DOCSLIB.ORG

Reforming Education in California: a Guide for Candidates and Citizens

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Reforming Education in California: a Guide for Candidates and Citizens REFORMING EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA: A GUIDE FOR CANDIDATES AND CITIZENS Policy Analysis for California Education REFORMING EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA: A GUIDE FOR CANDIDATES AND CITIZENS Policy Analysis for California Education Acknowledgments This briefing book aims to sustain public focus on a long-term agenda for reform in California’s educa- tion system that is grounded in research, analysis and policy thinking. We are grateful to The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and The James Irvine Foundation for their generous support of PACE, which has made this publication possible. The primary author of this report was Andrea Mayo; Mark Allen and Chris Reimann provided excellent editorial assistance. Any errors of fact or interpretation that remain are the responsibility of PACE and its directors, and not of our funders. Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) is an independent, non-partisan research center based at the Stanford University, University of California Berkeley, and the University of Southern California. PACE seeks to define and sustain a long-term strategy for comprehensive policy reform and continuous improvement in performance at all levels of California’s education system, from early childhood to postsec- ondary education and training. To accomplish this goal, PACE bridges the gap between research and policy, working with scholars from California’s leading universities and with state and local policymakers to in- crease the impact of academic research on educational policy in California. Now in its 26th year, PACE: n Publishes policy briefs, research reports, and working papers that address key policy issues in California’s education system. n Convenes seminars and briefings that make current research accessible to policy audiences throughout California. n Provides expert testimony on educational issues to legislative committees and other policy audiences. n Works with local school districts and professional associations on projects aimed at supporting policy innovation, data use, and rigorous evaluation. ii he education system in California n Local schools and districts need more flex- today is unable to meet the needs of ibility to allocate resources where needed. the state’s economy or the expectations California is an incredibly diverse state where of its citizens. From school finance to counties, cities, and school districts face very ensuring the quality of teaching, from different circumstances and challenges, but assessment and accountability to preparing students California’s education system is one of the most Tfor college and careers, education policy today in state-centric in the nation. Schools and districts California often works against the best interests of need the freedom to use resources to address students, educators, parents, taxpayers and employers. the needs of their students. State-level regula- If California is to meet its many social and economic tions and categorical funding programs should challenges, it must begin with a comprehensive be reduced to allow the state’s diverse districts reform of its system of public education. to respond to local circumstances and unique populations. There is no one silver bullet to fix California’s public education problems, but there are a series of n Policies should be designed to support con- good policies and practices that can be implemented tinuous improvement. California’s education to spur fundamental reform of the system and im- system should be committed to continuous im- proved outcomes for California’s schools and stu- provement. New policies should be crafted so dents. This briefing book provides a package of rec- that they can be carefully evaluated, and systems ommendations that, if implemented, will improve the for data collection and use should be greatly quality of education in California. Beyond the specific strengthened. New policies should be expanded recommendations proposed, three major themes are when they are successful and reconsidered when interwoven throughout the following chapters that they are not. Districts and schools should share should be considered each time the state revises its information about successes and failures through education policies. networks and partnerships. n Resources must be targeted to students who The following chapters and recommendations need them most. California should concentrate are drawn from PACE research and the work of other its resources and target them to where they are academics on education reform in California. Each most needed. The education system is rife with chapter discusses a problem faced by California’s perverse incentives that target the largest share education system, provides recommendations on how of resources, whether money or human capital, to solve that problem, and lists additional sources of towards those areas and students that need them information on that topic. least. The state should target resources intelli- Of course, improving the education system is gently to reduce waste in the system and provide not enough by itself to ensure that California’s chil- better learning opportunities for all its students. dren succeed and flourish. The state must also make 1 healthcare, safety, housing, transportation and sup- portive services a priority for all children and fami- lies. Neither can the focus of reform be limited to K-12 education. The ultimate goal for California’s educa- tion system should be the creation of a comprehensive system that supports children from pre-kindergarten through early childhood education, elementary school, secondary school and post-secondary education. Some of these recommendations will require increased funding, others will not. Certainly a greater investment in educating our children is an investment that will serve California well, by ensuring that young people have the knowledge and skills that they need to lead productive adult lives and that California’s high-tech industries can find the workers they need to sustain their leadership position in an increasingly competitive global economy. Only by providing Cali- fornia’s children with an excellent education can we ensure the future prosperity of our state. 2 REFORMING EDUcaTION IN caLIFORNIA ne of the biggest problems in California’s education system is PACE RECOMMENDatiONS: the sheer scarcity of professional adults in our state’s schools. In the n Target incentives to attract high 2006-07 school-year, for example, quality teachers to high-need schools California’s student teacher ratio was approximately and subjects. O21:1, while the national student teacher ratio was less than 16:1. (See Table 1.) Compared to other n Increase flexibility in teacher states, California also ranks near or at the bottom in preparation and recruitment. administrators, counselors and librarians per pupil. The scarcity of adults has troubling implications, n Limit state-level regulation of the especially when we consider that the ratio of labor market and encourage districts students to adults is even higher in high-need schools across the state. to experiment with alternative forms California educates approximately one-third of compensation. of the nation’s English language learners, more than three-quarters of whom are Spanish-speaking. More than 40 percent of California’s public school children speak a first language other than English. first and second-year teachers than schools with fewer English language learners face significant challeng- poor students. Additionally, in 2008-09 approximately es beyond those faced by native English speakers. 5 percent of teachers in schools in the lowest API The majority of these students are living in poverty quartile were either underprepared or novice, com- with parents who have very little education. They pared to only 1 percent of teachers in schools in the require teachers with special skills, as they need highest quartile.1 (See Tables 2a and 2b.) to learn both a new language and the academic High-need schools also find it difficult to retain curriculum. California faces a severe shortage of their most experienced teachers. In fact, teacher teachers with these skills. turnover has been estimated to be 50 percent higher in high-poverty than in low-poverty schools. High Targeting Resources: Incentives for Teaching in turnover has substantial impacts on student suc- Hard to Staff Schools and Subject Areas cess, as many students in high-turnover schools face The shortage of teachers, administrators, coun- a nearly continuous stream of substitute teachers selors, and librarians in California’s schools is worst in who are generally less qualified and experienced California’s neediest schools and districts. High-need schools face greater challenges in both attracting and 1 The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning (2009). The retaining high-quality teachers. Schools with a high Status of the Teaching Profession. Retrieved from http://www.cftl. percentage of students receiving free lunch have more org/documents/2009/TCFReport2009.pdf 3 TABLE 1: Student to Staff Ratios and Rankings* 2006-2007 Student/ Student/ Student/ Student/ Teacher Counselor Librarian Administrator State Ratio Rank Ratio Rank Ratio Rank Ratio Rank California 20.9 49 985.7 50 5,105.0 51 447.2 48 Florida 16.4 39 442.1 29 954.8 38 345.6 38 Texas 14.8 27 436.6 27 922.5 34 239.8 10 United States 15.5 -- 474.8 -- 905.5 -- 318.8 -- * Ranking is from lowest to highest and includes all 50 states and the District of Columbia. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center
Load more

Recommended publications
  • From Master Plan to Mediocrity: Higher Education Performance & Policy in California
    ~ Perin,],'J ,!,., ,,, ,, I INSTITUTE for RESEARCH on HIGHER EDUCATION From Master Plan to Mediocrity: Higher Education Performance & Policy in California Joni E. Finney, Christina Riso, Kata Orosz, and William Casey Boland Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania April 2014 0 INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON HIGHER EDUCATION Contents Preface 2 Introduction 4 The Golden State: Its People, Economy, & Politics 5 The People of California 5 The California Economy 5 The Political Environment of California 6 The State’s Higher Education Structure 6 University of California 7 California State University 7 California Community Colleges 7 Gubernatorial and Legislative Powers over California’s Higher Education System 8 California Higher Education Performance 9 Preparation 9 Participation 9 Affordability 10 Completion 10 Research 11 Gaps in Performance 12 What Policies Explain Higher Education Performance Over Time? 13 The Complex Political Environment and Political Indifference 14 The Indirect Costs of a “Direct Democracy” 14 The Limitations of Term Limits 15 The Cost of Political Indifference and Short-Term Fixes 15 Absence of Statewide Higher Education Goals 16 Absence of Statewide Finance Strategy for Higher Education 18 State Appropriations Are Not Targeted to Performance 18 Tuition Setting Is Not Tied to Finance Policy 20 Financial Aid Is Increasingly Not Meeting Student Needs 21 Easing Student Transitions 23 Alignment Concerns between K-12 and Higher Education 23 College Transfer: The Unfulfilled Mission of the Master Plan 25 Inadequate Incentives for Improving the Career-Technical Education Pathway 27 Conclusion 27 Notes 29 References 36 About the Authors 48 1 FROM MASTER PLAN TO MEDIOCRITY: HIGHER EDUCATION PERFORMANCE AND POLICY IN CALIFORNIA Preface From Master Plan to Mediocrity: Higher Education Performance and Policy in California is the result of the hard work and persistence of nine graduate students enrolled in my Advanced Public Policy Seminar at the University of Pennsylvania in the spring semester of 2013.
    [Show full text]
  • Student and School Indicators for Youth in California's Central Valley
    Student and School Indicators for Youth in California’s Central Valley ••• Anne Danenberg Christopher Jepsen Pedro Cerdán 2002 PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Danenberg, Anne, 1954- Student and school indicators for youth in California’s Central Valley / Anne Danenberg, Christopher Jepsen, Pedro Cerdán. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 1-58213-060-4 1. Educational indicators—California—Central Valley (Valley) 2. Education—California—Central Valley (Valley)—Statistics. I. Jepsen, Christopher. II. Cerdán, Pedro, 1978- III. Public Policy Institute of California. IV. Title. LB2846 .D26 2002 370'.9794'5021—dc21 2002012852 Copyright © 2002 by Public Policy Institute of California All rights reserved San Francisco, CA Short sections of text, not to exceed three paragraphs, may be quoted without written permission provided that full attribution is given to the source and the above copyright notice is included. PPIC does not take or support positions on any ballot measure or state and federal legislation nor does it endorse or support any political parties or candidates for public office. Research publications reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff, officers, or Board of Directors of the Public Policy Institute of California. Preface ________________________________________________________________________ This study was commissioned by The James Irvine Foundation as the first of two reports documenting the condition of youth
    [Show full text]
  • Higher Education in California
    PPIC HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER HIGHER EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA’S HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM EXPANDING COLLEGE ACCESS IMPROVING COLLEGE COMPLETION INCREASING EQUITY AND DIVERSITY INVESTING IN PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION MAKING COLLEGE AFFORDABLE MEETING CALIFORNIA’S WORKFORCE NEEDS STRENGTHENING CAREER EDUCATION California’s Higher Education System PPIC HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER OCTOBER 2019 California’s system is the largest—and among the most diverse— in the nation California’s higher education system has three public segments: the University of California (UC), the California State University (CSU), and the California Community Colleges. It also includes more than 150 private nonprofit colleges and about 160 for-profit institutions. In total, the state’s colleges and universities enroll almost three million students from a wide range of backgrounds. An additional 170 private for-profit trade schools (postsecondary institutions that award vocational certificates but do not offer degrees) enroll about 30,000 students. Eight out of every ten college students in California attend a public institution—and more than half are enrolled in the community college system. Even so, the share attending private schools is sizeable. Indeed, private nonprofit colleges enroll slightly more students than the University of California. Enrollment in private for-profit colleges has been declining after increasing sharply for many years. Unlike most other states, California has not had a coordinating body for higher education over the past several decades. This has made goal setting, oversight, and coordination more challenging. The structure and principles established almost 60 years ago by the Master Plan for Higher Education remain largely unchanged. The Master Plan allowed the state’s public system to accommodate dramatic increases in enrollment for several decades while providing broad access and charging little or no tuition.
    [Show full text]
  • Education in California Today
    EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA TODAY Consider these facts: 100 of California’s nearly 2,500 high schools account for nearly half of the state’s dropouts; residents of coastal counties are two‐thirds more likely to have a bachelor’s degree than those of inland counties; 45 in 100 Latino adults in the Los Angeles metro area never completed high school. Education is one of three areas, along with health and standard of living that make up the American Human Development Index used to measure the well‐being of Californians in A Portrait of California. Based on the most recent available U.S. Census Bureau data on both school enrollment starting from age 3 and degree attainment of all adults age 25 and older, A Portrait of California explores the education attainment level of the Golden States’ residents by neighborhood and county, metro area, racial/ethnic group, and for women and men. STRIKING FINDINGS IN EDUCATION FROM A PORTRAIT OF CALIFORNIA: o The Bay Area region, stretching from Sonoma County in the north to San Benito in the south is the leader in higher education degree attainment. San Diego and greater Sacramento are next, with Northern California and the San Joaquin Valley at the bottom of the eight regions (see figure). o A resident of the San Joaquin Valley is only one third as likely to have graduated from college as one in the Bay Area. o In the San Joaquin Valley, over 28 percent of adults have not completed high school, about the level of the nation as a whole over a quarter century ago.
    [Show full text]
  • California's Economic Payoff
    California’s Economic Dr. Jon Stiles, Dr. Michael Hout, Dr. Henry Brady Institute for the Study of Payoff Societal Issues, UC Berkeley Investing in College Access & Completion EXECUTIVE SUMMARY April 2012 The benefits of higher education extend well beyond the direct payoff for students and include substantial gains to the state Californians with a college degree will earn $1,340,000 more than their peers with only a high school For every $1 California diploma invests in higher education, it will receive a net return on The state would have to increase its investment in $ investment of $4.50 higher education 3X $$$$ before it would fail to return its original investment The return is double for those who COMPLETE COLLEGE—$4.80 than for those who enter but fail to complete college—$2.40 By entering and completing college, the average Californian will spend $12 billion 4 years less in poverty, IOU reducing the expected number of years they receive cash aid By the time a graduate by more than 2 years reaches 38 years old, Past graduates of UC and the state’s initial investment CSU return $12 billion ECONOMIC is repaid in full annually to the state WELL-BEING California’s Economic Payoff Investing in College Access & Completion he State of California is looking to resolve the ongoing budget crisis in order to secure our economic future and the opportunity for all citizens to realize the California Dream. The continued budgetary challenges raise many questions about the most effective ways to secure these goals. What are the benefits of investing in higher education?In this report, And, conducted is it worth by itresearchers for Californians? at the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues at the University of California,T Berkeley, two of these questions are addressed: This study concludes that the benefits of higher education extend well beyond the direct payoff for students and include substantial gains to the state.
    [Show full text]
  • Increase the Percent of SFUSD Graduates Who Complete a Post-Secondary Degree Within 6 Years
    Increase the percent of SFUSD Graduates who complete a Post-Secondary Degree within 6 years High School Graduates who Enroll in College and Complete within Six Years Source: National Student Clearinghouse 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 The above chart shows the percentage of SFUSD students who graduated between 2007 and 2011 who completed a post-secondary degree within six years of graduating from high school. Data Definition & the San Francisco Trend line The chart above shows the percentage of San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) graduates that completed degrees at two and four-year institutions within six years of graduation. Each year on the chart represents the year in which a group of SFUSD students graduated from high school. For each year, the number of SFUSD graduates that enrolled in and completed a degree within six years is shown as a percentage of total SFUSD graduates from that year. For example, the last data point on the chart shows that 52% of the 3,885 students graduating from SFUSD high schools in 2011 completed either an Associate’s, Bachelor’s or advanced degree by 2017. Certificate programs are not included in the dataset. The percent of students who complete a post-secondary degree within six years is calculated using a service provided by the National Student Clearinghouse, StudentTracker. It is important to note that data for approximately 10% of each graduating cohort in not available through the National Student Clearing House. SFUSD uses StudentTracker to identify its graduates at U.S. colleges and universities.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Childhood Education in California
    RESEARCH BRIEF | SEPTEMBER 2018 Early Childhood Education in California Deborah Stipek Stanford University About: The Getting Down to Facts project seeks to create a common evidence base for understanding the current state of California school systems and lay the foundation for substantive conversations about what education policies should be sustained and what might be improved to ensure increased opportunity and success for all students in California in the decades ahead. Getting Down to Facts II follows approximately a decade after the first Getting Down to Facts effort in 2007. This research brief is one of 19 that summarize 36 research studies that cover four main areas related to state education policy: student success, governance, personnel, and funding. This brief summarizes findings from Early Childhood Education in California (September 2018), an extensive, multipart report examining the overall landscape of early childhood education (ECE) in California. For each topic listed below, the brief summarizes key findings and their implications for California policies related to young children and their families: The Early Learning Landscape Deborah Stipek and Peggy Pizzo Early Learning for Children with Disabilities Nancy Hunt Preparation and Training for Professionals in Early Childhood Education Deborah Stipek Strengthening California’s Early Childhood Education Workforce Lea J. E. Austin, Marcy Whitebook, and Raúl Chávez Program Quality Monitoring and Improvement Deborah Stipek and Sarah Ruskin Bardack PreK-3 Alignment Deborah Stipek Early Child Care Data Systems Deborah Stipek and Madhuvanti Anantharajan These and all GDTFII studies can be found at www.gettingdowntofacts.com. Introduction More than 24 million children ages 5 and younger live in the United States, and about one in eight of them—a little over 3 million—lives in California.
    [Show full text]
  • Higher Education in California
    ATTACHMENT 1 PPIC HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER HIGHER EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA’S HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM ADDRESSING CALIFORNIA’S SKILLS GAP EXPANDING COLLEGE ACCESS IMPROVING COLLEGE COMPLETION INCREASING EQUITY AND DIVERSITY INVESTING IN PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION MAKING COLLEGE AFFORDABLE California’s Higher Education System PPIC HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER SEPTEMBER 2017 California’s system is the largest—and one of the most diverse— in the nation California’s higher education system includes three public segments—the University of California (UC), the California State University (CSU), and the California Community Colleges. It also includes more than 150 private nonprofit colleges and about 200 for-profit institutions. In total, the state’s colleges and universities enroll more than two million students from a wide range of backgrounds. Most students attend public colleges, but a sizable share (25%) attend private schools. Indeed, private nonprofit colleges enroll more students than the University of California. Enrollment in private for-profit colleges has started to decline after increasing sharply for many years. Unlike most other states, California has no coordinating body for higher education. This makes goal setting, oversight, and coordination more challenging. The Master Plan for Higher Education, adopted by the state legislature in 1960, established a structure and a set of principles for public higher education that are still largely in effect. Through the Master Plan, the state’s public system was able to accommodate dramatic increases in enrollment for several decades while providing broad access and charging little or no tuition. But over the past two decades, tuition has risen sharply and enrollment has not kept up with demand—largely because of reductions in state support.
    [Show full text]
  • Higher Education in California
    August 2020 HIGHER EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA An introduction to the state’s public colleges & universities Since the Spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of billions of people worldwide. Seemingly overnight, our colleges and universities transitioned their entire operations online. There is no playbook for how to best respond to this global pandemic. While it is virtually impossible to predict the lasting impact that COVID-19 will have on our students and our state, we must collectively ensure vulnerable students do not fall off their college pathways and that state leaders understand that investing in higher education is critical, especially in times of crisis. This publication provides a summary of higher education in California with specific information on enrollment, tuition/fees and financial aid, governance, and state funding in our public community colleges and universities. We also offer recommendations for how to strengthen college opportunity and student success. California’s college graduates provide the healthcare, science innovation, and safety net needed to get through this COVID-19 pandemic. They will be the ones who help the state recover from the economic downturn. Severe cuts to California’s colleges and universities will threaten access, financial aid, and college completion, ultimately hurting the state’s long-term economic future. The Legislature and Governor Newsom must work together to prevent the disproportionate impact higher education cuts will have by race/ethnicity and income on our most vulnerable students, including undocumented students. Leaders should not balance the budget on the college dreams of our students. 2 California State University, Chico CALIFORNIA PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION AT A GLANCE Enrollment Coordination Governance 3,029,856 The 1960 Master Plan for Accomplished through college students, making Higher Education defines separate boards with our public higher education each segment by its mission various levels of autonomy.
    [Show full text]
  • Joint Committee to Develop a Master Plan for Education – Kindergarten Through University
    Joint Committee to Develop a Master Plan for Education – Kindergarten through University Senator Dede Alpert, Chair Assemblywoman Elaine Alquist, Co-Vice Chair Assemblywoman Virginia Strom-Martin, Co-Vice Chair The California Master Plan for Education July 2002 Draft Comments and suggestions may be sent to the Joint Committee through the following means: Write to: 1020 N Street, Suite 560; Sacramento CA 95814 Submit electronic testimony via website: http://www.sen.ca.gov/masterplan Check Master Plan website for local town hall meetings in your area Table of Contents Section Page INTRODUCTION 1 THE VISION 4 THE PLAN 8 ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION 10 Conditions that Promote Learning 11 Qualified and Inspiring Teacher in the Classroom 15 Rigorous Curriculum that Prepares All Students for Success 28 Participation in California’s Public Universities 30 Current Textbooks and Instructional Materials 32 Adequate Learning Support Services 33 Qualified School or Campus Administrators 36 School or Campus Physical Plant that is Safe and Well Maintained 40 ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS 43 Assessment of Student Learning Needs 45 Course Alignment and Articulation 49 Teacher and Faculty Preparation and Professional Development 53 ACCOUNTABILITY FOR LEARNER OUTCOMES AND INSTITUTIONAL PERFORMANCE 56 Governance – Aligning Responsibilities, Authority, Accountability 57 Shared Accountability 73 AFFORDABILITY OF A HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION SYSTEM 79 CONCLUDING COMMENTS 93 The California Master Plan for Education Introduction – California’s Challenge ublic education is a vital interest of our state in that it provides Californians with the capacity, knowledge, and skills to sustain our system of government, to foster a thriving P economy, and to provide the foundation for a harmonious society.
    [Show full text]
  • How California Ranks
    SEPTEMBER 2010 REPORT How California Ranks Public education supports California’s eco- HigHligHts nomic growth and creates opportunities for EdSource examined the available data sources and n That year California ranked 28th among the states the state’s youth. Given that, it is important for interpretations with care and also consulted exten- in its per-pupil expenditures. Californians to understand how much the state sively with experts when we encountered questions n When the expenditure numbers are adjusted for differ- is investing in its schools and how that money or inconsistencies. Throughout this report, you will find ences in labor costs (the major component in a cost- is being spent. Comparing California with the straightforward explanations of what we found and— of-living comparison), California’s rank falls to 43rd. nation and other similar states does not indi- as necessary—notes about the data we chose and why we chose it. Based on our research, we feel cate whether the state is spending enough, but California’s high labor costs and modest per-pupil confident in reporting the following: it does provide a perspective. expenditures mean that its school districts have A wealth of data is available for comparing California’s public schools serve the country’s low staff-to-pupil ratios compared with the California’s investment in public education largest student population, one that is quite diverse country as a whole, with some staff categories with that of other states. State officials typically and faces substantial challenges. (Page 3) particularly low. (Page 8) n submit data to the National Center for Educa- California school district offices operate with 40% California’s effort to support its schools financially of the administrators found nationally.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Technical Report
    Technical Report Aims and Purposes of a State Schooling System: The Case of California Harry Brighouse University of Wisconsin-Madison Kailey Mullane University of Wisconsin-Madison September 2018 About: The Getting Down to Facts project seeks to create a common evidence base for understanding the current state of California school systems and lay the founda�on for substan�ve conversa�ons about what educa�on policies should be sustained and what might be improved to ensure increased opportunity and success for all students in California in the decades ahead. Getting Down to Facts II follows approximately a decade a�er the first Getting Down to Facts effort in 2007. This technical report is one of 36 in the set of Getting Down to Facts II studies that cover four main areas related to state educa�on policy: student success, governance, personnel, and funding. Aims and Purposes of a State Schooling System: The Case of California Harry Brighouse University of Wisconsin-Madison Kailey Mullane University of Wisconsin-Madison Evaluating a school system requires benchmarks of success. In order to know whether it is successful we need to know not only what is happening, but what should be happening. This paper interprets, and comments on, the aims California has for its public school system, and offers ways of thinking about the evidence in the light of those aims, and about how to set goals over the coming decade. California’s constitution, adopted in 1879, requires that the state provide a system of public education for the purpose of the “general diffusion of knowledge and intelligence” and explicitly mentions the promotion of “intellectual, scientific, moral, and agricultural improvement.” The constitutional text does not provide much detail about the content or distribution of education.
    [Show full text]