Students

All high school students are required to take civics, but a lack of money can limit opportunities. And in some communities, parent objections pressure teachers to avoid certain topics.

California’s community colleges are experimenting with a new model, known as competency-based education, but at one school, it’s created a divide between faculty and college administrators.

National and California experts say Trump's mass deportation plans make filling out the federal financial aid application for college a risk to students with undocumented parents. California's own application has more safeguards.

The nation’s most linguistically diverse state has a tortured history with bilingual education in public schools. The Education Department can’t — and the Legislature won’t — do what it takes to repair the damage.

California has banned bilingual education on and off since the 1800s. The state is now 8 years into allowing it again but still hasn’t managed to get all that many kids into good programs.

Career and technical education has strong bipartisan support. But some education experts fear its growth may come at the expense of college preparation programs.

Chronic absenteeism dropped to 20% last school year, but that is still higher than the pre-pandemic rate of 12%.

California’s college students represent a wide array of ages, ethnicities, lived experiences and political beliefs. Eight voters who attend a California college shared their perspectives with CalMatters on the issues that matter to them as some vote in local, state and national elections for the first time.

After leading the way nationally, efforts by California lawmakers to advance the rights of student athletes have stalled. No lawmakers appear poised to take up the issue in the near future.

A new state law bans private colleges from considering an applicant’s ties to family members who are alumni or donors. California’s public universities don’t use legacy admissions.