What do K-12 schools need to do to prepare their students for adult success? This was the question that originally catalyzed the standards-and-accountability movement some 30 years ago, though it seems somehow to have gotten lost. Today the question merits revisiting, because addressing it makes a strong case for taking an integrated approach to…

This commentary on the article titled "Examining the Internal Structure Evidence for the Performance Assessment for California Teachers: A Validation Study of the Elementary Literacy Teaching Event for Tier 1 Teacher Licensure" provides an overview of Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT), its relationship to edTPA and…

For nearly 50 years, California's higher education system has been shaped by the tripartite division of the vaunted Master Plan. The 1960 document's bold vision of access and quality safeguarded a system of selective research universities (the University of California) and provided baccalaureate education through less-selective campuses (the…

Believing that accountability could be a vehicle for change, the California Department of Education (CDE) requires all high school students to pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) in order to graduate. In doing so, California joins many others states in mandating a high school exit exam as a current or future requirement for…

Teachers must deal with lights that turn off on their own, toilet paper rationing and hot water shortages in the bathrooms, and not enough books for their classes. In this article, the author argues that asking teachers to work in these conditions while holding them accountable for dramatic improvements in student performance threatens to drive…

This article presents an interview with J. Michael Ortiz, a member of the Aspen Institute's Commission on No Child Left Behind, on the issues concerning the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Aspen Institute's Commission is an independent panel that was established in 2006 to conduct a high-level review of the federal government's signature…

This report presents the legislative and budget priorities developed and adopted by the California Postsecondary Education Commission. The Commission believes that the intertwining principles of Access, Affordability, and Accountability are fundamental to the future of both California postsecondary education institutions and the students they…

In this article, Vivian Chavez and Elisabeth Soep explore the collaboration among youth and adult participants at Youth Radio, a broadcast-training program in the San Francisco Bay Area. At Youth Radio, participants transcend the conventional relationship between adult "teachers" and youth "learners" to coproduce media…

Even though Joel lived a continent away, many sixth-graders at a Title I school in California could easily identify with his life of poverty. Their empathy motivated them to launch an ambitious charitable project, which, Mr. Mitchell argues, had far greater educational value than the relentless test preparation that is standard fare in most…

Hugh Burkett, director of The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement, recently was asked to give the keynote speech at On the Right Track 4, an annual school improvement symposium for California school practitioners. In this month's newsletter, Dr. Burkett shares highlights from his remarks. He sets forth six things that should…

The California Assessment of Academic Achievement Act of 1995 mandates the development and adoption of statewide academically rigorous content and performance standards in core curriculum areas. This brochure summarizes the findings of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) standards task force. The brochure is organized around…

To date, only two states (Minnesota and California) have passed charter-school legislation. This report presents details from these two states regarding charter-school formation, including roles played by teachers and organizers, by local school boards as sponsors, and by county or state officials in providing an appeals process and technical…

Traces development of educational accountability in California; examines role of state political leadership; considers impact of requirements of reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act. (PKP)

Community college reform legislation in California mandates the development and implementation of a comprehensive accountability model. The reform model implemented during the 1991-92 academic year will provide the legislature and state officials with outcomes and process data in five areas of community college services: student access, student…

This article is a response to Fierros and Blomberg's article on "Restrictions and Race in Special Education Placements in For-Profit and Non-Profit Charter Schools in California." It compliments these scholars for confirming through their findings that ethnically diverse students with special education needs endure segregationist…