Grantee Resources

Topic: Narrative and Storytelling

Story / Case Study / Commentary

Stagnant California Test Scores Pose Problem; State Board May Rejigger How To Rate Districts

Children Now

An article describing the challenge faced by the California State Board of Education as stagnant test results could require hundreds of school districts to seek county assistance due to their failure to raise English language arts and math scores, prompting consideration of changes to the criteria for rating schools and districts to reduce the number of poorly performing districts.

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Story / Case Study / Commentary

What A ‘Technical’ Tweak To The California School Dashboard Means

Children Now

An article highlighting concerns raised by education advocates about the California School Dashboard's decision to "tweak" the numbers, moving dozens of schools and districts out of the red (lowest-performing) category to orange, which may give the impression of lower standards and make it harder for parents to understand the actual performance of schools.

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Story / Case Study / Commentary

New Poll: Safe And Positive School Environment More Important Than Higher Test Scores

Children Now

An article discussing the findings of a poll which showed that California voters prioritize creating a safe and positive school environment over higher scores on standardized tests when evaluating school performance, and express concerns about bullying, violence, and harassment on school campuses.

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Story / Case Study / Commentary

State Board Rethinking How To Measure Performance Of Alternative Schools

Children Now

An article discussing the challenge of developing a comprehensive accountability system for alternative schools in California and exploring potential metrics that could be used to assess their performance while integrating them into the larger system of accountability and school improvement.

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Story / Case Study / Commentary

Local Control Formula Closing Funding Gap But Not Equity Gap, Report Says

Children Now

A discussion of a report from the student advocacy organization Education Trust-West, which highlights the need for more transparency and innovative approaches to distributing funding under the Local Control Funding Formula in California, as the infusion of funding hasn't yet resulted in visible improvements for low-income students and English learners.

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Story / Case Study / Commentary

My Word: Transparency Desperately Needed On School Funding

Children Now

An op-ed advocating for the passage of AB1321, introduced by California Assemblymember Shirley Weber, which aimed to improve transparency in the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) system, providing data on how schools are spending their funds to better gauge the impact of investments on student outcomes and ensure equity and fairness in education.

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Story / Case Study / Commentary

State Releases Another Data Tool Potentially More Useful Than New Dashboard

Children Now

An article describing the California Five-by-Five Placement Reports & Data Model, an online resource offering a one-stop school comparison tool that shows a breakdown of how every school in a district performed on each performance indicator, providing valuable information for parents, teachers, and district administrators.

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Story / Case Study / Commentary

Editorial: California Common Core Assessment Plan Incomprehensible

Children Now

An op-ed arguing for the adoption of Assemblywoman Shirley Weber's AB 2548, which calls for a clear and comprehensible accountability system conforming with federal law that better assesses schools' performance and progress in helping struggling students, in contrast to the state's current confusing and multicolored matrix system.

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Story / Case Study / Commentary

Gov. Jerry Brown Just Got In The Way Of School Reform

Children Now

An editorial criticizing Governor Jerry Brown's veto of Assemblywoman Shirley Weber's bill, AB 2548, aimed at ensuring California complies with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, arguing that the state's current vague and confusing system to gauge school performance lacks credibility and is hindering accountability and progress in education reform.

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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.

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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.

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