Webinar / Video / Podcast
Webinar: Helping Local Groups Prepare Their LCFF Budget Advocacy Strategy
Children Now
A webinar for local community groups to help them follow the money and engage with their school districts.
Tag: Performance Assessment/Portfolios/Project Based Learning
Story / Case Study / Commentary
Editorial: Tough Measurements For School Success Needed
Children Now
An op-ed discussing the conflict between different educational reform systems in California, particularly the CORE system used by six school districts to evaluate schools beyond traditional test scores, and the federal regulations under the Every Student Succeeds Act, which may limit the districts' innovative approach, raising questions about the need to respect the principle of allowing districts to innovate.
Story / Case Study / Commentary
Federal Education Officials Should Tell California No
Children Now
An editorial criticizing the California state Board of Education President and state Superintendent of Public Instruction's objections to the federal government's implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), arguing that the state officials are prioritizing teacher satisfaction over student improvement and should not be allowed to delay the implementation of ESSA.
Story / Case Study / Commentary
California’s Baffling New Approach To Evaluating Public Schools
Children Now
An op-ed criticizing the California State Board of Education's draft of a new annual accountability system for California schools, arguing that it is overly complicated and lacks clarity in measuring school performance, making it difficult for parents and voters to understand and compare schools effectively.
Story / Case Study / Commentary
School Reform: Federal Pressure On California Pays Off
Children Now
An editorial highlighting the mixed signals from Sacramento regarding education reforms, with positive developments in tracking student progress but disappointment in the lack of progress in reforming California's weak teacher tenure law.
Story / Case Study / Commentary
Top Priority: The Push For K-12 Accountability
Children Now
An op-ed emphasizing the importance of implementing a statewide school accountability system in California, particularly to address STEM challenges and ensure all students have access to a high-quality education.
Webinar / Video / Podcast
Webinar: What do parents and community groups need to know about LCFF, LCAP and budgets
Education Trust, Inc.
A 30-minute webinar by The Education Trust-West and Children Now about what parents and community groups need to know about California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAP), and school budgeting process.
Story / Case Study / Commentary
California Schools Accountability Plan Is Critical
Children Now
A commentary on the need for a comprehensive and transparent accountability system in California's public schools, which considers multiple measures of a child's experience and involves community engagement and state support to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for all students.
Story / Case Study / Commentary
California Revamps School Rankings
Children Now
An article discussing changes in San Francisco's education system, particularly the transition away from the Academic Performance Index (API) as a yardstick for school success, and the adoption of a new system that includes multiple indicators beyond standardized test scores.
Story / Case Study / Commentary
No Child Left Behind Replacement Would Give Other States The Freedom California Has Already Claimed
Children Now
An article describing how the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) aligns with California's approach to education governance, emphasizing local control and flexibility in determining school accountability measures.
Story / Case Study / Commentary
What Makes a Good School?
Children Now
An editorial about the need for a new school accountability system in California, exploring alternative measures beyond standardized test scores and highlighting the importance of maintaining clarity and performance-based assessment while considering a more rounded look at school achievement.
Research/Report
Engaging Students in Transforming Their Built Environment via Y-PLAN: Lessons from Richmond, California
Berkeley Institute of Urban and Regional Development
A peer-reviewed field report that describes how high school students from Richmond, California used the Youth - Plan, Learn, Act, Now (Y-PLAN) program to actively participate in the planning and transformation of their school, neighborhoods, and city.
Research/Report
The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015: What it Means for Equity and Accountability in California
Education Trust, Inc.
An equity alert about how California reconciled its system with the new federal requirements laid out in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Tool / Toolkit
Ed100 Lessons
Full Circle Fund
A free, self-paced online course that prepares you to make a difference in your school or school district. California's education system is complex and changing fast.
Story / Case Study / Commentary
State’s Public School Reform At A Pivotal Moment
Children Now
An op-ed summarizing changes in California's public education system, including updated academic standards, the Local Control Funding Formula, and the need to reinvent the state's assessment and accountability systems.
Research/Report
Blueprints for Hope: Engaging Children as Critical Actors in Urban Place-making
Berkeley Institute of Urban and Regional Development
A peer-review journal article about the Youth-Plan, Learn, Act, Now (Y-PLAN) program, how it helped third- and fourth-grade students in San Francisco contribute their ideas to the redevelopment of their community, and how their ideas were incorporated into community designs.
Story / Case Study / Commentary
Putting Student Success At The Center Of Planning And Budgeting
Children Now
Tips and suggestions for California school leaders as they build their Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP).