Published

Summary

This study explores the impact of county-level immigration arrests on the academic achievement, attendance, and perceptions of school climate and safety for Latinx and Latinx English learner students in California's CORE districts. The research found that there is a negative relationship between immigration arrests and these students' academic performance and school experiences. The study recommends policies and practices that can help schools and districts create safer, more welcoming environments for immigrant-origin students and families in the face of anti-immigrant actions.
Critical Actions for Recovery and the Role of Research in the Years Ahead
Published

Summary

IES issued a report on the future of education research at the National Centers for Education Research and Special Education Research. The report identifies issues, details new methods and research investments needed in the future. PACE produced a paper to synthesize existing evidence in the field and frame recommendations. Public input and outside experts were also consulted.

Insights from California's Local Control Funding Formula
Published

Summary

This policy brief focuses on California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) to provide guidance for involving the public in goal setting and resource distribution decisions. It highlights weak accountability for using public funds by LCFF’s target populations, low awareness and engagement among stakeholders, and a gap between interest and participation. To improve engagement, it suggests investing in communication, targeting a range of stakeholders, and capacity building.
Evidence from California
Publication author
Published

Summary

This paper examines how the growth of charter schools affects traditional public schools' financial health in California. The study finds that higher charter enrollment is associated with lower per-pupil spending and fiscal health in traditional public schools, but the effects are smaller than in other states. However, the proportion of expenditures allocated to different activities, goods, or services does not differ. The paper provides lessons for policymakers and suggests that California's economic and policy context may explain the differences from similar analyses in other states.
Published

Summary

This article uses case studies to explore how district administrators' conceptions of equity relate to finance reform implementation. The authors identify two conceptions of equity: greater resources for students with greater needs, and equal distribution of resources for all students. These beliefs were reflected in resource allocation decisions and were informed by districts' student demographics, organizational identities, and perceptions of adequacy.
Implementing the Local Control Funding Formula
Publication authors
Published

Summary

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) provides base funding and grants for low-income students, English learners, and foster youth, and allows local school systems to allocate resources as they see fit. The LCFFRC conducted a survey of 350 California superintendents to understand their experiences with and views of the law. Results inform policymakers and indicate areas where changes may be needed. The survey sample included districts of varying sizes and proportions of unduplicated students.
A Multidistrict Analysis of Statewide Mandated Democratic Engagement
Publication authors
Published

Summary

This article examines the democratic participation in the first-year implementation of California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) by analyzing data from 10 districts. It finds that power imbalances, institutional habits, and limited capacity constrain stakeholder involvement, while trust, support, and homogeneity foster deeper democratic engagement. The article concludes with implications for policy, practice, and future research.
Publication authors
Published

Summary

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) allows states to reshape their school accountability systems. One dominant model is the letter-grade system first adopted by Florida, while California is developing a dashboard-style system that encompasses multiple measures such as student attendance and school climate. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush presents the case for summative ratings, while Heather J. Hough and Michael W. Kirst of PACE stress the importance of multiple measures.
Insights From California’s CORE Waiver Districts
Published

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.
The Local Control Funding Formula in Year 3
Published

Summary

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) gives districts funding authority and requires input from stakeholders to create Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs) for equitable resource allocation and improved student outcomes. This report explores stakeholder engagement, implementation challenges, resource allocation, and equity using eight case studies. Despite limitations, this study offers valuable insights into California's K-12 education system's finance and governance.
How a Research Center Based at USC Rossier, Stanford and UC Davis Is Helping California Forge Its Own Path in Advancing Its Education System
Published

Summary

Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) is a consortium of researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from USC Rossier, Stanford, and UC Davis Schools of Education working to improve education policy in California. PACE's focus has been the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which changed the state's K-12 budget allocation. The consortium's strength is in its ability to get research into the hands of decision makers, especially in Southern California, where over a quarter of the state's K-12 students reside.
Learning from the CORE Districts' Focus on Measurement, Capacity Building, and Shared Accountability
Published

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
Published

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.
Time to Reaffirm the Grand Vision
Published

Summary

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) replaced categorical funding for schools in California in 2013, providing flexibility, targeted student funding, and local accountability. Two years in, research shows optimism and concern. The Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) faces challenges, stakeholders need more engagement, and implementation requires capacity and overcoming the emerging teacher shortage. Public awareness of LCFF lags at 65%.

Publication author
Published

Summary

The gap between researchers and policy makers is a significant issue. Both sides agree that the current state of affairs is unsatisfactory, but fundamental differences between their orientations and interests inevitably lead to disagreements about which questions merit study and which answers merit attention. The gap finds its origins in intrinsic dilemmas of policy research, making it wide and apparently unbridgeable.

Early Implementation of California's Local Control Funding Formula
Publication authors
Published

Summary

California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) represents a major shift in the state's education system by empowering school districts to allocate funding based on the needs of their students, with added funds for disadvantaged students. The LCFF eliminates categorical funding streams and promotes local democracy by requiring stakeholder engagement. The implementation of the LCFF is still in its early stages, and this study examines how school districts are using their newfound budget flexibility and engaging stakeholders, as well as identifying opportunities and challenges.
The Resurgence of Local Actors in Education Policy
Published

Summary

This article analyzes recent education policies to explore trends in intergovernmental relations. The authors argue that federal efforts to exert more control have actually strengthened the influence of local actors, creating a bidirectional relationship between federal, state, and local governments. Local actors have retained and asserted significant control over schooling, despite the expanded federal role in education policy. The article concludes with questions for future research and practice.
Published

Summary

Effective professional development is essential for achieving ambitious student achievement goals in standards-based education reforms. While research has identified key features of effective programs, many districts still offer unfocused and ineffective professional development that wastes limited resources. To deploy effective strategies, districts must first know how much they cost. This article aims to develop an analytical framework for organizing professional development costs and providing a common language for discussing programs.
Publication authors
Published

Summary

This article explores the reasons why education has become a central focus of modern societies and the largest public expenditure around the world. The state has built and expanded national education systems, made attending school mandatory, and linked adult success to academic performance. The article delves into the economic factors behind state financing and provision of schools.
Research Center Celebrates a Quarter Century as Leader in Legislative Policy Analysis
Published

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
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.
The Case of California
Publication authors
Published

Summary

This article highlights the lack of systematic evaluations of the relationship between educational governance and student outcomes. The authors provide a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of governance systems, drawing from previous research and interviews with stakeholders in California's educational system. The aim is to guide potential policy changes and inform future studies of educational governance.
The Influence of State Policy and Community
Published

Summary

Findings show that charter schools in the US perform similarly or worse than public schools due to disparities in resources. State regulation leads to fewer uncredentialed teachers, and more state spending equals more equal teacher salaries. Local context and the type of students served have the greatest impact on resource variance. Charter schools serving Black students rely on less experienced and uncredentialed teachers. Conversion charter schools pay more and have less uncredentialed and part-time teachers than start-up schools, which has implications for unequal student achievement.
How to Judge No Child Left Behind?
Published

Summary

This report analyzes the effects of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) on student performance using three barometers: the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), state data, and fourth-grade test scores. The authors find that earlier test score growth has largely faded since NCLB's enactment in 2002, and progress made in narrowing achievement gaps in the 1990s has largely disappeared in the post-NCLB era. The report suggests that policymakers need to reconsider the efficacy of NCLB and consider alternative approaches to school reform.
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.