Reforming the
K-12 education system

The road begins with better data

Reports & Research

California Report Card, 2010

California County Data Book, 2007

 
 

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Facts & Figures

The last 15 years have seen an increase of approximately one million Latino students, bringing the percentage of Latino students in California public schools from 37% to 49%.

More than 166,429 (38%) fourth-graders are not meeting California’s standards for fourth grade reading, which research has indicated will significantly reduce their likelihood of passing the California High School Exit Exam.

Academically- and economically-underprivileged students are less likely than more privileged students to receive extensive learning opportunities that promote democratic participation.

 

The state has adopted teacher standards, initial administrator license requirements and administrator recertification requirements to ensure educators have the capacity to use technology in schools.

53% of the state’s public school children participate in the Free and Reduced Price Meals Program.

Each year, California spends $1 billion providing basic skills education to adults who failed to acquire them during their primary education.

In California, 12% of math teachers, 18% of physical science teachers and 11% of life science teachers are considered out-of-field teachers.

One million students have entered the state’s public schools over the last 15 years.

According to national measures of student achievement, California’s achievement gap has not changed significantly over the past 15 years. Latino and African American students significantly underperform when compared to their white counterparts.

In 2008, 47% of freshmen entering the California State University system needed remediation in English and 37% needed remediation in math.

In 2009, California was one of 27 states awarded a grant to design and implement a statewide longitudinal data system from the Institute of Education Sciences.

56 languages are spoken in California’s schools.

33% of African American and 24% of Latino high school students in the state drop out before graduation compared to 12% of white and 8% of Asian high school students.

Underprepared teachers in the state are concentrated in the lowest-performing schools. During the 2007-08 school year, the average percentage of underprepared teachers was 9% in the lowest-performing schools compared to 2% in the highest-performing schools.

California is one of 26 states that have incorporated technology expectations for students within the standards for English, math, science and/or history.

With approximately 6.3 million public school students, California has more students enrolled in the public K-12 system than any other state in the nation.

Children eligible for the Free and Reduced Price Meal Program, a measure of poverty, continue to fare worse academically than their peers on national measures of student achievement.

Of the 20 most populous states in the nation, California ranks 19th in the percentage of high school graduates who enroll in four-year colleges or universities.

California ranks lower (47th) in adjusted per pupil spending than last year, spending about $2,400 less per student than the national average.

California’s public school children are 49% Latino, 28% white, 7% African American and 8% Asian.

More than 98,000 of California’s high school students, or nearly 20% of each class, drop out before graduation.

In 2009, 26,590 teachers and other school staff in California received layoff notices. In 2008, about 10,000 teachers and other school staff received layoff notices, and approximately 5,000 lost their jobs.

According to California math teachers, 72% of eighth-graders have Internet access in their classrooms. Nationally, math instructors report that 83% of eighth-graders have Internet access in their classrooms.

While the 2009 Academic Performance Index (API) indicates that Latino, African American and economically-disadvantaged students increased their scores, California’s achievement gap persists. White and Asian students continue to score higher.

Of students who take the Early Assessment of Readiness exam, 83% do not demonstrate readiness in college English and 43% do not demonstrate readiness in college math.

Since 2007-08, K-12 funding in California has experienced a 6% decline, or roughly $4.5 billion.

 

Policy Priorities

Continue to develop a comprehensive (“cradle-to-career”), integrated, longitudinal information system that supports students, teachers, administrators and policymakers; enables more timely and comprehensive identification and response to children’s needs; and improves access to and use of data from the system.

Implement a comprehensive and balanced package of K-12 reforms and investments that includes an equitable and transparent finance system for all schools; policies that support the recruitment, retention and equitable distribution of high-quality staff; and additional resources to ensure all students succeed and learn in safe, well-equipped instructional settings.

 
 

The nation’s educational gaps have the “economic equivalent of a permanent national recession,” costing between $310 billion and $525 billion each year—roughly 2% to 4% of the Gross Domestic Product of the U.S.

California once had one of the finest education systems in the nation. Now, the state lags behind most others on measures of academic performance, including ranking lowest on test scores for fourth grade reading and third lowest on eighth grade math. Moreover, California’s achievement gap is pervasive and persistent, with Latino and African American children continuing to trail behind their white peers. If current trends continue, California is forecasted to have a shortage of one million college graduates by 2025, when 41% of all California jobs will likely require a bachelor’s degree but only 35% of Californians will have one.

Rebuilding a quality K-12 education system in California will prepare today’s children for tomorrow’s workforce, putting the state on the path to a sustainable economic recovery.

In the 1950s and 60s, California invested in children’s education with great results. But since, the state has underfunded its education system; per pupil spending has remained below the national average since 1982. During the current economic crisis, California’s schools were among the hardest hit. The state’s K-12 budget for 2009-10 is $66.7 billion, down from $71.2 billion just two years ago. It makes sense for California to prioritize children’s education now, a smart investment in securing the state’s future. Higher academic achievement translates to:

  • Higher state revenues, through taxes and other contributions;

  • Fewer expenses, in reduced need for public support services; and

  • Increased abilities to drive innovation and growth in the state.

Rebuilding a quality K-12 education system in California will prepare today’s children for tomorrow’s workforce and put the state on the path to a sustainable economic recovery.

Using Data to Improve
Children’s Education

California needs a much better information system for K-12 education in order to improve policy-making, instruction and learning. Currently advancing in Sacramento, such a system is the first step toward improving educational outcomes for children—creating a culture of continuous improvement for public education throughout the state, from top to bottom. The new comprehensive information system for education is fundamental to building the foundation for the monumental finance and governance reforms that also are required to fix the state’s education system.

Current Status & Timeline

Throughout 2008-09, Children Now was instrumental in every aspect of moving the comprehensive information system for education forward, including creating the long-term strategic plan, generating broad-based support, securing needed legislative commitments, and other wide-ranging development activities. More specifically, our work has resulted in:

  • The passage of Senate Bill 1298, which initiated California’s new, statewide student information system;

  • $24 million in budget for the establishment of a student data system;

  • Ensuring California’s alignment with the eligibility requirements for federal funding opportunities supporting state education information systems, via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA);

  • The crafting and passage of Senate Bill 19, which removes any barriers to the use of achievement data linked to individual teachers and principals for the purpose of evaluation—a critical step in ensuring that California is eligible to compete for the federal Race to the Top funding.

Figure: The Path to Implementation
(Click to enlarge image)

Governance & Finance Reform: Finding Common Ground

In the context of a down economy, it’s an ideal time for California to take a long-term view and have a meaningful discourse about education reform and investment—so that we’re ready to finally address these difficult issues when the economy recovers. The state’s future economic outlook depends on us addressing critical issues head on, and education has to be front and center on California’s recovery agenda. Children Now and its partners in the education reform effort have the expertise and resources needed to engage the business and education communities and leaders throughout the state in a productive conversation.

The need for comprehensive governance and finance reform of California’s K-12 education system is well documented and broadly accepted:

Yet, opposing political parties and interest groups remain divided and have lost sight of what’s in the best interests of children and the state’s future. Children Now is working to illuminate and realize the “win-win” that exists for all parties in reforming California’s education system.