The 2018 Getting Down to Facts II research project drew attention to California’s continued need to focus on the achievement gap, strengthen the capacity of educators in support of continuous improvement, and attend to both the adequacy and stability of funding for schools. Based on the nature of the issues and the progress made in 2019, some clear next steps deserve attention as 2020 unfolds.

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in California was designed to increase flexibility, transparency, and equity in school districts. This report examines how Los Banos Unified School District and Chino Valley Unified School District used the LCFF to serve English Language Learners (ELLs). Both districts used the LCFF to create advocacy spaces and develop internal coherence to benefit ELLs with locally devised mechanisms and structures.

This article explores the use of nonacademic indicators such as social and emotional well-being in educational improvement. The authors suggest that while there is little guidance on using these indicators, understanding the conditions that shape the use of academic data can help develop a framework for using social-emotional learning (SEL) indicators to inform practice. The article draws from sensemaking theory and research from a study of early adopter districts in California to develop this framework.