Report California’s K–12 Test Scores: What Can the Available Data Tell Us? By Paul Warren Jun 25, 2018 California’s K–12 system relies on the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) English and mathematics tests to measure student academic progress and assess school and district performance. This report uses publicly available data to explore trends in student performance during the first three years this test has been in place.
Report K–12 Reforms and California’s English Learner Achievement Gap By Laura Hill May 30, 2018 English Learner (EL) students have been a key part of California’s K–12 system for decades. They currently make up about 21 percent of the public school population. English Learner status is meant to be temporary, and indeed, reclassified English Learners (those who are deemed English proficient) are among the best-performing students in the state. But students who remain ELs for longer periods generally have poor outcomes.
blog post Testimony: How an Integrated Data System Could Improve Education By Jacob Jackson Apr 11, 2018 California needs a statewide integrated longitudinal data system to help evaluate and improve its education system.
Report Charter Schools and California’s Local Control Funding Formula By Iwunze Ugo, Laura Hill Sep 21, 2017 Over the two decades since their inception, charter schools have become a significant part of the California public school system. Quasi-independent, but publicly funded, these schools educate about 10 percent of the state’s students.
blog post Video: Analyzing the Standardized Test Results By Linda Strean May 1, 2017 Standardized tests results show improvement overall. But they also suggest that students already lagging their peers could be falling further behind.
Report Student Achievement and Growth on California’s K-12 Assessments By Laura Hill, Iwunze Ugo Apr 26, 2017 California’s school children did much better in the second year of new standardized tests. But a look at results for English Learners and economically disadvantaged students indicates that achievement gaps are not closing. Struggling districts may need more guidance from the state—they might also look to schools and districts that have had success with high-need students. This research was supported with funding from the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.
blog post Can Mandatory College Entrance Exams Boost College Access? By Jacob Jackson Mar 27, 2017 Mandatory college entrance exams could remove a barrier to college entry for California students.
blog post Three Bills Signal State of Education Policy By Iwunze Ugo Nov 21, 2016 A review of the fates of three bills, the state budget, and recent administrative actions helps illustrate the current state of education policy in California.
Report Math Placement in California’s Public Schools By Niu Gao, Sara Adan Nov 16, 2016 Last year, the California Legislature passed a new law—the California Mathematics Placement Act—to address widespread concern over equity in the math placement process. The law is aimed at improving the measurement of student performance in order to move more students successfully through the high school curriculum. In this context, we surveyed California’s school districts during the 2015–16 school year to examine their placement policies right before the law took effect and to identify district needs for technical assistance while implementing the new law. We found that: Districts need help in determining how to proceed. Because the law leaves many details open to local interpretation, many districts are unsure about how to handle certain key elements. Teacher recommendations are a good example. Our survey indicates that the majority of districts have relied on recommendations as an important factor in determining placement. But the law now restricts their use. Improving the law’s clarity is critical going forward. Despite uncertainties, most districts are implementing the new law. Among our respondents, 86 percent reported having a systematic math placement policy. Sixty percent said they are somewhat or very familiar with the new law. Among these districts, 51 percent said they were already in compliance and 42 percent reported revising their policies for compliance purposes. Across districts, there is a strong need for valid, reliable, and objective performance measures. This need applies both to assessing student performance and to evaluating district policies. Districts with the largest gains in student course outcomes over a 10-year period provide some insight. These districts are more likely than others to emphasize test scores, math GPA, and overall GPA when assessing student placement. They are also more likely to use end-of-year math grades to evaluate district placement policies. Districts face a number of other challenges. Districts’ concerns range from handling parental expectations, to needing evidence-based performance measures, to creating better policy alignment within and across schools. In addition, equity issues and staffing shortages present ongoing challenges for many districts. We recommend several actions for helping districts comply with the law and improve their math placement process. These include establishing evidence-based measures, refining the approach to teacher recommendations, and identifying effective placement protocols. In the longer term, districts would benefit from using student data to improve equity issues and from increased staffing, especially in rural and high-need districts.