INITIATIVE

Getting Down To Facts II

Getting Down to Facts II

Getting Down To Facts II is a research initiative that provides in-depth analysis of California’s education system as of 2018 and looks at what is working well and where improvement is still needed. Over one hundred researchers from the nation’s leading academic institutions focused on four aspects of California education—student success, governance systems, personnel issues, and school finance. These studies resulted in 36 methodologically rigorous technical reports that span these four areas. Nineteen research briefs synthesize the main findings from the technical reports for a broader readership. Taken together, these research products help to build a common understanding of the performance of California’s PreK–12 school system and the opportunities for improvement. While this research is not intended to advocate specific policies, the findings provide evidence to inform the policy decisions that can ensure California continues to move in the right direction on behalf of all students in the state.

Recent Initiative Publications
R_Perry_Feb20
A Progress Report One Year After Getting Down to Facts II
The 2018 Getting Down to Facts II research project drew attention to California’s continued need to focus on the achievement gap, strengthen the capacity of educators in support of continuous improvement, and attend to both the adequacy and…
Evidence from the 2019 PACE/USC Rossier Voter Poll
Governor Newsom has proposed initiatives to support children under 5, but California voters prioritize K-12 education and college affordability over early education. Despite evidence that high-quality early education has a powerful impact on…
What It Takes
This brief discusses the importance of preschool program quality for improving kindergarten readiness, and highlights California Governor Gavin Newsom's efforts to prioritize preschool quality as a signature issue of his administration. The brief…
CIB Koppich May 2019
Governor Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal for 2019–2020 includes $10 million to develop a statewide longitudinal data system—including