Report Implementing Local Accountability in California’s Schools: The First Year of Planning By Paul Warren, Giselle Carrillo Mar 12, 2015 The passage of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in 2013 gave California school districts flexibility in allocating resources and significantly boosted state support for the education of disadvantaged students. LCFF also includes a Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), which requires districts to enlist the help of parents and the public in identifying student performance goals and ways to achieve them. Our research in 25 California districts suggests that educators have worked hard to develop the first of these three-year plans, but that knowledge about strategic planning, data-driven decisionmaking, and involving parents and the public in the process varies significantly among districts. As a consequence, the clarity and effectiveness of the initial plans varies widely. The state can help by making technical assistance to districts and county offices of education available and affordable. Our research also indicates that expanding the role of county offices would help them push for improved student performance.
blog post Online Courses and Achievement Gaps By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia May 23, 2014 Online learning offers the promise of expanded access to and success in higher education. To truly fulfill that promise, it must do so across the diverse population of California students.
blog post Boosting Transfers From Community College to CSU By David Lesher Mar 26, 2014 The authors a new PPIC provided a progress report on the state’s efforts to streamline the transfer pathway from community college to university.
event The James Irvine Foundation Briefing SeriesStatewide Survey: Californians and Education Apr 18, 2013
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 California’s English Learner Students By Laura Hill Sep 6, 2012 English Learner (EL) students in California’s schools are numerous and diverse, and they lag behind their native-English-speaking peers. Closing the achievement gap for EL students has been a long-standing goal for California educators, and there are some signs of success. Now that EL funding and curriculum issues are receiving a fresh level of scrutiny from decisionmakers in Sacramento, it is important to assess our understanding of this diverse group, highlight the opportunities to improve policies around demonstrating mastery of English, calibrate funding formulas involving EL students, and implement new curriculum standards thoughtfully.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Sonja Petek, Nicole Willcoxon Jan 27, 2011 Some findings of the current survey: Fifty-three percent of Californians support Governor Brown’s special election proposal to extend tax and fee increases. Majorities would be willing to raise taxes to spare K–12 education, higher education, and health and human services from cuts. The share of residents who see the state as going in the right direction—a minority—is up 22 points since October. Job Approval Ratings: Governor Brown [PDF]California State Legislature [PDF] Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings: Governor Brown [XLS]California State Legislature [XLS] Mood of Californians:General Direction of Things in California [PDF]Economic Outlook for California [PDF] Time Trends for the Mood of Californians: General Direction of Things in California [XLS]Economic Outlook for California [XLS] This survey was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.
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.
