blog post Local Decisionmaking in California’s Schools By Niu Gao Feb 18, 2015 A survey points to some of the challenges California will have in implementing the new school finance system.
Report Funding Formulas for California Schools IV: An Analysis of Governor Brown’s Weighted Pupil Funding Formula, May Budget Revision By Jon Sonstelie, Heather Rose, Margaret Weston May 29, 2012 In May 2012, Governor Brown revised his proposal for a new way to allocate revenue to California’s school districts. This report uses the PPIC School Finance Model to asses this revision. It finds that the proposed changes would lead to less funding for disadvantaged students and reduce the differences in funding gains among districts relative to the January proposal. This research was supported with funding from The Silver Giving Foundation and the Stuart Foundation.
press release Public Schools Serving Poor Students Are Being Shortchanged In California, Study Finds Feb 25, 2000
Report Implementing California’s School Funding Formula: Will High-Need Students Benefit? By Laura Hill, Iwunze Ugo Mar 12, 2015 The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) reformed California’s K–12 school finance system. It replaced a patchwork of formulas and specific (or "categorical”) programs with a focus on local control, funding equity, and additional support for the large share of students (63%) who are "high needs"—that is, low-income, English Learner, and/or foster care youth. However, there are still concerns about whether the new funding will reach high-need students. Because districts have spending flexibility, and because some of the extra funding for high-need students is based on their districtwide enrollment levels, it is possible that high-need schools in districts with relatively low overall shares of high-need students will not get the funding they need. Our research indicates that county offices of education—which are charged with assisting districts in developing and achieving accountability plans—may have extra work to do in parts of Southern California, the Bay Area, and Sacramento to ensure that extra state funding improves outcomes of high-need students who are not evenly distributed across district schools.
blog post Private Schools Dominate the Approval Process for Reopening By Niu Gao, Joseph Hayes Sep 23, 2020 The state has approved waivers allowing more than 500 elementary schools to open in counties with the highest level of COVID-19 risk, with private schools accounting for more than nine in ten.
blog post Computer Science in California’s K–12 Schools By Niu Gao Oct 26, 2016 The effort to expand computer science education in K–12 schools entails a number of challenges and opportunities.
Report Funding Formulas for California Schools III: An Analysis of Governor Brown’s Weighted Pupil Funding Formula By Jon Sonstelie, Heather Rose, Margaret Weston May 1, 2012 In January 2012, Governor Brown proposed a new system for allocating funds among school districts. Using the PPIC School Finance Model, this paper compares this proposal with the status quo. This comparison highlights the governor’s priorities—in particular, providing substantially greater resources to districts with high percentages of disadvantaged students. View latest update in response to the May budget revision. This research was supported with funding from The Silver Giving Foundation and the Stuart Foundation.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Lauren Mora, Deja Thomas Apr 10, 2024 As the California Legislature considers placing a school facilities bond on the November 2024 ballot, around half of likely voters say they would vote yes on such a measure. About eight in ten public school parents see catching up academically or addressing the pandemic’s social-emotional impact as the biggest K–12 challenge.
Report Achieving Digital Equity for California’s Students By Joseph Hayes, Niu Gao Oct 25, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of digital connectivity for learning—while highlighting serious inequities in access to broadband and computing devices. Learn about the progress California made last year and the steps the state can take to achieve the goal of affordable broadband and devices for all California students.
blog post Video: Reopening K–12 Schools—A Conversation with Linda Darling-Hammond By Mary Severance Aug 19, 2021 The president of the California State Board of Education talks with PPIC’s Mark Baldassare about key challenges and opportunities as students return to school for the fall term.
