Getting Down To Facts II Conference

Leading experts and practitioners discuss the state’s ambitious goals of expanding high-quality early education and care statewide. In a conversation moderated by EdSource’s Louis Freedberg, learn more about California’s constraints and opportunities.

The webinar, part of an ongoing series of deeper dives into the Getting Down To Facts research released earlier this year, is co-sponsored by PACE and the Learning Policy Institute.

Session 1

Current Conditions and Paths Forward for California Schools - Key Findings from Getting Down to Facts II
Speaker: Susanna Loeb, Principal Investigator of Getting Down to Facts I and II, and Director of the Annenberg Institute and Professor of Education and International and Public Affairs at Brown University

Session 2

1. Student outcomes in California
   Although student performance is improving, California's 4th and 8th grade students score below the national average in reading and math; and achievement gaps are greater in California than in the nation as a whole.
   Presenters: Sean Reardon, Michal Kurlaender, and Sherrie Reed.
    
2. School finance adequacy
   Despite recent increases in K-12 funding, substantial additional funds are needed for California to attain the goals it has for all students.
   Presenters: Jesse Levin , Iliana Brodziak de los Reyes, Jennifer Imazeki, Paul Bruno.
    
3. State governance to support quality at scale
   Despite recent increases in K-12 funding, substantial additional funds are needed for California to attain the goals it has for all students.
   Presenters: Susan Moffitt, David Plank.
    
4. Data systems to support continuous improvement and accountability
   Good data is essential for schools, districts, and the whole system to improve student outcomes, but California lags far behind other states in the quality and availability of data.
   Presenters: Jesse Rothstein, Morgan Polikoff, Heather Hough.
    
5. Early childhood education, Part 1
   Much of the large achievement gaps in California are evident at school entry, in part due to an early education system that is underfunded, fragmented, and inefficient. Topics to be covered in this session include: The Early Learning Landscape, Preparation and Training for Professionals in Early Childhood Education, Strengthening California’s Early Childhood Education Workforce, and Program Quality Monitoring and Improvement.
   Presenters: Deborah Stipek, with Marjorie E. Wechsler and Beth Meloy,
    
6. Staffing classrooms to support student success
   Nearly three-quarters of California school districts report having teacher openings that they cannot fill; shortages are most severe in special education, math, and science and in rural and high poverty urban areas. Broad choices allowed in district teacher evaluation procedures result in wide variations in both teacher preparation and teacher evaluation.
   Presenters: Linda Darling-Hammond, Katharine Strunk, Eric Taylor.
    
7. English Learner policy
   Providing appropriate instruction to California's 1.3 million English learners will require more attention to their diverse assets and needs using strategic approaches that capitalize on recent policy changes.
   Presenters: Lucrecia Santibañez, Ilana Umansky, Eric Taylor.
    

Session 3

1. Implementation and effects of LCFF
   Early evidence suggests positive effects of the Local Control Funding Formula, and school district leaders say that the LCFF has led to improved services, but they are concerned about inadequate base funding, challenges related to stakeholder engagement, and the state's mechanisms for accountability.
   Presenters: Julie Koppich, Dan Humphrey, Julie Marsh, Rucker Johnson.
    
2. Education finance challenges: facilities, special education, and pensions
   This session will explore three education finance challenges facing California. School construction and modernization costs California billions every year, but the state's current policies do not provide enough funds to meet local needs and create disparities that advantage wealthier communities. Special Education costs are rising, but state support and funding for Special Education have not; as a result, special education finance is a particular concern for district leaders. And pension costs are increasing and will meaningfully reduce local operating expenditures for districts unless the system is changed.
   Presenters: Eric Brunner, Jeff Vincent, Paul Warren, Laura Hill, Cory Koedel.
    
3. Continuous improvement
   If continuous improvement is to be a focal point of the statewide system of support, it is important to understand what this means, what it might look like, and what changes are needed to support it at scale. Breakout participants will have an opportunity to explore the conditions and supports necessary to facilitate continuous improvement in districts and schools and begin to chart the path forward.
   Presenters: Heather Hough, Alicia Grunow, and Jason Willis
4. Early childhood education, Part 2
   Much of the large achievement gaps in California are evident at school entry, in part due to an early education system that is underfunded, fragmented, and inefficient. Topics to be covered in this session include: Early Learning for Children with Disabilities, PreK-3 Alignment, and Early Child Care Data Systems.
   Presenters: Deborah Stipek, with Marjorie E. Wechsler and Beth Meloy
    
5. Standards implementation
   Educators are generally positive about California's new academic standards, but making the shift requires professional learning that many school districts struggle to provide and the state does not have the capacity to support.
   Presenters: Susan Moffitt and Neal Finkelstein
6. Charter schools
   California's charter schools enroll about 10% of public school students and many have strong student outcomes, particularly for students from traditionally underperforming groups. Spending in charters is approximately on par with traditional school spending, however, the state's charter laws are weak on charter authorization, oversight, and renewal.
   Presenters: Macke Raymond, Kirsten Mumma, Jesse Levin.
    
7. Equity issues for California
   In spite of recent efforts to address inequality in California schools, the data show consistent patterns of inequality of student outcomes based on race, ethnicity, language, special education, and poverty; persistent state education policy problems impact already disadvantaged students most severely.
   Presenters: Ilana Umansky, Lucrecia Santibañez, Jennifer Imazeki, Morgan Polikoff, and Linda Darling-Hammond

Session 4

• Panel 1: Putting Equity into Action: What California Must Do
  Panelists: Louis Freedberg (moderator), Jorge Aguilar, Valerie Cuevas, Glen Price, Arun Ramanathan, Lynn Rocha-Salazar
• Panel 2: Building Capacity - What Will It Take to Meet California’s Education Goals?
  Panelists: John Fensterwald (moderator), Brooks Allen, Daniel Allen, Shannan Brown, Mike Kirst, Derek Mitchell

Session 5

Equity for California’s Students - Lessons from the Getting Down to Facts II Research
Speaker: Christopher Edley, Jr., Co-Founder and President of the Opportunity Institute and the Honorable William H. Orrick, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law at UC Berkeley School of Law