The 2022 PACE/USC Rossier Poll
Published

Summary

The 2021-22 academic year in California was challenging for public education due to eight issues that threaten student learning, schools, and public education itself, including gun violence, declining enrollment, and long-term funding inadequacy. These issues also have a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities and highlight long-standing systemic inequities. In July 2022, PACE and USC Rossier School of Education conducted a poll of California voters to determine their views and priorities on public education.

Trade-offs and Policy Alternatives for California
Publication authors
Published

Summary

CA is one of six states that still use average daily attendance (ADA) to allocate state education funding to school districts. A new report suggests that 90% of districts would receive more funding under an enrollment-based formula than under the current ADA-based system, with the biggest boost going to high school districts and those with more low-income, English learner, and foster youth students. However, the report also notes that a new count method alone cannot achieve all goals, and policymakers must consider how to drive positive practices related to student attendance and engagement.
Publication authors
Published

Summary

This report examines California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) after eight years and suggests refinements to improve equitable funding, opportunities, and outcomes. Based on interviews, research, and data analysis, the report identifies four areas for improvement: revisiting and refining the funding formula, modernizing funding for students with disabilities, equitably distributing effective teachers, and strengthening transparency, engagement, and accountability. LCFF has been viewed as an improvement over the previous system yet gaps between equity goals and local outcomes remain.

The Path Towards Reimagining and Rebuilding Schools
Published

Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all students; however, its impact has been particularly devastating for students of color, students from low-income families, English learners, and other marginalized children and youth. As transmission rates decline and vaccination rates increase in California, many are eager to return to normalcy, but we must all recognize that even the prepandemic normal was not working for all students. The 2021–22 school year, therefore, constitutes a critical opportunity for schools to offer students, families, and educators a restorative restart.

Published

Summary

A report on the importance of economic analysis in decision-making in CA's school system. Economic evaluations can help identify the most effective policies and interventions while reducing waste and ultimately improving outcomes for students. Studied here is the cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) method, its benefits, and its broad applicability. To be more influential, economic analysts should focus on policies and programs that require significant funding, investigate how results are relevant to decision-makers, and consider how resources can be allocated towards cost-effective programs.
Publication author
Published

Summary

California is the wealthiest state in the US, yet its school funding is insufficient to meet educational goals due to the high cost of living. A series of 12 charts provide an explanation of what is happening, with solutions outlined in the final section of an accompanying report.

A Summary Brief
Published

Summary

California schools' funding had improved, but still fell short of what is necessary to meet the state's goals. Now, schools face three major challenges: declines in student achievement and social-emotional well-being due to COVID-19, increased costs associated with distance learning and school reconfiguration, and the need to tighten budgets. Securing necessary funding will require an enormous and sustained effort from many stakeholders to improve schools and student outcomes and strengthen the economic and social outlook for future generations.

Views from the 2020 PACE/USC Rossier Poll
Published

Summary

In the run-up to 2020 elections, where do California voters stand on key education policy issues? This report examines findings and trends from the 2020 PACE/USC Rossier poll. Key findings include rising pessimism about California education and elected officials, continued concern about gun violence in schools and college affordability, and negative opinions about higher education. However, there is substantial support for increased spending, especially on teacher salaries.

A Progress Report One Year After Getting Down to Facts II
Published

Summary

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 stability of funding for schools. Based on the nature of the issues and the progress made in 2019, some clear next steps deserve attention as 2020 unfolds.

Lessons Learned
Publication author
Published

Summary

This policy brief examines the recent development and approval of Proposition A in the San Francisco Unified School District, which included a parcel tax for increasing teacher salaries, introducing flexibility to the salary schedule, and strengthening accountability for teacher performance. The author describes how the district and union worked together to increase compensation and align school district goals with teacher salaries.
The Quality Teacher and Education Act in San Francisco
Publication author
Published

Summary

This policy report reviews the approval of Proposition A, a parcel tax initiative in the San Francisco Unified School District, which aimed to improve teacher salaries and fund innovative compensation programs. The report includes an assessment of the programs funded by the tax revenues, and is based on interviews and public documents.
Investing in Education Facilities and Stronger Communities
Publication authors
Published

Summary

California is midway through one of the grandest public infrastructure projects ever attempted. Over the coming decade school officials will complete an $82 billion effort, building new schools and renovating old facilities, supported by taxpayers and private investors. But are state officials and local planners building schools mindfully to advance educational quality and lift local communities?
School Finance and Governance in California
Published

Summary

Getting Down to Facts is an extensive investigation of CA's public education system commissioned by a bipartisan group of CA leaders. The project aimed to describe California's school finance and governance systems, identify obstacles hindering resource utilization, and estimate costs to achieve student outcome goals. The project resulted in 23 reports by scholars, which highlight that the current school finance and governance systems fail to help students achieve state performance goals, particularly those from low-income families. The reports provide a framework for assessing reform options.
Reforming California School Finance
Published

Summary

This policy brief proposes a more rational and equitable school finance system for California that links district revenue to student needs and regional costs. The proposal aims to ensure that all districts are held harmless at current funding levels while providing essential backdrop for broader reform issues. The brief discusses the problems with the current finance system, the principles and concepts that guide the reform, and simulations of how it might work in practice. The report shows that significant improvement in the finance system can be achieved with modest new investment.
Preschool and K–12 Finance Reform in New Jersey and Texas
Publication authors
Published

Summary

This report examines factors that affect student achievement in California schools, finding that family background and school context are important determinants. The report recommends that schools focus on providing high-quality instruction, improving reading and math skills, and creating a positive school climate. Policymakers should increase resources for under-resourced schools and promote parental involvement. Continued research is needed to better understand the complex factors that shape student outcomes.
Publication author
Published

Summary

This report focuses on estimating the costs for California school districts to meet state-set achievement goals and how these costs differ across districts with different student characteristics. The study uses an econometric cost function approach to estimate base costs and marginal costs associated with poverty, English learners, and special education. The findings are compared with cost studies in other states and used to analyze whether the current school finance system appropriately accounts for cost differentials across districts.
What Are Their Effects, and What Are Their Implications for School Finance?
Publication authors
Published

Summary

The report explores the impact of teacher sorting, or the tendency for high-achieving students to be assigned to more effective teachers, on student achievement. It finds that teacher sorting has a significant positive effect on student achievement in both math and English language arts. The effects are particularly strong for students who start out low-achieving. The report argues that policies aimed at reducing teacher sorting, such as random assignment of students to teachers, may be counterproductive for student achievement.
Painting a Picture of Revenues and Expenditures in California’s School Districts
Publication author
Published

Summary

The report explores the relationship between teacher experience, school characteristics, and student achievement. Teacher experience is positively associated with student achievement, particularly in schools with high concentrations of low-income students. Additionally, the authors find that school size, teacher turnover, and teacher qualifications also impact student achievement. The report concludes that policies aimed at improving teacher quality and experience can have positive effects on student outcomes, particularly in high-poverty schools.
California's High Priority School Grants Program
Publication author
Published

Summary

The report examines the effectiveness of a large-scale performance-based incentive program in California schools. Results show that the program had a small but positive impact on student test scores in math and English, with larger effects in schools with high levels of poverty. However, the authors caution that incentive programs may have unintended consequences and should be implemented with care.

Spinning Out the Implications of the Improved School Finance
Published

Summary

Despite the belief that increased spending leads to better educational outcomes, real expenditures per pupil have doubled since the late 1960s, yet problems in schools persist. An improved school finance approach focuses on effective resources in schools and classrooms that improve valued outcomes, rather than just increasing spending. Clarifying why funding is often wasted and developing new models of connections between revenues, resources, and the results of schooling is essential.
How Do We Assure an Adequate Education for All?
Publication author
Published

Summary

California ranks 44th in the nation in education spending, spending only 86.1% of the national average per pupil in 2001-02. The recession of the early 2000s resulted in dramatic budget deficits for the state and substantial reductions to the expected level of school funding. Research suggests using the concept of adequacy to estimate the costs of providing an educational program that will enable all—or almost all—children to meet the state's high proficiency standards and offers recommendations for finding additional resources needed to adequately fund California's schools.
California Policy, the "Improved School Finance," and the Williams Case
Published

Summary

This article applies the logic of the ‘‘improved’’ school finance, arguing the need to understand how resources are used at the school and classroom levels. While California policies and most court cases have been seriously inadequate from this perspective, the recent case of Williams v. California provides new opportunities for equity since it follows the logic of the ‘‘improved’’ school finance.
Published

Summary

This article presents a summary of a report prepared for the Williams v. State of California lawsuit, highlighting the achievement gap for English learners in California and seven areas where they receive an inequitable education compared to their English-speaking peers. It also documents the state's role in perpetuating these inequities and proposes remedies to reduce them.
Who Gains, Who Loses?
Publication author
Published

Summary

Over the past 30 years, a combination of court rulings, legislative enactments, and voter initiatives has made dramatic changes in the landscape of education governance in California. The presumption of local control, a system based on local electoral accountability, has been superseded by a system of centralized, administrative accountability. Among the most sweeping changes are those that affect the way in which the state’s public schools are financed. Until 1980, paying for elementary and secondary education was largely a local matter. Local property taxes paid most of the bills. The state...
Year 2 Qualitative Implementation Study (QIS)
Publication authors
Published

Summary

This paper assesses the perspectives and experiences of stakeholders on San Francisco County’s CARES program, a childcare retention–incentive program. Year 2 saw over a threefold increase in the number of stipends awarded, but recipients felt the program couldn't address ECE staff retention/turnover alone. Solutions need to be implemented within a larger system of support, raising public awareness, expanding professional development opportunities, and exerting pressure on policymakers for sustained funding to augment ECE staff salaries.