In 2024, CSBA began laying the groundwork for what eventually became the SOS for Student Achievement: Close the State Accountability Gap campaign. Backed by research, the approach calls for greater focus, alignment, efficiency and support in state operations, creating conditions conducive to success for school districts and county offices of education across California.
A fact sheet published late March by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) identified several alarming trends that highlight the motivation behind CSBA’s call for greater state accountability in helping local educational agencies close achievement gaps.
The State Board of Education’s (SBE) May 12-13 meeting included the long-awaited adoption of a California Portrait of a Learner, as well as changes to the 2026 California School Dashboard including the integration of student growth data for English language arts (ELA) and mathematics, and continued discussion around redesigning the state’s Differentiated Assistance and Direct Technical Assistance eligibility criteria to more effectively identify and prioritize LEAs with the greatest need.
A package of bills sponsored by the California School Boards Association (CSBA) to address the education system’s most pressing problems — including persistent achievement gaps and a lack of accountability for results at the state level — unanimously passed the Assembly Education Committee, with all four bills advancing […]
