press release Public Schools Serving Poor Students Are Being Shortchanged In California, Study Finds Feb 25, 2000
Report Understanding the Effects of School Funding By Julien Lafortune May 18, 2022 Funding for California’s K–12 public schools has reached record highs, but gaps in student outcomes remain. Understanding the benefits of additional funds, and how to distribute those funds, are key concerns for policymakers. This report offers insights from a robust body of research on the extent to which higher spending improves outcomes.
Report School Resources and Academic Standards in California: Lessons from the Schoolhouse By Jon Sonstelie, Ray Reinhard, Heather Rose Jan 24, 2006 This report takes an in-depth look at a sample group of 49 schools in California to understand at a grassroots level the issues and problems of implementing academic standards, now a fact of life in the state for a decade. California faces particular challenges because it has more public school students than any other state, and has set its standards higher than any other state’s. Through in-depth interviews with school district superintendents and a survey of teachers, the authors found general support—mixed with relief, anxiety, and in some cases, grudging assent—and many suggestions for how standards might be implemented more efficiently and more equitably. School district superintendents were generally strongly supportive of the new standards-based regimen. A survey of more than 2,000 teachers also found general support, but also more ambivalence. Twelve percent of teachers considered the state’s standards too ambitious and therefore unachievable, while 39 percent characterized them as very difficult to achieve. The authors' financial analysis tends to confirm earlier findings that although the goals California has set for student achievement are high, the resources being provided to meet those goals are not.
blog post How Did California Schools Assess Student Learning in Fall 2020? By Niu Gao, Laura Hill, Julien Lafortune Mar 10, 2021 K–12 school districts used a variety of tools this past fall to measure student learning, with assessments developed locally—by teachers or districts—being the most common.
press release More than Four in Ten Parents Say Their Children Have Fallen Behind Academically during the Pandemic Apr 27, 2022
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Apr 27, 2022 More than four in ten parents say their children have fallen behind academically during the pandemic. While most Californians approve of the way Governor Newsom is handling public K–12 education, many believe its quality has declined over the past few years.
press release California Educators Support State’s Tough Academic Standards But See Low School Resources, Socioeconomic Disparities As Challenges Jan 24, 2006
blog post Why Students Found New Tests Tough By Paul Warren, Rebecca London Sep 29, 2015 There are a variety of explanations for why California students did not do as well on the new standardized tests.
Report Common Core State Standards in California: Evaluating Local Implementation and Student Outcomes By Niu Gao, Julien Lafortune Sep 25, 2019 California adopted the Common Core State Standards to prepare K–12 students for college and careers—and to narrow longstanding achievement gaps. Most districts have implemented the standards, and student outcomes have improved modestly. But progress has been uneven. State tracking and support could help districts implement the standards successfully.
