Report High Expectations, Modest Means: The Challenge Facing California’s Public Schools By Jon Sonstelie, Sharmaine Heng, Ray Reinhard, Heather Rose Oct 29, 2003 This report provides background information on the state's academic standards, resources, and funding mechanisms. Its findings point to relatively low levels of school spending in California, a large gap between academic standards and school resources, a finance system based on previous funding levels rather than actual school resources and their costs, and questions about the most efficient uses of the state’s already modest school funds. In addition, the report provides a clear, authoritative discussion of Proposition 98 and its origins. The report concludes that the upcoming work of the Quality Education Commission, which is charged with developing school prototypes and estimating their costs, may provide a useful bridge between the State Board of Education, which sets academic and content standards, and the legislature, which allocates school funds.
Occasional Paper, Report Funding Formulas for California Schools: Simulations and Supporting Data By Jon Sonstelie, Ray Reinhard, Heather Rose, Ria Sengupta Bhatt Jan 23, 2008 California’s school finance system is long overdue for fundamental reform. The authors of this paper simulate an alternative school finance system recently proposed by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley (Bersin, Kirst, and Liu). They conclude that the proposed system provides a good starting point for the kind of reform effort the state needs to undertake. This paper briefly reviews student needs and district costs throughout California and then discusses the results and implications of the simulation models. Further Analysis Data Reconciliation Request the School Finance Model
blog post Shifting School Enrollment Trends across California’s Regions By Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill Jun 20, 2024 California public school enrollment overall has declined notably over the past decade and is projected to continue decreasing in the coming years. We examine the wide variation in enrollment trends across the state's diverse regions.
blog post Video: Taking the Pulse of Californians’ Views of Schools By Linda Strean Apr 25, 2017 The annual PPIC Statewide Survey on education examined the views of Californians on statewide reforms and federal policies.
Report Math Placement in California’s Public Schools By Niu Gao, Sara Adan Nov 16, 2016 Last year, the California Legislature passed a new law—the California Mathematics Placement Act—to address widespread concern over equity in the math placement process. The law is aimed at improving the measurement of student performance in order to move more students successfully through the high school curriculum. In this context, we surveyed California’s school districts during the 2015–16 school year to examine their placement policies right before the law took effect and to identify district needs for technical assistance while implementing the new law. We found that: Districts need help in determining how to proceed. Because the law leaves many details open to local interpretation, many districts are unsure about how to handle certain key elements. Teacher recommendations are a good example. Our survey indicates that the majority of districts have relied on recommendations as an important factor in determining placement. But the law now restricts their use. Improving the law’s clarity is critical going forward. Despite uncertainties, most districts are implementing the new law. Among our respondents, 86 percent reported having a systematic math placement policy. Sixty percent said they are somewhat or very familiar with the new law. Among these districts, 51 percent said they were already in compliance and 42 percent reported revising their policies for compliance purposes. Across districts, there is a strong need for valid, reliable, and objective performance measures. This need applies both to assessing student performance and to evaluating district policies. Districts with the largest gains in student course outcomes over a 10-year period provide some insight. These districts are more likely than others to emphasize test scores, math GPA, and overall GPA when assessing student placement. They are also more likely to use end-of-year math grades to evaluate district placement policies. Districts face a number of other challenges. Districts’ concerns range from handling parental expectations, to needing evidence-based performance measures, to creating better policy alignment within and across schools. In addition, equity issues and staffing shortages present ongoing challenges for many districts. We recommend several actions for helping districts comply with the law and improve their math placement process. These include establishing evidence-based measures, refining the approach to teacher recommendations, and identifying effective placement protocols. In the longer term, districts would benefit from using student data to improve equity issues and from increased staffing, especially in rural and high-need districts.
blog post Video: Fiscal Challenges of Declining Enrollment in California Schools By Mary Severance Mar 5, 2020 PPIC researcher Paul Warren outlines a new report on projected declines in K–12 enrollment over the next decade, and a panel of experts offers state and local perspectives.
blog post Examining the Reach of Universal School Meals in California By Caroline Danielson Aug 15, 2024 In the 2022–23 school year, California became the first state to provide free school meals to all children regardless of income. We look at how the state's school nutrition programs are faring overall and examine trends in participation among low-income students.
blog post Providing Meals for School Children as COVID-19 Persists By Niu Gao, Caroline Danielson Sep 9, 2020 The US Department of Agriculture recently announced that it would continue to waive certain restrictions on school meals for the rest of 2020. This extends a key support for many California children, regardless of whether they are in school or learning remotely.
blog post Video: Upgrading Technology in California Schools By Linda Strean Jun 8, 2016 When it comes to upgrading technology in California schools, money and training are big challenges. But leadership and collaboration are powerful tools that can help schools make progress.
