Report School Resources and Academic Standards in California: Lessons from the Schoolhouse By Jon Sonstelie, Ray Reinhard, Heather Rose Jan 24, 2006 This report takes an in-depth look at a sample group of 49 schools in California to understand at a grassroots level the issues and problems of implementing academic standards, now a fact of life in the state for a decade. California faces particular challenges because it has more public school students than any other state, and has set its standards higher than any other state’s. Through in-depth interviews with school district superintendents and a survey of teachers, the authors found general support—mixed with relief, anxiety, and in some cases, grudging assent—and many suggestions for how standards might be implemented more efficiently and more equitably. School district superintendents were generally strongly supportive of the new standards-based regimen. A survey of more than 2,000 teachers also found general support, but also more ambivalence. Twelve percent of teachers considered the state’s standards too ambitious and therefore unachievable, while 39 percent characterized them as very difficult to achieve. The authors' financial analysis tends to confirm earlier findings that although the goals California has set for student achievement are high, the resources being provided to meet those goals are not.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Alyssa Dykman, Rachel Lawler Sep 16, 2020 Key findings from the current survey: A slim majority of likely voters support Proposition 15, which would change how commercial property is taxed. Well below half of likely voters support Proposition 16, which would repeal the state’s ban on affirmative action in the public sector. Joe Biden leads Donald Trump by a wide margin, with 60 percent of likely voters favoring Biden/Harris and 31 percent favoring Trump/Pence. Most Californians remain concerned about contracting COVID-19, but a slim majority believe the worst is behind us.
Report Passing the California High School Exit Exam: Have Recent Policies Improved Student Performance? By Julian Betts, Andrew C. Zau, Yendrick Zieleniak, Karen Bachofer Jun 26, 2012 Recent interventions aimed at students who have failed the CAHSEE have not meaningfully improved passage rates in San Diego. This finding underlines the need to help struggling students before they reach high school. To help California school districts identify these students, the authors introduce the CAHSEE Early Warning Model. This report was supported with funding from the Donald Bren Foundation.
Report California School Finance Revenue Manual By Jon Sonstelie, Heather Rose, Margaret Weston Jun 8, 2009 The funding system for California’s public schools is overly complex—even many experts lack information about how revenue is distributed. This comprehensive manual provides some fundamental and much needed facts, describing each revenue source and providing basic statistics on how that source distributes funds. This information, especially when used in conjunction with the PPIC School Finance Model, should help to promote a more open and informed discussion of school finance policy in the state.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Improving College Access and Success through Dual Enrollment By Olga Rodriguez, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Iwunze Ugo, Niu Gao Aug 21, 2023 College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) has become the fastest growing dual enrollment option in California, giving a broad range of students access to dual enrollment and setting more students on the path to college. However, CCAP students are slightly less likely to complete milestones than other dual enrollment students.
Report School Resources and the Local Control Funding Formula: Is Increased Spending Reaching High-Need Students? By Julien Lafortune Aug 7, 2019 Six years after state policymakers enacted a new funding formula for California’s public schools, significant additional resources are going to high-need districts. However, allocating resources specifically to high-need students remains a challenge.
Report Pathways to Fluency: Examining the Link Between Language Reclassification Policies and Student Success By Julian Betts, Andrew C. Zau, Laura Hill, Karen Bachofer May 6, 2014 As California overhauls K–12 standards, testing, and funding, questions about how and when English Learner students should be reclassified as English proficient take on new urgency. This report looks at the links between reclassification policies and academic success in the state’s two largest school districts. This research was supported with funding from the Donald Bren Foundation and the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.
Report California School District Revenue and Student Poverty: Moving Toward a Weighted Pupil Funding Formula By Heather Rose, Margaret Weston Feb 21, 2013 Governor Brown has proposed a new funding system—known as a weighted pupil formula—that would direct more revenue to California school districts serving many economically disadvantaged students. This report examines the relationship between funding and student disadvantage and addresses questions about converting the current school finance system to a weighted pupil formula. We gratefully acknowledge the support of The Silver Giving Foundation and the Stuart Foundation.
Report Are California’s Schools Ready for Online Testing and Learning? By Niu Gao Apr 6, 2015 In addition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), California is implementing a new, online assessment system: the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). Field tests were conducted last spring and the system is being rolled out this year, amid concerns about whether schools are technologically prepared. Using survey data from the California Educational Technology Professionals Association (CETPA), this report examines school districts’ technology infrastructure and assesses their readiness for online testing. Three findings emerge. First, school districts express confidence in the quantity and quality of their hardware and network capabilities but remain concerned about software and training of instructional and IT staff. Second, there is sizable variation in readiness across districts, linked mainly to student enrollment and district expenditure levels. Third, a clear majority of the state’s onetime CCSS Implementation Fund is going into non-technology spending such as instructional materials and teacher training. Regardless of their current readiness, districts will need targeted and ongoing support to upgrade and maintain their technology infrastructure. In the longer term, virtually all schools will need to upgrade their technology infrastructure in order to adopt and benefit from digital learning.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Alyssa Dykman Nov 18, 2019 Key findings from the current survey: Biden, Warren, and Sanders are the frontrunners in California’s Democratic presidential primary. Most Californians favor impeaching President Trump and removing him from office; views on how the impeachment inquiry is being handled are mixed. Many are concerned about wildfires and power shutoffs during fall fire season; local utilities and the governor get mixed reviews for their handling of the issue. Nearly two-thirds think California is divided between “haves” and “have nots”; 41 percent see themselves as “haves” and 44 percent say they are “have nots.”
