Early on the evening on March 13, 2020, Gov. Newsom issued an executive order addressing some of the unresolved questions prompted by coronavirus-related school closures. The order ensures that districts will receive state funding as normal and will not lose Average Daily Attendance (ADA) revenue […]
Year: 2020
Dashboard updates stir strong State Board debate; coronavirus impacts discussed
A regular annual update to the State Board of Education at its March 11–12 meeting about the California School Dashboard raised serious questions and concerns from board members about several proposals. While only an information item, the board informed California Department of Education staff that […]
Celebrating the impact of music in California schools
For more than 30 years, March has been officially designated by the National Association for Music Education for the observance of Music in Our Schools Month, a time of year to raise awareness of music education and the value it adds to student learning. A […]
Information for Schools on Responding to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak
Each day, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has a greater impact on our lives. Epidemiologists have indicated that the outbreak is accelerating and will likely be with us for some time. As stewards of a community’s most valuable resource — its children — school trustees have […]
State, local bond measures see newfound struggles in primary election
The March 3 primary election results have thus far delivered disappointing results as California districts work to provide students with healthy, safe and modern schools and classrooms. The campaign for Proposition 13 — the largest school facilities bond measure in state history at $15 billion […]
Board members share what they’ve learned in final meeting of CSBA Equity Network
Closing persistent opportunity gaps requires a commitment to educational equity. In summer 2018, CSBA launched an Equity Network with a grant from the Stuart Foundation, providing extensive support and professional development to board members across California on concepts related to educational equity. Topics addressed included […]
California Lottery owes millions to public schools, audit finds
The California State Lottery owes public schools $36 million dollars, according to a recent state audit. In 1984, the state lottery was created by the Lottery Act, which was approved by voters to supplement funding for public education in California through the sale of lottery […]
New law and changes to updating student records
As the keeper of student records, districts often receive requests from former students and parents/guardians for transcripts, diplomas and other past student records. A new law, Assembly Bill 711 (Chiu, D-San Francisco), aims to help former students and parents request changes to these records, including […]
New guidance offers approaches to improve alternative schools and programs
Alternative schools typically have lower graduation rates than traditional campuses, are often expensive and challenging to operate, and rank lower on accountability measures than more conventional schools. However, researchers find that shifts in district and county office of education practices and policies can contribute to […]
Declining enrollment in California schools a new reality, report finds
Demographic projections from the California Department of Finance show the state’s K-12 school districts entering a long period of declining enrollment and predict a decrease of almost 7 percent in the next decade (compared to a 1.5-percent decrease over the past decade). Furthermore, this decline […]