

Californians express concern about the state's higher education system, as revealed by the latest Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) survey. Respondents acknowledge the importance of a strong higher education system for the state's future and recognize the negative impact of recent budget cuts on colleges and students. However, a significant majority is unwilling to pay higher taxes to support post-secondary education, and a similar majority rejects the idea of students paying more for their education. These findings align with a persistent trend observed in PPIC surveys since 2007, indicating that Californians are reluctant to cut expenditures on favored services but resist tax increases or additional fees for themselves. The survey results reflect a broader sentiment revealed in a recent Gallup poll, indicating that, on average, Americans believe 51 cents of every federal dollar is wasted. This skepticism about government spending hampers efforts to secure increased funding for essential public services, including higher education, despite the recognition of its importance. The challenge lies in overcoming the belief that a substantial portion of government spending is wasteful, which impedes support for increased funding where it is needed most.

The prevailing educational focus on "college and career readiness" lacks consensus on defining and measuring career readiness, showcasing a deeper divide in assessment policy discussions. During the Bush administration, a stance simplifying tests to a universal concept clashed with the nuanced understanding of varied test types. This underlines a fundamental divide: comprehensive assessments seeking detailed insights into students' strengths versus standardized tests sorting students based on proficiency in specific subjects like math and English. This predominant view oversimplifies readiness, equating college and career readiness and reducing it to performance in math (such as Algebra II in California) and English. Challenging this status quo demands demonstrating how more complex assessments—providing insights into diverse skills and knowledge—justify their costs in determining students' readiness for adult life. Shifting this perspective entails proving the value of intricate assessments against the expenses, aiming to showcase how comprehensive insights into students' abilities outweigh the complexities—a challenging endeavor in assessment policy.

The Long Beach Promise exemplifies a coordinated post-secondary education pathway, a rarity within California's fragmented system. Presently, the state operates three separate systems—UC, CSU, and CCC—each operating independently and often competing for resources. The Long Beach Promise stands out as an exception, showcasing collaboration among CSU, CCC, and K–12 educators to create a clearer path to college. Central to this initiative is the Early Assessment Program (EAP), pivotal in indicating readiness for college-level coursework. It offers students a consistent understanding of college readiness and eases transitions between high school and college. Notably, Long Beach's model is being emulated across California, with initiatives like PACE in the Inland Empire and similar efforts in San Francisco and Sonoma County. These regional collaborations focus on increasing EAP participation and using it for post-secondary placement. These projects symbolize a departure from institutional autonomy toward a cohesive education system aimed at serving local students better. By relinquishing some independence, individual institutions contribute to constructing an integrated educational structure that addresses critical challenges faced by the state's education system. This collective effort promises tangible progress in enhancing college access and success for California's students.

Amid budget cuts, schools are adopting unconventional measures for funding. Anaheim Unified School District employs GPS devices for students with unexcused absences, costing $8 daily per student, aiming to retain funding lost at $35 per absent student. Simultaneously, traditional schools switch to charters for increased funding and flexibility, impacting public schools financially. The efficacy of these initiatives on academic outcomes remains uncertain. Budget-driven decisions might harm education quality and overlook underlying issues. A Pepperdine University study exposes disparities in California’s education spending, revealing a decline in direct classroom spending despite overall funding increases. This highlights the urgency for comprehensive school finance reform, sparking discussions among policymakers, scholars, and the public. Optimizing spending efficiency becomes crucial to mitigate adverse effects during economic downturns. Engaging in informed dialogues and research is vital to avoid hasty, ineffective solutions, such as mandating GPS tracking for funding. California’s ongoing budget challenges call for a strategic reassessment of school finance policies. A collaborative effort involving stakeholders can pave the way for impactful reforms, ensuring optimal resource utilization without compromising educational standards amidst financial constraints.

California's proposed massive cuts to higher education, slashing $500 million from UC and CSU and $400 million from community colleges, will raise fees, reduce courses, and limit enrollment. Chancellor Jack Scott predicts turning away 350,000 community college students, significantly impacting the 45% of first-generation learners. CSU's 35% first-generation population also faces constraints. These cuts affect crucial support programs, services, and class availability, particularly for counseling and childcare. Wealthier UC students shifting to CSUs may intensify competition, disadvantaging vulnerable students. Public dissatisfaction, highlighted by a Public Policy Institute of California study, stresses concerns about affordability and borrowing. Possible solutions, like a sliding-scale tuition system based on family income, supported by 72% of Californians, aim to ease access barriers. Discussions must protect these students and explore strategies ensuring their access and success in higher education, securing California's future.

A recent LA Times article indicates positive views among Californians on immigrants, with 48% seeing them as beneficial and 59% supporting residency for long-employed undocumented workers. It urges a reevaluation of laws like AB540 and the California DREAM Act, emphasizing their economic advantages. Despite debates about costs, recent reports suggest that the actual enrollment of undocumented students in California's higher education may be as low as 0.23%. This challenges assumptions about financial burdens. Given California's immigration impact, the incoming governor must advocate actively for comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act.

Research findings indicate that the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) exit exam has not yielded the expected benefits and, instead, has negatively affected many students. Criticism revolves around the exam's low proficiency levels in math (7th-8th grade) and English (10th grade). The debate focuses on the necessity of the exam and the appropriate performance standard. Increasing the bar to a college-ready level might significantly raise graduation failure rates, while eliminating the exam could diminish a student's incentive for engagement. With the emergence of new assessment systems aligned to Common Core Standards, the conflict between graduation requirements and college readiness will likely intensify, potentially leading to the abandonment of the exit exam.