High-Needs Students

April 28, 2022

A former judge leads plan to overhaul California’s juvenile justice system

Judge Katherine Lucero is leading California’s massive transformation of its juvenile justice system by June 2023. In this Q&A, Lucero provides insight into how she plans to lead the shift.

Betty Márquez Rosales

October 14, 2021

Nearly half of money for high-needs students not getting to their schools, analysis finds

Research by the Public Policy Institute of California compares Local Control Funding Formula allocations to school-level spending.

John Fensterwald

September 10, 2021

California schools to get help identifying homeless students if governor signs bill

Legislators say the need is urgent as researchers estimate the number of homeless students in California has increased during the pandemic.

Betty Márquez Rosales

July 29, 2021

How ‘Mama Brown’ changed students’ lives by paying for college and so much more: ‘It’s not about the money’

Tutoring, field trips and plenty of love made the difference for Oakland students 'adopted' by a real estate agent.

Carolyn Jones And Andrew Reed

June 26, 2020

Long road ahead to close California’s digital divide in education before new school year begins

About 56,700 laptops and 94,000 hotspots have been sent to districts across the state so far.

Sydney Johnson

June 25, 2020

California schools must provide daily live interaction, access to technology this fall

California lawmakers introduced distance learning provisions around instructional time, attendance and connecting with parents.

Sydney Johnson

May 18, 2020

How some California charter schools support students during distance learning

Some charter schools with technology already in place are putting greater emphasis on family support during the coronavirus pandemic.

Sydney Johnson

May 1, 2020

More California students are online, but digital divide runs deep with distance learning

More than a month since most schools first closed, at least 270,000 students remain disconnected to the internet at home.

Sydney Johnson And Michael Burke

April 21, 2020

Internet providers asked to do more for California students without access

Donations announced Monday are beginning to chip away at the daunting task of connecting all students to devices and internet from home.

Sydney Johnson

December 19, 2019

College admissions tests are a poor indicator of college readiness

Removing tests from admissions process would allow UC to recruit and educate California’s best and brightest from all backgrounds.

Mo Hyman

December 16, 2019

Don't blame tests for differences in educational quality and access

Colleges would miss out on valuable information about student readiness if they eliminate test scores from the admissions process.

Marten Roorda

December 5, 2019

LA Unified releases new data measuring academic success of students over time

California’s largest school district published academic growth data, which measure how students improve from year to year.

Michael Burke

November 25, 2019

Test-optional admissions won't level the college admissions playing field

High SAT and ACT scores still provide an edge even if colleges don't require them.

Yoon Choi

October 2, 2019

LA Unified approves spending plan despite complaint about serving high-needs students

The school board voted on an amended version of the spending plan, which was updated after a complaint was brought against the district.

Michael Burke

March 13, 2018

Gov. Brown’s plan to change community college funding to promote student success faces scrutiny

The Legislative Analyst’s Office is recommending that Brown tie funding to the academic outcomes of low-income students.

Mikhail Zinshteyn