Facts & Figures

California students are racially and ethnically diverse. For the first time ever, the majority of California’s K-12 students are Latino (50%), while 27% are white, 9% are Asian, 7% are African American, 3% are Filipino, 2% are non-disclosed, 2% are two or more races, 1% are Native American and 1% are Pacific Islander.

K-12 Funding

California ranks near last among the 50 states on a number of measures of education spending. In per pupil spending that is adjusted for cost of living, California ranks 44th.

Education spending as a percentage of personal income is the broadest gauge of a state’s economy and the resources available to support public services, and the state ranks 46th, spending 3% of its personal income on K-12 education in 2008-09 compared to a national average of 4%.

While state funds for K-12 increased slightly to $49.7 billion in 2010-11, from $49.5 billion in 2009-10, it still fell $4.1 billion short of the state’s “minimum constitutional guarantee” for K-14 spending. The 2010-11 budget also includes a delayed payment of $1.7 billion.

Gov. Schwarzenegger used his line-item veto authority to cut $133 million in general fund support for mandated mental health services for special education students. Despite the cut and given the tremendous need among these students, $76 million in federal funds will continue to be allocated by the California Department of Education (CDE) for continued mental health services for special education students.

It is estimated that 48% of districts have made cuts to art, music and drama programs in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Art programs play an important role in education, particularly for at-risk youth. For these students, art programs have been shown to increase school engagement, prevent dropout, reduce risky behaviors, and improve academic achievement.

This year, two legal cases—the Campaign for Quality Education v. California and Robles-Wong v. California—have challenged the constitutionality of the state’s school finance system. These lawsuits claim that the state is violating California’s Constitution by failing to provide low-income and minority students with a meaningful education that prepares them for civic engagement and success in the 21st century.

Using Data to Promote 21st Century Instruction & Learning

California is working towards a comprehensive student information system to improve instruction. Once implemented, this system will enable all education stakeholders to understand and react to the myriad factors that impact children’s academic achievement.

California has made significant progress in attaining eight of ten “essential elements” needed to develop a robust, longitudinal data system that can follow student progress over time, from early childhood through 12th grade and into postsecondary education as identified by the Data Quality Campaign, a national, collaborative effort to encourage and support state policymakers to increase the availability and use of high-quality education data to improve student achievement. According to 2009-10 survey results, 12 states have attained all ten of these elements.

California meets only three of 12 data system requirements outlined in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) that are needed to be competitive for Race to the Top grants. These requirements, first established by the America COMPETES Act of 2007, are more expansive because they require states to create a P-16 longitudinal data system with stronger linkages between preschool, K-12 and higher education data.

SB 19 (Simitian) establishes strong principles for a P-16 student data system, removing barriers for using student achievement data to evaluate teachers and principals, and making California eligible for federal competitive grant programs.

SBX5 2 (Simitian) establishes a process toward ensuring student data is accessible to bona fide researchers while protecting student privacy.

California retrenched its efforts to implement a comprehensive data system due to budget cuts. Gov. Schwarzenegger eliminated $6.4 million in federal funding for the development activities of the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) and California Longitudinal Teacher Integrated Data Education System (CALTIDES). Additionally, $3.9 million was cut from the development and implementation of remaining functionality planned for 2010-11. These funds would also have provided service support and training to school districts.

Achievement and Readiness: Progressing Through K-12

Critical benchmarks in K-12 can provide essential information about students’ progress as they move through the education system. Enrolling in kindergarten with the necessary social, cognitive and academic skills marks the foundation for a smooth transition to schooling and places children on track for academic success. Third grade reading is a key indicator for future academic success, because third grade marks the shift from when children are learning to read to when they are reading to learn. Eighth grade enrollment in Algebra I is another key milestone, as it enables enrollment in upper level math courses in high school. Failure to pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE), a requirement for graduation, in tenth grade may be an indication that a student is at risk of failing to graduate. Among seniors who fail to pass the CAHSEE, 40% re-take the exam as repeat high school or adult education students, and less than one-quarter pass the exam within a year.

SB 1357 (Steinberg) addresses the need to identify struggling students early by using predictive indicators like chronic absence. It defines chronic absence and supports the development of an early warning system, which would identify and assist students at risk of academic failure or dropping out of school. It also lays the groundwork for the inclusion of student attendance data in CALPADS.

From Learning to Read, to Reading to Learn: 3rd and 4th Grade Achievement

California is falling behind in early reading skills. In 2009, the state ranked 49th out of the 50 states in fourth grade reading: only 24% of students scored at or above proficient.

Racial/ethnic disparities in student achievement are evident in third grade STAR English Language Arts scores. 30% of Latino students, 32% of African American students, 61% of white students and 67% of Asian students score proficient or advanced.

Economically non-disadvantaged students are much more likely to perform well on the STAR test. 63% of economically non-disadvantaged third-graders are proficient or advanced in English Language Arts compared to 30% of economically disadvantaged third-graders.

The Inflection Point: Eighth Grade Achievement as a Precursor Towards Advanced Math

In 2009, California ranked 47th out of the 50 states in eighth grade mathematics.

In 2003, 34% of the state’s eighth-graders were enrolled in Algebra I or a higher-level math class. By 2010, that percentage had increased to 62%.

46% of eighth-graders enrolled in Algebra I scored proficient or advanced on STAR’s Algebra I, but significant racial/ethnic disparities underlie that percentage. Only 29% of African American and 35% of Latino students scored proficient or advanced compared to 58% of white and 76% of Asian students.

Progressing Toward High School Graduation: California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE)

81% of California’s tenth-graders passed the English Language Arts section of the CAHSEE in the 2009-10 school year. While this is a 4% increase from 2006, over 92,972 students still fail this section as first-time test-takers.

While the percentage of California’s tenth-graders who passed the Mathematics section of the CAHSEE has increased from 76% in 2006 to 81% in 2010, many students continue to fall behind. Only 74% of Latino students and 67% of African American students passed the Mathematics section in 2010.

Approximately 95% of the graduating class of 2010 passed both the English Language Arts and Mathematics portions of the CAHSEE. CAHSEE requires only ninth grade math and tenth grade English proficiency, so passing the test is not equivalent to being fully prepared for postsecondary education.

California’s High School Dropouts

In one study, 75% of sixth graders who received an F as a final grade in mathematics or English, missed 20% or more of the school year, or received a final “unsatisfactory” behavior mark in at least one class dropped out of school by the 12th grade.

Regular attendance is a clear indicator for high school graduation. In the Los Angeles Unified School District, only 17% to 24% of chronically absent ninth-graders (who had missed 10% or more of the school year) eventually graduated from high school.

Approximately one in five (22%) California students dropped out by 12th grade in the 2008-09 school year. Each year, the state incurs $1.1 billion in costs associated with crime committed by high school dropouts.

The four-year dropout rate is 37% for African Americans, 30% for Native Americans, 27% for Latinos, 25% for Pacific Islanders, 14% for whites, 11% for Filipinos and 10% for Asians.
California ranks 16th out of the 50 states in the percentage of teens, ages 16-19, who are neither working nor attending school (8%).

College, Career and Civic Readiness

California spends $1.4 billion a year on remediation for recent high school graduates.

In 2009, 34% of California’s high school graduates had completed the course requirements for the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems. Approximately 35% of California’s 12th-graders also took the SAT, another requirement.

Among California’s high school graduates, 23% of African Americans, 23% of Latinos, 40% of whites and 59% of Asians completed the coursework to qualify for the state’s post-secondary education system.

Academically and economically underprivileged students are less likely than privileged students to receive learning opportunities that promote democratic participation, thus exacerbating civic inequities.

In 2010, 21% of 11th-graders who took CSU’s Early Assessment Program (EAP) English test were deemed ready for college—a 5% increase from 2009.

Budget cuts have led to lower in-state acceptance rates into the UC system. Despite increases in the number of applicants in the last two years, acceptance rates have dropped nearly 4%.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STE M) in 21st Century Instruction & Learning

Nine out of the ten fastest-growing occupations require at least a bachelor’s degree and significant training in math or science. Consequently, children need to develop math and science skills from an early age to be prepared for the future job market.

Despite growing demand for math training, only 54% of California’s tenth-graders who took the CAHSEE in 2009-10 scored proficient or above in mathematics, indicating a significant proportion of them are not meeting the state’s benchmark in math.

Gender plays a role in students’ interest and confidence in science and math, starting in middle school and continuing into adulthood. In middle school, girls show less interest and confidence in math and science than boys. Despite similar levels of math achievement, only 15% of female college freshman students plan to major in a STEM-related field compared to 29% of male college freshman.

In 2008-09, only 20% of California’s high school students were enrolled in upper level science courses. Among those enrolled, racial/ethnic disparities are evident. Only 16% of Latino and African American students were enrolled in advanced placement science courses compared to 22% of white, 29% of Filipino and 35% of Asian students.

Technology in 21st Century Instruction & Learning

Incorporating Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, podcasts, wikis and comic-creating software into teaching has been linked to improvements in students’ writing and thinking skills.

Technology provides a scaleable means of individualizing learning. In San Jose, a national nonprofit elementary charter school network called Rocketship Education customizes student learning by ensuring elementary students spend 20% of their day working independently online.

New technologies have become an integral part of student learning in higher education. Advances such as integrated mobile computing in campus instruction and the use of open content, which makes coursework available completely online, are projected to become more accessible within the next year. Other technologies, such as electronic books, are becoming increasingly prevalent.

School Staffing: The Driving Factor in Student Success

Quality teacher training that responds to current, evidence-based research is crucial to offering the best learning environment for students. Social and emotional learning incorporated into instructional strategies increases achievement and positive classroom behavior.

23% of new teachers in the U.S. graduated in the top third of their college class, whereas only 14% of new teachers in high poverty schools graduated in the top third of their college class.

Low-income children in the nation’s schools have only a 10% chance of experiencing high-quality instruction throughout their critical years in elementary school.

Reed v. State of California, filed February 2010 in Los Angeles Superior Court, argued that schools serving low-income, ethnic minority students were disproportionately affected by teacher layoffs through the “last hired, first fired” district-level seniority system. In a settlement agreement, Los Angeles Unified School District agreed to exclude up to 45 schools that demonstrate academic growth from the “last hired, first fired” system. The settlement also provides arrangements for targeted schools to develop retention incentive programs for teachers and administrators who agree to remain at the school site for a specified number of years and contribute to the school’s academic growth.

In a survey of local educational agencies (LEAs), which represent 26% of California’s K-12 students, nearly one-third (32%) report that they had cut teachers during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years.

In 2009-10, California classrooms had 7.5 more students per teacher than the rest of the nation – the largest gap in over a decade. The average class size in California is 25 students.

Only 17% of the state’s schools have a school nurse or school health center, which indicates that the majority do not have medical professionals readily available to assist them with ailments, such as asthma and juvenile diabetes.

Educating Foster Care Youth

Students across grade levels with a history of foster care placement perform 16 to 20 percentile points below students who are not in foster care. Roughly 40,000 of California’s children, ages 6-17, are in the foster care system.

Foster youth often experience instability at home and in school. Two-thirds of children in California, who have been in foster care at least 24 months, have changed home placements three or more times. Over one-third of young adults in the U.S. who have aged out of foster care report having changed schools at least five times.

Educational attainment among youth in foster care is low. Only 54% of California’s children who age out of foster care complete high school. While 70% of them hope to go to college, less than 3% go on to earn a four-year degree.

Return to Facts & Figures main page