This report presents findings from the third annual evaluation of Partnership Academy Programs in CA, a high school-based, state-funded program with a school-within-a-school administrative structure that enrolls at-risk students with academic potential. The program provides students with basic job skills in a promising labor-market field and support from local businesses, including curriculum development, guest speakers, field trips, mentors, and work experience positions. The evaluation addresses the quality of program implementation and the degree to which programs follow the academy model.

This report provides social indicators to evaluate the quality of life for children in California, covering physical and mental health, safety, sexual behavior, academic achievement, and the settings and systems that serve children. Despite most children being healthier and better schooled than in the past, recent polls indicate concern about child-rearing and the likelihood of an expanding educational underclass. The report aims to offer a portrait of the quality of California's children, address gaps in available data, and provide limited policy recommendations.

In the fall of 1985, ten academy programs were established by the State of California as replications of the Peninsula Academies. PACE evaluated these 10 academies in 1985–86. This report presents findings from a second evaluation covering the academies' 1986–87 school year.

The fourth edition of Conditions of Education in California has expanded its content to include a special features section on education reform processes, along with the previously included sections. The publication is based on compiled information from other sources and original data collection and analysis. The format has been altered to improve readability for a wide range of audiences.

In 1983, California's Senate Bill 813 aimed to improve the education system by proposing a large number of reforms. However, it lacked a cohesive strategy and proven philosophy. The bill's impact on school districts and schools was unknown, and this study aimed to assess whether selected schools could implement the reform components and whether they contributed to school improvement. The goal was to understand how schools reacted to state mandates and inducements for improvement.

California's education system faced a decline in the early 1980s, prompting reforms such as a common core curriculum, higher graduation requirements, and tougher academic standards. A Nation at Risk report further pushed for nationwide school changes. California's swift response led to the enactment of Senate Bill 813, a comprehensive education reform program with over 80 policy and program reforms. Several studies showed positive results, but the study in this report aims to determine how state-level education reforms improved local schools.

Continuing growth and sustained progress on educational reform characterize California's public schools, but the Gann spending limit, which potentially restricts state dollars for education, and projected shortages of highly qualified teachers dampen prospects for continued educational improvements. Indications of important educational progress in California, which PACE documented in Conditions of Education in California, 1985, continue on many fronts. This is particularly true when compared to the recent decade of serious decline in California's public school system.

This technical report provides an overview of California's educational system, intended for educators, public officials, journalists, and informed citizens. With over four million students and a $17 billion annual cost, the state's school system is vast and complex. The report offers comparisons of California's education system to itself in prior years and other states, revealing patterns of change and suggesting future trends. These trends serve as a guide for the many facts and figures presented in the report.

This study examines curricular changes in California high schools from 1982-85, as educational reforms aimed to enhance academic rigor. Findings show increased offerings in academic subjects like math, science, and advanced placement, and decreased offerings in areas such as industrial arts, home economics, and business education. The data aligns with statewide curricular changes, likely influenced by mandates for more extensive graduation requirements and alterations to university entrance requirements.

Comprehensive school guidance programs attempt to address a range of student needs on personal, social, career, and academic dimensions. Many guidance and counseling programs, however, have suffered cutbacks in recent years even though students continue to be in need of guidance, and students themselves have expressed a desire for assistance.

The first in a series of annual reports on education in California aims to assess school performance objectively. It summarizes data on demography, academic performance, curriculum, personnel, and finances. Highlighting California's 1983 education reform effort, the report provides a baseline for assessing future reforms, with successive reports addressing the same dimensions. It focuses on K-12 public schools but also includes some data on nonpublic and postsecondary education.