A 1996 statewide poll by PACE surveyed Californians on their views and expectations for public schools, informing policy discussions. Results revealed four broad themes and their relevance to ongoing education policy discussions, such as redesigning statewide assessments, reforming traditional school governance, providing public funds for private schools, and complex issues of local control. PACE believes public perceptions should be considered in policy discussions, although education policy should not be solely based on public opinion polls.

New curriculum manuals have been created to address the expanding field of school-age childcare, including Kids' Time: A School-Age Care Program Guide. Other widely-recognized materials include Just Kids, Preparing for Mass Disasters, and A Guide for Training and Recruiting Child Care Providers to Serve Young Children with Disabilities. The benefits of childcare include fully-employed parents, self-sufficient families, and children who succeed in school due to the aid of childcare programs. Reducing Exceptional Stress and Trauma, a guide on coping with violence, will be published this year.

The California Cares Project, conducted by PACE for the California Department of Education, Social Services & Office of Child Development & Education, culminates in this report. The project was initiated in response to AB 2184, which sought to consolidate all childcare and development programs to streamline the system. The report is divided into two parts: Part I analyzes current obstacles to a seamless system and Part II presents a conceptual model and decision procedure for program and funding allocation and governance. Phase III will refine recommendations and work towards implementation.

The California Department of Education, Social Services, and Governor's Office of Child Development and Education selected PACE to analyze issues and options for improving California's childcare system. PACE will produce a report with optional approaches for improving access, quality, and funding of childcare services, including alternative systems and policy models. Phase I includes analysis of childcare issues and programs, literature reviews, and experiences of other urban states. This report summarizes Phase I's work.

This is the ninth edition of Conditions of Education in California. In this volume, PACE has compiled information on current critical issues in state education policy and presented them within the context of major policy developments. "Evolving Context" introduces the current issues in the state and sets the stage for the remaining chapters, which are Assessment and Achievement, Finance, Teachers and Teaching, Integrated Children's Services, Child Care and Development Services, and School-to-Work.

The California Task Force on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, consisting of educators, administrators, parents, and officials, deliberated for eight months on how a national voluntary certification system can impact California's education landscape. They explored questions on the standards, assessment methods, incentives, and potential benefits for teachers, students, and communities. The report aims to start a dialogue and encourage continued improvement in California's schools.

PACE's Conditions of Education in California 1992-93 volume is the eighth edition and marks PACE's tenth anniversary. The report provides neutral, objective, analytic data on California's education system, analyzing data on enrollment trends, student achievement, fiscal conditions, human resources, education governance, and the politics of education. The report includes a chapter on education reform, an opinion poll on Californians' perceptions of the education system, and critical data on enrollment and fiscal trends, student achievement, and school governance.

This PACE paper provides information regarding the number and types of private schools in California, as well as their enrollments, size, and geographic distribution. It also summarizes current state regulations for private schools and highlights areas in which information gaps exist. Finally, the paper suggests possible ways in which existing private schools might expand or new private schools might enter the marketplace.

General Summary #2660 – California/Minor – 9/93

PACE conducted a poll of over 1,400 Californians to understand public opinion on education and school vouchers. The poll explored what Californians want in their schools, attitudes towards vouchers and trade-offs, and satisfaction with public and private schools. The study analyzed differences among Californians by race, socio-economic status, religion, region, and more. Conducted by Penn & Schoen Associates, the poll provides a snapshot of public opinion to aid voters, parents, educators, and policymakers in understanding potential new directions for improving education.

The seventh edition of Conditions of Education in California by PACE focuses on education policy issues in a national context. The report analyzes California's education data by placing it in multi-state, national, and international contexts. The report's first three chapters analyze evolving education policy issues, Sacramento political dynamics, and student achievement. The remaining three chapters provide longitudinal data on student enrollment, finance, and system characteristics. The report aims to provide a continuing picture of education in California.

Traditional teacher recruitment fails to meet urban area and high-demand subject needs. Alternative certification programs offer a solution but are criticized for being a "quick fix". The LAUSD Intern Program case study addresses questions on effectiveness and preparation of alternative-certified teachers. On-the-job training is context-specific and not a replacement for college-based education.

This study compares the post-secondary experiences of graduates from California Partnership Academies with their matched comparison groups. The findings show that Academy graduates are doing equally well as comparison students in the first year or two after graduation, indicating that Academy programs have not achieved higher graduation rates at the expense of lower success rates after high school. However, there may be more subtle differences between the two groups that are not detectable by simple measures.

CA's education system is affected by external factors like shifting demographics, declining economics, and intensifying politics, limiting the traditional routes of local decision-making and property taxation. Although some districts show excellence and commitment, creating and sustaining a statewide education system to meet 21st-century expectations is difficult without a comprehensive reform plan. Political conflict over revenue earmarking and school reform distracts from education improvement. This report describes and analyzes these issues, suggesting a comprehensive set of solutions.

This report discusses the importance of forecasting revenues and expenditures for public sector planning and budgeting. It highlights three characteristics of California's recent experience. First, K-12 funding rose 91% from 1980 to 1989, but real revenue growth was tempered by inflation. Second, California relies more on state revenues for K-12 education than the rest of the US. Third, California's "effort" in raising K-12 revenues in 1986 was lower than the US average, and revenue efforts for both schools and other public functions are below the national average.

The Trust Agreement Project, initiated in September 1987, is a joint effort of 12 California school districts and their teachers' unions. It enables teachers and school management to develop agreements on professional issues beyond the traditional scope of collective bargaining. The agreements cover topics like teacher evaluation and curriculum development, and aim to enhance educational capacity by promoting collective responsibility for educational processes and outcomes. The project appears to be altering decision-making processes and encouraging collaboration between unions and management.

The study examines the Partnership Academies in California, which are designed to reduce high school dropout rates among at-risk students. Academies combine high school curriculum, technical courses, and support from local businesses, with funding based on student outcomes. Survey results indicate that Academy students had a lower dropout rate than comparison group students, were more likely to attend college, and earned higher wages while working and studying. Graduates from both groups reported being fairly satisfied with their high school preparation and achievements since graduation.

This is the fifth edition of Conditions of Education in California. Over time, the content and format have changed in keeping with suggestions made by readers. This publication is based upon compilations and syntheses of information collected by other agencies and individuals. These sources are noted throughout the text. We wish here to express our appreciation to these others upon whose efforts we depend so heavily. Also, PACE undertakes a substantial amount of original data collection and analysis. We make specific mention of this throughout the text.

This report presents findings from the third annual evaluation of Partnership Academy Programs in CA, a high school-based, state-funded program with a school-within-a-school administrative structure that enrolls at-risk students with academic potential. The program provides students with basic job skills in a promising labor-market field and support from local businesses, including curriculum development, guest speakers, field trips, mentors, and work experience positions. The evaluation addresses the quality of program implementation and the degree to which programs follow the academy model.

This paper discusses childcare quality and its impact on child development. It highlights the need to consider various factors that contribute to quality and how they affect children's experiences. Presented is a hypothetical day in two different childcare situations to demonstrate the varying experiences children have. The characters and incidents are fictional but based on the author's real observations and experiences in early childhood programs in CA. The author emphasizes the need to promote quality early childhood programs informed by research in child development and early education.

California's growing child population will require significant increases in public spending, particularly in education due to immigration, working parents, poverty, and family disorganization. Counties and school districts bear the brunt of providing children's services, but cities have greater fiscal flexibility and revenue-raising potential. This paper provides information on county children's services and trends in county budgets to support further research on county financing for children's services.

Public school funding in the US has seen continuous increases in real funding since 1960, reflecting strong citizen support for public schools and a growing economy. Despite pessimism and recession in the 1980s, real school funding continued to increase substantially. This report provides an overview of school revenues and funding increases needed for education reforms, and details changes in education finance during the 1980s, comparing increases to the levels needed to fund proposed reforms.

This report provides social indicators to evaluate the quality of life for children in California, covering physical and mental health, safety, sexual behavior, academic achievement, and the settings and systems that serve children. Despite most children being healthier and better schooled than in the past, recent polls indicate concern about child-rearing and the likelihood of an expanding educational underclass. The report aims to offer a portrait of the quality of California's children, address gaps in available data, and provide limited policy recommendations.

The Trust Agreement Project aimed to develop new forms of school organization and relationships among teachers and administrators. Six California school districts participated, each selecting an educational policy area for trust agreement development. Trust agreements produced role changes, fostered collaboration, and altered decision-making. These initial results show promise in leaping school districts from the 19th-century industrial model to a more appropriate 21st-century model.

California's K-12 schools are supported by a vast amount of public money, and education financing has become an intensely political issue. This report analyzes school financing outcomes, including equity, efficiency, distributional consequences, and academic rigor, and addresses the conditions of school finance equality. The report seeks to provide answers to important questions about the amount of money being spent, how it compares to other states, who benefits from the funding, and whether added state funds have bought more rigorous schooling.