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…

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…

This playbook draws from the findings of "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades," the largest empirical study of this grade level conducted to date. The "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades" study was designed to find out what higher-performing schools do differently. The result is a compelling set of specific, actionable…

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…

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 report begins with a discussion of why performance comparisons between charter and noncharter schools can be complicated. It also summarizes the most recent data from California's assessment and accountability systems, comparing types of charter schools and looking at them within the context of the larger system. An overview of the often…

There is little doubt that charter schools in California are starting to get more attention from both their supporters and their detractors. This report provides an overview of where charter schools stand today in California and the context in which they will either thrive or struggle in the years to come. It includes a quick look at the origin…

This EdSource report summarizes the Initial Findings issued in October 2005 from a two-year study conducted by EdSource, Stanford University, University of California-Berkeley, and American Institutes for Research (AIR). In addition, this report includes information collected during the study but not previously reported (from superintendent…

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…

This study contributes to the field by identifying a broad range of traditional and newer middle grade policies and practices, and determining in California which of these differentiate higher- from lower-performing schools serving similar student populations, with performance measured by the state's standards-based tests. Based on a sample of 303…

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 research project surveyed 80% of the K-5 classroom teachers (over 5,500) and every principal at 257 elementary schools in California serving large percentages of low-income, minority, and English Learner students. Specifically, 98% percent of the schools in the sample qualified for Title I funding. The goal was to identify which specific…

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…

By conducting a large scale survey of elementary schools across California serving similarly challenged low-income student populations, a collaborative research team (EdSource, Stanford University, U.C. Berkeley, and American Institutes for Research) sought to find which current K-5 practices and policies are most strongly correlated with high…