The following sites may help you find data and education-focused scholarly studies to support the hypothesis in you proposal narrative.

American Association of Community Colleges
This site is an excellent source of studies and reports on legislative issues and other topics of interest to community colleges.

California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office (CCCCO)
The Chancellor's Office Data Mart provides information about students, courses, student services, outcomes, faculty and staff.  Data include a variety of indicators, such as demographics, enrollment status, program participation, financial aid distribution, and Student Success Scorecard measures.

California Department of Education
The Department's Data & Statistics pages offer reports on K-12 education in California by county, school district, or individual school.  Reports provide assessment test results, enrollment and graduation data, school performance measures, and demographics, and can be requested for all students or for special populations such as English learners.

Educational Resource Information Center (ERIC)
This resource provided by the U.S. Department of Education contains research studies and information to improve learning, teaching and educational decision making.

U.S. Census Bureau
The Census Bureau reports both national and local data useful in proposal writing. Key topics include demographic information, income data, employment statistics, and educational attainment levels.

U.S. Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the principal federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy. The site includes current data on the Consumer Price Index, employment (current and projections), and wages by geographic area and occupation.