February 6, 2019

California quietly publishes list of 781 lowest-performing schools

Convinced that stigmatizing “bad schools” and dictating improvements didn't work, state officials are counting on district-led solutions to low achievement.

John Fensterwald

January 23, 2019

Building a system of support for California students — from the ground up

Partnerships and collaboration are key to achieving school improvement goals.

Tom Armelino

January 8, 2019

Michael Kirst's parting advice: more teacher and principal training is critical to success of local control

In an exit interview, retiring state board President Michael Kirst urges more attention to professional development for teachers and principals, discusses the need for more school funding, an expanded school database and a new agency focused on children's needs.

John Fensterwald

January 1, 2019

California education issues to watch in 2019 — and predictions of what will happen

Place your bets: curbs on charter schools, passage of universal preschool, more money for K-12, more teacher strikes and the resignation of Betsy DeVos; an untested governor and volatile president may affect the odds.

John Fensterwald, Yuxuan Xie, And Justin Allen

November 28, 2018

California school districts to get ‘wake-up call’ with new absenteeism measures

At least 40 percent of California school districts and charter schools have rates of chronic absence in grades K-8 that are high or very high based on new performance measures that will be unveiled next month.

David Washburn

November 27, 2018

California's graduation rate ticks up but, still, 1 in 10 high school students drops out

Despite steady overall progress, gaps among student ethnic and racial groups persist. The new data will indicate which low-performing school districts will receive assistance when the California School Dashboard is released next month.

John Fensterwald

November 14, 2018

New California coalition agrees on next steps to improve schools, student achievement

The Alliance for Continuous Improvement releases a "GPS" guide that calls for improving on sweeping changes already in place: new education standards, a more equitable funding system and higher expectations for student success.

John Fensterwald

November 7, 2018

Tuck has thin edge over Thurmond race for California schools chief

High-spending campaign for a job with little power but a big megaphone comes down to wire.

John Fensterwald, Nico Savidge, And Mikhail Zinshteyn

November 2, 2018

Differences between Marshall Tuck and Tony Thurmond are real, as are areas of agreement

Whether it's clamping down on charter schools or changing teacher tenure, candidates can say a lot more than they can actually do.

John Fensterwald

October 11, 2018

California Department of Education limited in ability to help districts improve, report says

Louis Freedberg And John Fensterwald

September 30, 2018

The case for spending a lot more on California schools

Two panels of teachers and principals were asked to design minimal staffing, programs and resources to meet state expectations for educating all students in California. Their finding: Add $22 billion to the tab.

John Fensterwald

September 17, 2018

Multifaceted reforms needed to reach California’s education goals, research project finds

Getting Down to Facts II finds strong support for education reforms but also obstacles to student achievement and a need for more funding.

John Fensterwald

September 17, 2018

Essential Guide to Getting Down to Facts II

Here are the take-aways from the studies on special education, funding needs, a teacher shortage, a data deficit, student mental health local control's unmet potential – and more.

John Fensterwald, Daniel J. Willis, Yuxuan Xie, And Justin Allen

September 17, 2018

Ten years on, California is making progress but must do more for preK-12 education

Getting Down to Facts II research project scrutinized how California's schools are doing after a decade of policy changes.

Susanna Loeb

September 6, 2018

California to add chronic absenteeism, career/college indicators to education 'dashboard'

The State Board of Education has no answer to a basic question: Should the state measure readiness for 'college and careers' or 'college or careers'?

John Fensterwald