California has taken the first steps down an historic path that fundamentally alters how its public schools are financed, education decisions are made, and traditionally underserved students' needs are met. The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), passed with bipartisan legislative support and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown on July 1, 2013, represents the most comprehensive transformation of California's school funding system in 40 years.
The LCFF significantly loosens the reins of state control over education. It all but eliminates categorical funding streams, subsituting a base of funding for all distraicts and adding dollars for low-income students, English language learners, and foster youth. The new system empowers school districts to determine how to allocate their dollars to best meet the needs of their students. Finally, by requiring all districts to engage parents and other education stakeholders in decisions about how to spend newly flexible funds, the LCFF represents a remarkable experiment in local democracy.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States (Western)-California
Children and Youth;Education and Literacy
During the 2014 legislative session, lawmakers passed the nation's most comprehensive legislation in support of English Learners (ELs). The law has three principal goals for all EL students: a) academic English proficiency, b) grade-level content knowledge, and c) multilingual skills development. Chief among the mandates is the requirement that all teachers be skilled in teaching ELs. Delivering these goals will require action at every level of the educational system: state agencies and the Board of Teaching, teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher education, school districts and charter schools, and classroom teachers and school staff.This brief examines the LEAPS (Learning for English Avademic Proficiency and Success) legislation in Minnesota, and includes the knowledge of nearly 40 experts from across Minnesota and its diverse communities who were called on to share their thoughts on how state agencies, school districts, charters, and colleges of education can rise to meet the ambitious challenge set by LEAPS.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States (Midwestern) / Minnesota
Arts and Culture, Disabilities, Education and Literacy
The intent of this publication is to provide guidance and resources to VSA staff, contractors, and volunteers regarding implementation of universal design principles in presentations, meeting and conference planning, accessibility services, and web content. The objective of universal design is for everyone to access the same things at the same time, in the same place, and in as close to the same manner as possible. No checklist can produce universal design. In achieving universal design, precision with accessibility standards is only as important as the commitment to embracing inclusion. Universal design manifests only when an understanding of basic accessibility is coupled with a flexible and open mind. Creativity and basic respect make up its foundation. Preparing your organization to embrace self-determination to the fullest extent will foster an atmosphere of universal design. This document briefly describes the Seven Principles of Universal Design. However, Universal Design is more of an ongoing process than a prescription. We hope that you will use this document to foster the habit of using Universal Design principles to guide decision-making. More in-depth information on its history, current applications, and potential can be found by utilizing the resources section of this document.
August 1970
Geographic Focus:
Education and Literacy, Immigration
Since the Obama administration launched the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012, which offers temporary relief from deportation and the right to apply for work authorization for certain unauthorized immigrants who came to the United States as children, 55 percent of the 1.2 million youth who immediately met the program's criteria have applied, according to MPI estimates. As the first two-year eligibility period draws to a close, early DACA beneficiaries have begun to apply for renewal, with nearly 25,000 renewal applications submitted as of July 20, 2014.
This report provides the most up-to-date estimates available for the size, countries of origin, educational attainment, employment, English proficiency, age, gender, and poverty rates for the DACA population nationally and for key states, based on an analysis of U.S. Census data. The report also offers DACA application rates nationally and in key states, as well as for particular national-origin groups.
The MPI researchers find that slightly more than 2.1 million unauthorized immigrants who came to the United States as children are potentially eligible for DACA -- with 1.2 million having immediately met the age, education, length of residence, and other criteria when the initiative launched in 2012. Two other groups could prospectively gain DACA status: 426,000 youth who appeared to fulfill all but the education requirements as of the program's launch, and 473,000 who were too young to apply but become eligible once they reach age 15 if they stay in school or obtain a high school degree or equivalent.
The analysis provides a mixed picture of DACA's first two years. On the one hand, the sheer volume of applicants is impressive. On the other, hundreds of thousands of immigrant youth have not yet gained a status that can change their lives in measurable ways, allowing them improved job prospects, the ability to apply for driver's licenses, and more. The report examines the educational, poverty, and other barriers to DACA enrollment.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States
The 2013 merger of Memphis City Schools (with 103,000 students) and Shelby County Schools (with 47,000 students) was the largest school district consolidation in American history. In its first year of operation, the new Shelby County Schools (SCS) commissioned CRPE researchers to perform a critical review of the district's readiness to implement a portfolio strategy for managing its schools. Based on interviews with internal and external stakeholders and analysis against model system progress, this report outlines CRPE's baseline measurement of where SCS stands in relation to the seven main components of the portfolio strategy. The report also provides suggestions for how SCS can seek progress over the next year, and track progress or decline at future intervals.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States (Southern)-Tennessee-Shelby County
Productivity is clearly a priority in state education agencies (SEA). The first two volumes of The SEA of the Future made the case for a "productivity mindset" in our country's state education agencies. Authors in these volumes argued that SEAs must fight against focusing exclusively on regulatory compliance to find more ways to provide local autonomy and consistently measure, assess, and hold themselves, their districts, and schools accountable for both performance and costs. Though these essays sharply challenged the traditional work of SEAs, state leaders responded enthusiastically, saying, "Yes. Where do we start?"
In this third volume of the series, we introduce the "productivity infrastructure." The productivity infrastructure constitutes the building blocks for an SEA committed to supporting productivity, innovation, and performance -- from the state chief to the classroom. These building blocks include:
* Policies to expand the flexibility of district and school leaders and allow them to make choices about resource use.
* State funding arrangements that fund students, not programs.
* Information systems that allow district and school leaders to accurately assess the productivity of policies and practices.
The essays in this volume offer a rich discussion of each of these elements.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States
This report takes a broad look at the overall makeup of public schools in Boston, combining results from the Boston Public Schools and the city's Commonwealth Charter schools to provide a snapshot of how school structures and student performance have been affected by reforms that have expanded autonomy to larger numbers of schools.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States (Northeastern)-Massachusetts-Suffolk County-Boston
This report details our visits in 19 vibrant communities and 47 impressive classrooms across Minnesota. We hope the proof points that educators and community leaders shared will inspire fellow teachers, administrators, community leaders -- and policymakers -- in classrooms and at the capitol. It's critical to learn from and collaborate with Minnesotans working to make great public schools available to all kids.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States (Midwestern)-Minnesota
