Improvement Team Leads’ Perspectives on Fitting Improvement Work to Their Sites
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Summary

This chapter in an edited book focuses on the work of two improvement network hubs in California as they tried to support participating districts and schools to improve the proportion of students “on-track” for post-secondary success. California has a particular stake in figuring out how to support districts in consistently using continuous improvement (CI) to achieve measurable gains in student outcomes because state policy (e.g., Local Control Funding Formula, California’s Every Student Succeeds Act Plan) prescribes CI as the approach to improvement in its accountability system.
Changing Mindsets and Empowering Stakeholders to Meaningfully Manage Accountability and Improvement
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Summary

The shift towards multiple-measure dashboard accountability has potential for promoting more meaningful learning, but also comes with challenges. Lessons learned from research on CORE Districts show that a shift to flexibility and capacity building efforts has challenges. Oakland Unified School District's approach suggests that districts have agency to modify mindsets by modeling inquiry, openness, and flexibility, giving stakeholders space and authority to manage accountability and improvement.
Insights From California’s CORE Waiver Districts
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Summary

California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) aims to improve educational equity by providing additional funds to districts with disadvantaged students. Districts are required to engage with their communities and develop Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs) to identify priorities and allocate funds. However, there are concerns about the quality of LCAPs, lack of stakeholder involvement, and limited transparency. To improve the effectiveness of LCFF, districts must ensure meaningful stakeholder engagement and use data to guide decision-making.
Learning from the CORE Districts' Focus on Measurement, Capacity Building, and Shared Accountability
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Summary

California and the US are undergoing a cultural shift in school accountability policies towards locally-determined measures of school performance. Lessons can be learned from the CORE districts, which developed an innovative accountability system, emphasizing support over sanctions, and utilizing multiple measures of school quality. The CORE districts' measurement system and collaboration hold promise for improving local systems, but efforts to build capacity remain a work in progress.

Publication authors
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Summary

ESSA allows states to design accountability systems and measures to meet new college and career readiness goals. With the lack of adequate measures, states will need to develop new measures and structures. The CORE Districts in CA, with its innovative accountability system and waivers from No Child Left Behind, is a model for other states. Reports from CORE-PACE highlight the impact of decisions such as subgroup sizes and test score growth on identifying low-performing schools. States can use the district waiver provision to help develop and refine their accountability systems under ESSA.
Multiple measures and the identification of schools under ESSA
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Summary

This report examines the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and how schools can be identified for support and improvement using a multiple measures framework. The authors find that different academic indicators measure different aspects of school performance and suggest that states should be allowed to use multiple measures instead of a summative rating. They also find that non-academic indicators are not given enough weight and suggest a clarification in federal policy.
Research Center Celebrates a Quarter Century as Leader in Legislative Policy Analysis
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Summary

The call for improved education persists annually within PACE, emphasizing the perpetual need for progress. Even with strides made, the organization does not consider its mission accomplished. Guided by three core principles—allocating resources to disadvantaged schools, granting autonomy to local districts, and rigorous evaluation of educational efficacy—PACE remains dedicated to fostering lasting policy reform and enhanced educational performance across California's system. Leveraging experience from Michigan State's Education Policy Center, PACE's leadership continues to drive the...
School Finance and Governance in California
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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.
Third-Year Results from Replications of the California Peninsula Academies
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Summary

Evaluation of 11 California high school academies in 1987-88 found positive in-school outcomes. Academies combine academic and vocational courses to reduce dropout rates. Graduation rates available for one grade-level cohort, with an estimated net benefit of $1.0-1.3 million from dropout prevention.
Second-Year Results from Replications of the California Peninsula Academies
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Summary

This article discusses the results of replicating the California Peninsula Academies model in 10 high schools. The model provides technical instruction in an occupational field, alongside core academic curriculum, and is designed to prevent dropouts. Evidence suggests that Academy students performed better in terms of grades and course credits compared to students in comparison groups, particularly at three sites.
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Summary

States can help local schools improve by implementing effective school improvement strategies. A study by the Education Commission of the States (ECS) identified key elements that can transform schools into more effective organizations, and various roles that states can play in the change process. The study analyzed data collected in 40 schools in 10 states, providing a solid knowledge base for implementing state-mandated education reforms. Effective strategies and conditions for success were studied using a case-study approach. The study began in late 1983 and was completed in early 1985.