David Plank

October 11, 2018

A future in flux: what next for the California Department of Education?

Without a lot more money, the next state superintendent of public instruction must clarify the department's role under local control.

January 30, 2018

Federal, state visions for improving schools collide in California

The Every Student Succeeds Act is a battleground for the latest dispute between Sacramento and Washington.

January 12, 2018

Can 600-plus California districts narrow the achievement gap?

Most must act on their own, without state or county assistance.

John Fensterwald And Daniel J. Willis

Federal Education Policy

December 27, 2017

Federal government finds flaws in California’s plan to improve lowest-performing schools

Is state board exercising flexibility or violating the Every Student Succeeds Act?

September 27, 2017

Average scores flat in 3rd year of California's Common Core-aligned tests

Search results for the 2016-17 Smarter Balanced assessments of math and English language arts by school or district and see three-year trendlines for the Common Core-aligned tests.

September 18, 2016

Districts join new data sharing partnership

The CORE Data Collaborative would serve districts that together enroll 30 percent of the state's students.

August 31, 2016

No Child Left Behind rewrite works for California

The Every Student Succeeds Act curbs the federal role in dictating school improvement.

June 25, 2015

Panel recommends continuing districts' waiver from NCLB

Six California CORE districts seek extension from the federal law.

June 9, 2015

New school funding formula to get huge increase

Districts that don't target priorities may miss an unprecedented opportunity.

May 14, 2015

Revised estimate for K-12 spending: $6 billion more next year

Proposition 98 channels new revenue to schools to partially make up for past cuts.

March 1, 2015

Moving beyond a single measure of a school

The state board envisions a very different system post-Academic Performance Index.

November 6, 2014

Opinions differ on impact of Tuck's campaign

In the hours since Marshall Tuck’s daunting but failed effort to unseat incumbent State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, education and political observers have reached different conclusions about the election and its significance.

John Fensterwald

The Common Core Challenge

June 26, 2014

Poll finds Common Core opposition rising

An annual poll of Californians’ views on education contains bad news for teachers unions and for advocates of the Common Core standards, good news for backers of charter schools, mixed news for preschool supporters and a warning for State Superintendent Tom Torlakson in his re-election campaign against Marshall Tuck.