California's Quest for Excellence and Equity

• In Event: Understanding the California Way: State Politics, State Strategy, and Local Implementation

Abstract

In what has come to be known as the “California Way,” the state defined a new era in its educational history. The California Way differs dramatically from both the state’s prior approach and that initiated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. It replaced a “test and punish” philosophy— focused on driving change in a highly inequitable system through sanctions for schools, educators, and students—with one that seeks to “assess and improve” through data analysis and capacity building. The new approach also focuses on developing 21st-century skills of critical thinking and problem solving, more positive supports for students, and reduction of exclusionary discipline practices. Educator preparation standards have been updated to provide new teachers and principals with the skills needed to advance student learning in supportive and productive ways.
Furger and her colleagues’ research analyzes the decade-plus efforts of a cross section of individuals, organizations, and interests that contributed to passage of the Local Control Funding Formula and concurrent reforms and the implications of these efforts on implementation and outcomes. It then draws on major research studies, reports, and original interviews to provide an analysis of changes and improvements to date across key areas: equity-focused shifts in funding and district practices; investments in strategies and structures to support the instructional shifts required to transform learning; efforts to improve school climate and culture; and district practices to support the engagement of students, families, and communities in budget and planning processes.

Author

• Roberta Carmel Furger, Learning Policy Institute