Education Publications

Interim Evaluation of Community College Basic Skills Transformation Grants

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December 5, 2019 - Chapter 22 of 2015 (SB 81, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review) created a Basic Skills Transformation Grant initiative to improve basic skills education at the community colleges. The legislation directed our office to submit an interim evaluation by December 1, 2019 and a final evaluation by December 1, 2021. This brief fulfills the interim reporting requirement.

California's Fiscal Outlook: CASBO Presentation

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November 21, 2019 - Presented to the California Association of School Business Officials on November 21, 2019.

The 2020-21 Budget: CalWORKs Child Care Outlook

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November 21, 2019 - This post is part of our November Outlook series intended to help the Legislature plan for the budget year ahead. In this post, we provide background on the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) child care program, discuss our projections of future CalWORKs child care costs, and identify various risks and uncertainties that could affect these future costs.

In addition to this report, you can find the main California's Fiscal Outlook report along with a collection of other fiscal outlook material on our fiscal outlook budget page.

The 2020-21 Budget: Cal Grant Cost Estimates

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November 21, 2019 - This post describes the key factors driving recent spending increases on Cal Grants, the state’s main form of student financial aid. It also discusses our Cal Grant spending estimates through 2023-24.

In addition to this report, you can find the main California's Fiscal Outlook report along with a collection of other fiscal outlook material on our fiscal outlook budget page.

The 2020-21 Budget: The Fiscal Outlook for Schools and Community Colleges

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November 20, 2019 - This report examines how the Proposition 98 minimum guarantee might change over the coming years. The report has five parts. First, we explain the formulas that determine the minimum guarantee. We then explain how our estimates of Proposition 98 funding in 2018‑19 and 2019‑20 differ from the estimates included in the June 2019 budget plan. Next, we estimate the 2020‑21 guarantee. Fourth, we explain how the minimum guarantee could change through 2023‑24 under two possible economic scenarios. Finally, we identify the amount of funding that would be available for new spending commitments in the upcoming year and describe some issues for the Legislature to consider as it prepares to allocate this funding.

In addition to this report, you can find the main California's Fiscal Outlook report along with a collection of other fiscal outlook material on our fiscal outlook budget page.

Overview of Special Education in California

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November 6, 2019 - Recent legislation directed the Legislature and administration to work collaboratively to consider changes in how the state organizes, delivers, and funds special education, with the overarching intent to improve outcomes. With this report, we aim to inform these fiscal and policy conversations by providing an overview of special education in California.

Update 11/8/19: Adjustments made to per-student education costs

The 2019-20 Budget: California Spending Plan—Education

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October 17, 2019 - This post summarizes the state’s 2019-20 spending package for education programs. It is part of our Spending Plan series. The post describes changes in the Proposition 98 minimum guarantee and changes in overall Proposition 98 spending. The post also describes changes in spending for each education segment—from preschool through the universities. The post concludes with a section on crosscutting education initiatives.

Overview of Proposition 98 and K-12 Issues

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May 30, 2019 - Presented to: Budget Conference Committee

Overview of University and Financial Aid Issues

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May 30, 2019 - Presented to: Budget Conference Committee

Overview of Early Education Issues

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May 30, 2019 - Presented to: Budget Conference Committee

K-14 Pension Rate Relief Proposals

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May 30, 2019 - Presented to: Budget Conference Committee

Full-Day Kindergarten and Preschool Facility Grant Proposals

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May 30, 2019 - Presented to: Budget Conference Committee

The 2019-20 May Revision: K-12 Cal Grant Mandate

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May 28, 2019 - In this web post, we analyze the 2019-20 May Revision proposal to fund a new mandate relating to the Cal Grant program. We provide background on the mandate, discuss the Governor’s proposal, share our assessment, and provide an associated recommendation. This post fulfills a requirement for our office to analyze new mandates, as specified in Section 17562 of the Government Code.

The 2019-20 May Revision: Analysis of the May Revision Education Proposals

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May 15, 2019 - The May Revision contains more than 100 proposed changes to education programs. The changes range from large new policy proposals, to major modifications of January proposals, to small adjustments relating to revised student attendance estimates. In this post, we focus on the first two categories of proposals. The post has six sections. The first section provides an overview of the proposals. The next four sections cover specific proposals relating to (1) early education, (2) K-14 education, (3) the universities, and (4) financial aid. The last section covers library-related proposals and a crosscutting proposal relating to education innovation.

The 2019-20 May Revision: Overview of the May Revision Proposition 98 Package

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May 13, 2019 - In this post, we analyze the major changes related to Proposition 98 under the Governor’s May Revision. The first section provides background on the calculation of the Proposition 98 minimum guarantee and the Proposition 98 reserve. The next section describes the changes in the administration’s estimates of the minimum guarantee and Proposition 98 spending proposals. The last section provides our high-level assessment of these estimates and proposals.