California is in the midst of a fundamental remaking of its assessment and accountability system that has been in place for 15 years. The state has the opportunity to play a leadership role in developing a multi-faceted assessment and accountability system that goes beyond a narrow focus on test scores and that could be a model for the nation. The…

California entered 2010-11 with a longstanding imbalance between ongoing spending and income. To help close that gap, state policymakers suspended Proposition 98, the minimum funding guarantee for K-12 schools and community colleges. In total, revenues for K-12 schools are down nearly 10% this year compared with 2007-08. Yet more cuts loom as the…

More than 10% of California's public high school students attend some kind of alternative program. This brief summarizes the initial research study from the California Alternative Education Research Project, which examines continuation schools specifically. It summarizes "Alternative Education Options: A Descriptive Study of California…

The 1999 Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA) created a system for summarizing performance on state standardized tests and an intervention program to help schools that were not meeting state-set goals. California's test scores have improved substantially since then, but state-led interventions programs have had little overall effect on this…

This convenient spiral-bound volume contains the latest data on school finance as well as information on students, teachers, and California's accountability system. The 37-card 2007 edition provides fingertip access to the latest information about California's education system. They are separated into sections that cover related topics. Each…

This report provides a roundup of the rather modest set of actions the state Legislature and Governor Schwarzenegger took on education in 2005. It also sets the stage for what those who care about education might expect in the coming year. To provide some structure for addressing a wide breadth of topics, the report is organized into four…

This one-page guide provides a handy reference to help you understand state and federal accountability program terminology. Terms defined herein are: (1) Academic Performance Index (API); (2) Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP); (3) Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program (CSRD); (4) California Standards Tests (CSTs); (5) High Priority…

States are under pressure to meet NCLB's demands in part because they depend on Title I funding. It represents a small but meaningful percentage of the education budget (about 3% in California). Some state officials object to the strong conditions placed on a relatively modest sum of money. A handful of states have even considered foregoing the…

This EdSource report covers the modifications that California has made in major education policy areas thus far to comply with NCLB and their impact on the state and its schools, with a focus on those provisions that have prompted the greatest upheavals. It also looks at some of the effects NCLB is expected to have on school and district…

Calls for changes in California's complex state-run school funding system, provided the backdrop for "Overhauling School Funding in California: The Push for Greater Adequacy, Equity, and Accountability," the EdSource 27th Annual Forum in March 2004. Participants discussed approaches for determining what would constitute adequate funding,…

The hot new phrase in school finance in California is "weighted student formula" (also known as "student-based budgeting"). Proponents of this concept believe it could eventually help the state develop a straightforward approach to school funding that is more equitable and effective. Skeptics, on the other hand, question the…

In the 2008-09 school year researchers from EdSource and Stanford University conducted a large-scale study of 303 middle grades schools in California. The team surveyed 303 principals, 3,752 English Language Arts (ELA) and math teachers in grades 6-8, and 157 superintendents of the districts and charter management organizations that oversee the…

This guide describes the measures California state officials use to evaluate schools and school districts, explaining what they are and what they indicate. Results of standard tests and the Academic Performance Index (API) indicate substantial gaps between the achievement of various groups of students in California. African American, Latino, and…

These cards give fingertip access to the latest information about California's education system. They are separated into 4 sections that cover related topics: (1) Finance Data; (2) Finance and General Background; (3) Performance/Students; and (4) Staffing/Higher Education. There are a total of 28 cards. Each tan section card includes references to…