Research findings indicate that the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) exit exam has not yielded the expected benefits and, instead, has negatively affected many students. Criticism revolves around the exam's low proficiency levels in math (7th-8th grade) and English (10th grade). The debate focuses on the necessity of the exam and the appropriate performance standard. Increasing the bar to a college-ready level might significantly raise graduation failure rates, while eliminating the exam could diminish a student's incentive for engagement. With the emergence of new assessment systems aligned to Common Core Standards, the conflict between graduation requirements and college readiness will likely intensify, potentially leading to the abandonment of the exit exam.
PACE has been hosting the California Diploma Project, uniting eight stakeholders across the state's education system to enhance alignment. Recently, they endorsed using the 11th-grade CST in the Early Assessment Program as a measure of readiness for college-level work. This sets a clear target for students aiming for college success and provides a benchmark for diverse college assessment systems. However, the majority of California students fall short of this readiness standard. In 2009, only a small percentage met the EAP standard in English and Math. While boosting these numbers won't be simple, having a common indicator for college readiness offers a starting point to address this challenge.
When a couple hundred educators, journalists, parents and researchers—including the L.A. Times reporter who worked on the controversial database of teacher ratings—gathered at UC Berkeley on Monday to tackle the thorny issue of teacher evaluation, the biggest news was probably...
For nearly three decades, PACE has facilitated discussions on California's education policies by integrating academic research into key policy challenges. Traditionally, this involved publishing policy briefs, organizing seminars, and producing the annual 'Conditions of Education in California' report, offering comprehensive data and analysis on the state's education system. The launch of "Conditions of Education in California" as a blog marks a shift to engage a wider audience and enable ongoing updates. This platform, authored by PACE-affiliated researchers across California, aims to share new data, compelling research findings, and insights on current legislation and policies. The objective remains fostering informed discussions on education policy challenges in California, now extending the conversation to policymakers, educators, and citizens. This inclusive dialogue is crucial to drive the necessary policy understanding and momentum for improving the state's education system.
The Plyler v. Doe Supreme Court case in 1982 established that undocumented children have the right to a public education, protecting around 1.5 million children. However, the educational rights of about 65,000 undocumented high school graduates expire annually, posing challenges for their access to higher education. Texas passed HB1403 in 2001, allowing undocumented graduates to pay in-state tuition, citing economic benefits. Following suit, California passed AB540, providing in-state tuition but facing challenges in enrollment. California Senate Bill 1460, the California DREAM Act, aims to grant access to state financial aid for undocumented students who qualify for in-state tuition. Despite state investments in their education, Governor Schwarzenegger has vetoed the California DREAM Act three times. With federal immigration reform expected, there are questions whether California will seize the opportunity to tap into the potential talent pool of educated undocumented students by passing the California DREAM Act in 2010. The article highlights the resilience, academic achievement, and community contributions of undocumented students, urging recognition of their potential as an asset for the state.
Joining a national debate about the Los Angeles Times‘ recent publication of its own evaluations of 6,000 elementary school teachers, UC Berkeley is hosting a Sept. 27 experts forum, “Grading the Teachers: Measures, Media and Policies.” The education school is...
This Policy Analysis for Education paper, coauthored by WestEd’s Neal Finkelstein, examines how QEIA dollars were spent in the first year of funding at four low-performing Los Angeles high schools, who was involved in decision-making, and the conditions under which...
At a time when California is facing the prospect of falling some one million college graduates short of its workforce needs by 2025, the First Generation to College program has reached into the most economically marginalized area of Oakland to...
April 16 PACE seminar “California’s College Graduate Crisis, and What to Do About It” is now available online. The speaker was Martin Carnoy, Vida Jacks Professor of Education and Economics at Stanford University. In 2005-06 almost half of the pupils...
This fourth and final brief in the California Collaborative on District Reform series examines how the Fresno–Long Beach Learning Partnership uses data to inform work across and within the districts. The Partnership is a collaboration that aims to improve student...
The Fresno–Long Beach Learning Partnership is a joint effort of the third and fourth largest districts in California to pursue common goals, measure student outcomes, share professional knowledge, learn from each other, and support each other’s progress. This groundbreaking relationship...
The Commission on Teacher Credentialing and Policy Analysis for California Education co-sponsored a one day conference looking at preparing effective school leaders on September 25, 2009. This was a free, one day seminar for researchers, the policy community, district and...
The authors of this study employ longitudinal student data to gauge the effect of California's exit exam (CAHSEE, taken in 10th grade) on student persistence (as measured by the percentage of students remaining in school in their original district at...
Graduation rates for low-achieving minority students and girls have fallen nearly 20 percentage points since California implemented a law requiring high school students to pass exit exams in order to graduate, according to a new Stanford study. The new study...
After years of hard work and spending hundreds of millions to raise the level of student performance, educators, political and civic leaders, and parents still have not produced the results they expect. Now we know why: “A basic flaw in...
A recent report by UC Berkeley-based Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) praises the Long Beach Unified School District for its effective, systematic efforts to boost student performance. “The Long Beach Unified School District is nationally recognized for its systematic...
On the first day of kindergarten, children—regardless of race or income—who regularly attended preschool have up to five months’ academic head start on their nonpreschooled peers, University of California researchers found in a study released today. The study, funded by...
Teachers across the country work hard to increase student achievement, but report declining morale and high stress under accountability pressures such as the federal No Child Left Behind Act, according to studies published Wednesday by UC Berkeley professors and other...
Vartan Gregorian, President of Carnegie Corporation of New York and Phillip Griffiths, former director and professor of mathematics of the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), announced the creation of a new high-level joint commission to address the continuing concern that...
Recent research suggests that a student’s first college academic experiences are critical in increasing their chances of transferring to a four-year college. The number and type of courses that students take in their first semester and the grades they earn...
Most high-school graduates who enter California’s community colleges intending to transfer eventually to a four-year institution either drop out or no longer consider transferring a primary goal after just one semester, according to a report released this week by Policy...
A new report by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) finds that six in 10 students who enter the California community college system as freshmen with high school diplomas and aspirations to transfer to four-year institutions drop out or lower...
Hundreds of California schools are "failing" under the federal standards, but one that's shining bright—and adding its own wrinkle to the debate over school reform—is Ralph Bunche Elementary, named for the black American diplomat who won the 1950 Nobel Peace...
The goal of the No Child Left Behind Act is simply stated: All children should be proficient in reading and mathematics by the end of the 2013-14 school year. But more than five years after the law was enacted, it...
Stanford researchers, led by education Associate Professor Susanna Loeb, have headed an unprecedented investigation into California's troubled K-12 education system. Their findings reveal that millions of students will be able to attain the state's high achievement standards only if what...
