Occasional Paper, Report Funding Formulas for California Schools II: An Analysis of a Proposal by the Governor’s Committee on Education Excellence By Jon Sonstelie, Ray Reinhard, Heather Rose, Ria Sengupta Bhatt Jul 8, 2008 In this paper, the researchers examine a finance system proposed by the Governor’s Committee on Education Excellence which would consolidate a large number of current K-12 revenue programs into two programs: a base program serving the needs of all students, and a targeted program providing supplemental funds for disadvantaged students. This new approach would call for two fundamental changes in current policy: first, the state would have to transfer its revenue authority to local school districts; and second, the state would have to allocate a larger share of K-12 revenues to districts with high proportions of disadvantaged students. Governor's Committee on Education Excellence: Simulation Results (279KB, Excel)
Report Educational Progress Across Immigrant Generations in California By Deborah Reed, Laura Hill, Christopher Jepsen, Hans Johnson Sep 8, 2005 The children and grandchildren of California’s substantial and growing immigrant population are consistently attaining higher levels of educational achievement than their parents and grandparents did—good news for them and for the future of California. But levels of educational success vary widely among different groups of immigrants, and some groups, notably those from Mexico, lag well behind others. In this report, the authors explore the disparities in educational attainment among these groups, while also showing that data clearly affirm the overall positive trend. Their research shows that disparities in the education levels of the parents in these groups play a significant role in explaining these gaps in educational attainment. This insight suggests opportunities for policy makers seeking to help all youth to achieve their own educational—and therefore economic—success stories.
Report School Finance By Margaret Weston Nov 14, 2012 There is broad consensus that California's school finance system is inequitable, inadequate, and overly complex. In response to these critiques, this year Governor Jerry Brown proposed an overhaul of our school finance system. Also, two initiatives on the November ballot asked voters to increase education funding through tax increases: voters approved Proposition 30, which was integral to the governor's budget plan, and rejected Proposition 38, a citizens' initiative. Despite the passage of Proposition 30, California faces many school finance challenges. This report provides an overview of the state's school finance system and outlines some longstanding school finance issues that may be in play next year.
Report Achievement in California’s Public Schools: What Do Test Scores Tell Us? By Paul Warren, Julien Lafortune Jul 10, 2019 California’s student test scores show significant progress in English—but they also show stalled gains in math and persistent income achievement gaps. State actions to improve math instruction and support struggling districts could help boost student performance.
Report Students with Disabilities and California’s Special Education Program By Stephen Lipscomb Jan 29, 2009 Students with disabilities are entitled by law to free, appropriate special education services, and in 2006–07, more than 10 percent of California’s total school enrollment used these services, at a cost of about $9.3 billion. This report provides basic information about California’s students with disabilities and its special education programs. It examines disability rates and trends, the educational environment, student performance on state assessments, and California’s financial commitment to special education, including detailed information about spending activity and the funding process.
Report Special Education Finance in California: A Decade After Reform By Stephen Lipscomb Aug 12, 2009 Special education accounted for more than 16 percent—$9.3 billion—of K–12 spending in 2006–07. An extensive reform of special education financing in California about a decade ago sought to improve the way the state funds education for the disabled, who make up about 10 percent of public school students. Did reform achieve its goals? In large part, yes—but more can be done. The author suggests that to realize reform’s equity goals, policymakers could equalize base funding rates and make adjustments for local conditions such as numbers of low-income students and regional labor market wage levels. This report was funded with support from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Special Survey on Education By Mark Baldassare Apr 27, 2006 Some findings of the current survey The share of Californians (58%) who say the quality of education is a big problem is higher now than at any time since 1998, when the PPIC Statewide Survey was launched. Substantial majorities of residents (64%) and likely voters (60%) favor raising the income tax paid by the wealthiest Californians to fund education. Eighty-seven percent of blacks are very concerned about high school drop-out rates, a much higher percentage than in any other group (Latinos 59%, Asians 51%, whites 50%). A majority of Californians (73%) believe that students should have to pass a statewide test to graduate from high school. This is the 66th PPIC Statewide Survey and the second in a series of special surveys focusing on education in California, made possible by a grant from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey Californians and Higher Education By Mark Baldassare, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner, David Kordus Dec 8, 2016 Californians give the state’s public higher education system high marks, but see affordability as a big problem. Most say higher education funding is inadequate but also believe that existing funds need to be used more wisely. While nearly all see the system as important to the state’s future, Californians are divided on whether a college education is necessary for individual success in today’s economy. Crosstabs: All Adults [PDF] Likely Voters [PDF] Time Trends: All Adults [PDF] Likely Voters [PDF] The survey was supported with funding from the Arjay and Frances Miller Foundation, the Flora Family Foundation, John and Louise Bryson, Walter Hewlett, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Examining the Reach of Targeted School Funding By Julien Lafortune, Joseph Herrera, Niu Gao, Stephanie Barton Sep 6, 2023 The Local Control Funding Formula gives California districts additional funds for low-income and other high-need students as well as flexibility around how to spend this money. But this flexibility has raised concerns over whether districts are spending in ways that reach the high-need students and schools who generate the added funds.
Report California’s New School Funding Flexibility By Margaret Weston May 11, 2011 To ease the pain of deep budget cuts to K–12 education in 2009, school districts were allowed to use some restricted funds for general education. The new rules, which expire in 2015, helped, but created other problems. This paper offers specific recommendations for an overhaul of the restricted funding system, balancing the needs of certain groups of students against the fiscal flexibility that school districts now enjoy. This research was supported with funding from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
