RICHARD J. RIORDAN 2018 SUMMER INTERN PROGRAM The Richard J. Riordan Summer Intern Program provides an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students interested in a public policy career to work in a policy research environment. Intern projects are proposed by PPIC researchers and designed around a specific set of tasks and deliverables that can be accomplished within the term of the internship. The application deadline for the seven 2018 projects was February 9, 2018. We expect to make our selection decisions for these projects by late March. No phone calls, please. Location, Compensation, and Time on Project These summer internships are located in PPIC s San Francisco office. These fulltime internships will last up to three months, ideally beginning June 4, 2018. Compensation is $17.50 per hour. PPIC values the wide variety of backgrounds and experiences of our research staff, and key elements in the consideration of qualified candidates include excellence; diversity of talents, backgrounds, and viewpoints; and a strong fit with the institute s mission, values, and goals. AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabled employer. The Research Environment Interns are offered the opportunity to participate in the collegial atmosphere of PPIC through daily interaction with all aspects of the institution. They are invited to join the research staff in their regular meetings and to attend PPIC s outside events, including the institute s public affairs programs and research briefings. PPIC offers access to the Institute of Governmental Sciences library at the University of California, Berkeley, allowing interns to work with many important databases, journals, and statistical datasets. The intern program also includes a Sacramento orientation, with a tour of the state capitol and a discussion of California state policy by PPIC s government affairs staff. Each intern s project will include an initial meeting with research staff, evaluation and feedback at the beginning, midpoint and end of the project, and a briefing by the intern on the goals, findings, and significance of the project. Interns are encouraged to discuss their work throughout the course of the project, to meet with research staff to discuss careers in research, and to meet with communications staff to learn about outreach and building an audience of policymakers. PROJECT 1 Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways in California High Schools Project Director: Niu Gao Career Technical Education (CTE) plays a critical role in preparing students to be ready for college and career. High quality CTE programs combine technical knowledge with real-
world applications and are designed to meet the state s education and skills needs. In California, CTE is offered through regular high schools, career academics, regional occupational centers and programs, charter schools and community college. These programs are organized into 15 industry sectors based on the state s workforce requirements and cover more than 50 career pathways. This descriptive study examines CTE pathways in K-12 schools: How many CTE programs are offered in K-12 schools? How many CTE courses are a-g approved by UC or CSU? How many high school students are on a CTE pathway? How does enrollment vary by school and student characteristics? The intern will develop insights into CTE pathways in California by working with a team of researchers to analyze data from a variety of sources, including the California Department of Education, U.S. Department of Education, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Census. The intern will also have the opportunity to talk to stakeholders from the California Department of Education and local schools. The intern will create periodic memos for the supervisors on her/his progress and will present a summary of her/his work to PPIC staff at the end of the summer. Undergraduate or graduate training in economics, public policy, sociology, education, statistics, or related field Strong quantitative skills Statistical programming experience (Stata, Matlab, Python, R) Ability to work independently, as well as seek feedback and direction PROJECT 2 The Role of Student Supports in Improving Outcomes among Disadvantaged Students at California Community Colleges Project Directors: Sarah Bohn and Shannon McConville Vocational training, also known as Career Technical Education (CTE), is a focus for state and federal policy efforts to improve employment outcomes and economic mobility among disadvantaged and non-traditional student groups. California s community college system is one of the primary providers of CTE in the state and also serves a substantial share of economically disadvantaged students, including CalWORKs (California s welfare/cash assistance program for poor families with children) recipients. In recognition that CalWORKs students often have multiple barriers to entering college and earning a credential, all community college districts receive funds to operate programs to support these students. The proposed research project will collect comprehensive information from key practitioners in the field on the scale and variation of student supports provided to
CalWORKs students (and possibly other disadvantaged groups) throughout the community college system. This information will be incorporated into a quantitative analysis of student outcomes in order to assess how support services impact the educational trajectory of disadvantaged students. The intern will support the research team with the design, testing, and fielding of a survey of program directors at each college to collect detailed information on the types and extent of support services provided to CalWORKs students (and possibly other disadvantaged student groups). The survey will be informed by a detailed literature review and interviews with key stakeholders. In addition, an analysis of available financial documents and program budget allocations over time may also be conducted to determine its relevance for understanding how funding relates to student need and the level of services provided. The intern will prepare written summaries of progress and will meet regularly with the project directors. The intern will also present a summary of this work to PPIC staff (in the San Francisco location) at the end of the summer. The ideal applicant will bring graduate-level experience in education, economics, public policy, or a related field to this project. Strong organizational skills and ability to work independently Excellent written and verbal communication skills Strong computer and analytical skills Experience with survey design/methods and with web-based survey tools (i.e. Qualtrics) a plus PROJECT 3 Developmental Education Reforms at California Community Colleges Project Directors: Olga Rodriguez, Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia Prior research by PPIC found that the vast majority of students entering California s community colleges are designated as underprepared for college-level work and must start their college journey in developmental (or remedial) courses in math, English, or both. This research found that developmental education in the state s community colleges is lengthy, attrition is high, and outcomes are poor. In California, and elsewhere in the nation, concerns about the large number of students in developmental education and their poor academic outcomes has led to a surge of interventions designed to improve student success. The system office and state legislature have been key actors in these efforts. Most recently with the adoption of Assembly Bill 705 (AB 705) and a grant program known as the Basic Skills Student Outcomes Transformation Program (BSSOT). Both are intended to support community colleges in adopting or expanding the use of evidence
based models of placement, programming, and student support that accelerate progress toward completion of transfer-level English or math and earning a degree/certificate. To inform PPIC s ongoing research on developmental education reforms, the summer intern on this project will collect and assemble information from community college documents about the developmental education reforms being adopted or expanded by colleges across the state in response to recent legislative and system office changes (e.g. multiple measures, co-requisite courses, accelerated developmental education, etc.). The intern will also review the literature base supporting their effectiveness. With guidance from project supervisors, this data will be coded and analyzed to assess which are the most prevalent practices. There is a possibility the intern will work closely with the project supervisors to identify and interview colleges to obtain more a deeper understanding of the reforms especially, colleges that are implementing innovative strategies. Over the course of the summer the intern will develop insights into the ways developmental education reforms are intended to improve student outcomes. The intern will create periodic summaries of the work for the supervisors and will prepare a presentation summarizing this work for presentation to PPIC staff at the end of the summer. Training in sociology, education, economics, public policy, or a related field Strong analytical and organizational skills Experience mining qualitative and quantitative data Excellent written and verbal communication skills Ability to work independently as well as seek feedback and direction when appropriate Interest in California higher education policy PROJECT 4 Higher Education Capital Financing in California Project Directors: Kevin Cook, Radhika Mehlotra, Patrick Murphy California s higher education capital financing process is characterized as opaque and inconsistent, with investments during periods of growing revenues and deferred projects during times of decline. Capital outlay plans point to tens of billions of dollars in deferred maintenance needs, though there are questions as to how those needs are defined and even more as to which source of funds would be able to address them. And while this narrative around capital finance is familiar across states, California faces unique challenges and opportunities that require consideration in order for the state s higher education systems to best serve their students. As part of our initial research planning process, we have learned that direct state support for capital expenditure has declined in the last decade, with significant policy changes in
more recent years that have further muddled the state s role within the higher education capital financing process. Amidst navigating such uncertainties, the state is simultaneously gearing up to eliminate the 1.1 million bachelor degree deficit by 2030 through various initiatives including, but not limited to, high schools producing more qualified graduates and increasing the number of community college transfers. Thus, systems and campuses are turning to innovative financing options in order to support their existing student populations and prepare for the potential future enrollment and completion growth. This project seeks to analyze the current process and create informative publications to guide policymakers as to how best to approach capital financing relative to priorities, efficiency, and equity. The summer intern for this project will assist in gathering and assembling qualitative and quantitative capital financial information, both at the system and campus level. Over the course of the summer the intern will review campus capital outlay plans amongst other sources of information, and will assist in developing an analytical framework to systematically evaluate the viability of the capital planning process, paying special attention efficiency and equity. This critical information will be included in a series of reports which will present state policymakers with recommendations for improving the capital outlay planning process to more effectively design and maintain California college campuses for the workforce needs of the future. As part of the program, the intern will create periodic summaries of the work for the supervisors and prepare a presentation summarizing this work for the PPIC staff at the end of the summer. Interest in public finance and/or higher education Training in economics, sociology, criminology, public policy or a related field Excellent written and verbal communication Strong quantitative skills, experience working with data Experience with analytical packages such as Excel, Stata, Tableau, R, GIS, etc. Ability to work independently as well as seek feedback and direction when appropriate PROJECT 5 Exploring Crime Data in California Project Directors: Magnus Lofstrom and Brandon Martin With tensions between law enforcement and minority communities continuing to make the headlines, racial disparities in the criminal justice system remain a policy concern. Both media and research report remarkable differences across race and ethnicity in criminal justice experiences and inequities in our justice system. Minorities, especially African- Americans, are over-represented in California s jails and prisons. It is likely that this inequality is significantly affected by the very first step in the criminal justice process arrests. This project will contribute to broader efforts at PPIC examining racial disparity in
arrests by assisting in our efforts to collect and analyze more detailed and disaggregated neighborhood-level crime data than those currently published by the state Department of Justice. The summer intern on this project will be tasked with exploring sources and availability of local level crime data, as well as performing initial descriptive analyses. This will include examining the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) administered National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS), an incident-based reporting system for crimes known to the police. The intern will also research cities in California currently making geocoded crime data available to the public and/or opportunities for PPIC to collect such data. The latter will entail contacting a sample of police and sheriff departments across the state. In collaboration with the project directors, the intern will work to determine the extent to which more detailed and informative crime data can be collected. Benefits of such data in understanding racial disparity will also be assessed. The intern will create periodic summaries of the work for the supervisors and will prepare a presentation summarizing this work for presentation to PPIC staff at the end of the summer. Undergraduate or graduate training in economics, sociology, criminology, political science, public policy or related field Excellent written and verbal communication Strong quantitative skills, experience working with large datasets Statistical programming experience (Excel, SAS, and/or Stata) Ability to work independently as well as seek feedback and direction when appropriate PROJECT 6 Inmate and Re-entry Education Programs at California Community Colleges Project Directors: Shannon McConville and Sarah Bohn The California community college (CCC) system serves both incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals through regular and long-distance education programs. Recent state legislation SB 1391 and Proposition 57 provide for more targeted efforts by the CCC to develop and provide educational opportunities to justice-involved individuals, with a focus on career technical education. These interventions have the potential to improve reentry outcomes and reduce the state s stubbornly high recidivism rates a focus of the state s recent, major criminal justice reforms. As an initial step to inform these policy efforts, this project will document the role and capacity of the state s community college system to serve educational needs of the incarcerated population. This internship will be based in PPIC s San Francisco office. Some travel to Sacramento is anticipated.
The primary role of the intern will be to collect detailed information on the types of programs, services, supports, and targeted outreach available to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals throughout the community college system. This will be accomplished through a detailed literature search and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, and, possibly, a survey. The intern will prepare written summaries of progress and will meet regularly with the project directors. The intern will also present a summary of this work to PPIC staff (in the San Francisco location) at the end of the summer. The ideal applicant will bring graduate-level experience in education, economics, public policy, or a related field to this project. Strong organizational skills and ability to work independently Excellent written and verbal communication skills Strong computer and analytical skills Experience with correctional and/or educational data and policy issues a plus PROJECT 7 Sustainable Water Policy in California Project Director: Caitrin Chappelle This project, involving experts from the PPIC Water Policy Center, will contribute to the ongoing efforts to of the center to connect nonpartisan, objective research to real world water management debates, with the goal of putting California water policy on a sustainable and constructive path. The intern will work with a research team on gathering and organizing data and information on various topics (such as water use, water finance, and ecosystem and forest management). This project may include working with large datasets, developing graphics, designing and implementing surveys, and participating in interviews and workshops with relevant stakeholders and decision makers. The intern will also prepare and conduct a presentation summarizing this work to PPIC staff in San Francisco. We are looking to hire up to two interns for this project. Undergraduate or graduate training in economics, sociology, criminology, political science, public policy or related field Excellent written and verbal communication
Strong quantitative skills, experience working with large datasets Statistical programming experience Ability to work independently and as part of a team