Past Events

Feb
3
2023
40 Years of Evidence and Impact
Topic

PACE’s 2023 conference marks many important milestones: our first in-person annual conference since the start of the pandemic, the 10-year anniversary of the implementation of the Local Control Funding Formula, and the 40-year anniversary of PACE’s founding.

Jan
11
2022
Is It Meeting Its Goal of Improving Equity in Education?
Topic
Recent research from Policy Analysis for California Education, the Public Policy Institute of California, and the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Education has provided important insight into whether the LCFF is meeting its goal of improving equity in education and how it can be further refined to improve equitable funding, opportunities, and outcomes in California. Come join California State Senator Anna Caballero along with Children Now, Education Trust-West, Parent Revolution, Teach Plus, and PACE for a webinar exploring this important research.
Dec
13
2019
Topic

The LCFF fosters accountability through districts’ use of LCAPs and District Dashboard metrics aligned to state priorities. The state’s new system of support is designed to assist districts whose Dashboard results have fallen short of expectations and is intended to advance both equity and excellence by helping districts shift from a culture of compliance to one of support and continuous improvement. CEOs play a key role in the system of support. In this seminar, PACE researchers will share new work on the changing role of COEs and lessons from early implementation of new structures.

Apr
12
2019
Topic

Since the adoption of the LCFF, CA’s public school funding structures have become more straightforward, transparent. Additionally, per pupil spending has increased, but remains below the national average. Comparisons between CA and other states in terms of funding levels and policy put CA’s public school spending in context and help to identify opportunities for improved funding measures. PACE researchers summarize findings on CA’s funding structures and trends, detailing gaps between current and adequate spending.

Feb
2
2018
Topic

PACE’s annual research and policy conference is the premier event for policymakers, researchers, advocates and local education leaders who are working to define and sustain a long-term strategy for comprehensive policy reform and continuous improvement in California’s education system. Our conference will focus on three key education policy issues: ensuring educational equity under the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), rethinking policy and practice in special education, and strengthening alignment between California’s pre–K and K–12 education systems.

Jun
22
2017
Topic

Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) is excited to invite you to The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) Implementation and Impact Conference. Panels will address three key sets of issues: Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement California’s Infrastructure of Support for Schools and School Districts What Have We Learned After Four Years of LCFF Implementation?

Mar
10
2017
Issues and Challenges
Topic

The adoption of the LCFF in 2013 marked a radical change in direction in California’s public school finance and governance system, guided by the principles of subsidiarity, equity, and continuous improvement. The members of the LCFF Research Collaborative have been working to track and analyze implementation of the LCFF over time. In this seminar members of the Collaborative will present key findings from field research during the third year of LCFF implementation. The first two years of Collaborative research looked broadly at LCFF implementation in districts and County Offices of Education.

Feb
24
2017
Early Evidence from Los Angeles
Topic

Governor Brown’s landmark finance reform — the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) — has shifted large quantities of new revenue to school districts that serve large concentrations of poor children, but less is known about how districts are distributing resources to local schools. Are the schools that educate large numbers of poor children receiving additional resources in proportion to the share of kids who generate the new revenues? Can we detect organizational improvements in these schools? Are the financial and organizational changes supported by LCFF making teachers’ working conditions

Jan
27
2017
PACE Research and Policy Conference
Topic

PACE’s inaugural conference is the premier event for policymakers, researchers, advocates and other leaders working to define and sustain a long-term strategy for comprehensive policy reform and continuous improvement of California’s education system. Our full-day conference will engage with three key education policy issues: school funding adequacy, teacher policies and cross-system-alignment. Registered participants will learn about the key policy debates and research based best-practices through conference plenaries and workshops.

Nov
13
2015
Implementation Challenges and Policy Recommendations
Topic

In this seminar, PACE researchers will present findings from a study of the second-year of LCFF implementation, focusing on how local leaders are adapting to California’s new finance and accountability systems, identifying some promising approaches to LCFF implementation, and providing implications of the findings for adjustments to the LCFF. The report is based on case studies of LCFF implementation in 7 to 9 California school districts, along with LCAP reviews of over 50 districts and interviews with over 25 County Office of Education leaders.

Jan
20
2015
Rethinking Accountability in the LCFF/LCAP Era
Topic

Californians are just now beginning to recognize the scale and impact of recent policy changes in the state’s education system. The simultaneous adoption and implementation of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) promise large and potentially transformational improvements in the state’s schools and classrooms. PACE has organized this conference to discuss the changes that are underway in California’s accountability system, and to analyze what they mean for the state’s schools and students.

Nov
7
2014
Early Implementation of California's Local Control Funding Formula
Topic

The Local Control Funding Formula represents the first significant change in 40 years to the way California funds education. It gives school districts greatly expanded flexibility to allocate dollars in ways they believe make the most educational sense for their students. It requires districts to engage parents, community members, and other stakeholders in discussion and deliberation about district services, programs, and priorities. This seminar explores the results of a study of early implementation of LCFF.

Jun
27
2014
Topic

CA adopted Common Core State Standards and state and local leaders are now engaged in the implementation process. PACE has organized this conference to review the current state of CCSS implementation in California, what we have learned, and what challenges we will have to face going forward. The conference will feature presentations from state officials who are guiding the implementation effort from Sacramento, local leaders who are wrestling with the challenge of implementing CCSS in their schools and classrooms, and researchers who are monitoring the progress of CCSS in districts across CA.

May
22
2014
Topic

PACE, in partnership with EdSource, invite you to attend a webinar featuring California's Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor on Governor Brown's May Revision of the 2014-15 state budget, what it means for schools and the fiscal outlook for education funding generally. Join us for a thoughtful, information-rich discussion on the state budget in the wake of Prop. 30 and the Local Control Funding Formula, as well as the forecast for Prop. 98 funding and the implications for schools as they implement the Common Core standards and assessments.