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California's Education System:
A 2019 Guide

Staff
Jackie Barocio
(916) 319-8333
Child Care, Expanded Learning, School Facilities, and Teachers
Sara Cortez
(916) 319-8348
Special Education, Preschool, and Child Nutrition
Kenneth Kapphahn
(916) 319-8339
Proposition 98, School District Budgets, School Transportation
Lisa Qing
(916) 319-8306
California State University, Student Financial Aid
Paul Steenhausen
(916) 319-8303
California Community Colleges
Ian Klein
(916) 319-8336
University of California; College of the Law, San Francisco; California State Library
Michael Alferes
(916) 319-8338
Local Control Funding Formula, Charter Schools, Alternative Schools, High School Career Technical Education
Edgar Cabral
(916) 319-8343
Deputy Legislative Analyst: K-12 Education
Jennifer Pacella
(916) 319-8332
Deputy Legislative Analyst: Higher Education

Publications

Education

To browse all LAO publications, visit our Publications page.

Handout

Aligning Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Materials Adoption Processes With Common Core Standards

March 9, 2011 - Presented to Assembly Education Committee

Handout

Child Care and Development (CCD) Budget: Overview of Conference Issues

February 24, 2011 - Overview of Conference Issues

Handout

Proposition 98: Overview of Conference Issues

February 24, 2011 - Presented to Budget Conference Committee

Other

Webcast: Guaranteed Regional Access Needed for State Universities

February 17, 2011 - In this 9-minute video, the LAO's Judy Heiman and Steve Boilard answer questions about the latest installment to the Master Plan at 50 series, "Guaranteed Regional Access Needed for State Universities."

Handout

The Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Materials Adoption Processes

February 16, 2011 - Presented to the Senate Education Committee. Hon. Alan Lowenthal, Chair.

Handout

Higher Education Affordability

February 15, 2011 - Presented to the Assembly Higher Education Committee

Report

The Master Plan at 50: Guaranteed Regional Access Needed for State Universities

February 14, 2011 - In this report we review how the Master Plan envisioned the California State University (CSU) as part of the state’s higher education system, and assess how the university has carried out its role in the face of changing enrollment demand and funding limitations. We conclude that CSU’s regional role is an important component of the state’s higher education system, and recommend that the Legislature take steps to protect that focus in the face of enrollment pressures and efforts by some campuses to become more selective. Specifically, we recommend that the Legislature (1) formalize a regional education role for CSU in statute, (2) codify its expectations for CSU’s eligibility pool, and (3) direct CSU to adjust its enrollment policies accordingly.

Other

Webcast: Public Retirement Benefits, Options for the Future

February 10, 2011 - In this 15-minute video, LAO State Finance Director Jason Sisney describes why public employee retirement costs have risen substantially in recent years for California governments and the Legislature's options for creating new types of retirement benefits for future state and local employees. At the same time, as Sisney discusses, the Legislature may have to identify new funding soon to address substantial unfunded liabilities in the teachers' and University of California retirement systems, among others.

Handout

Update on School District Finance and Flexibility

February 9, 2011 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance

Handout

AB 3632 Mental Health Services

February 7, 2011 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education

Report

The 2011-12 Budget: Year-Two Survey--Update on School District Finance in California

February 7, 2011 - Since 2007-08, state support for K-12 education has dropped notably, though this reduction has been partly offset by one-time federal aid and state K-12 payment deferrals. Per-pupil programmatic funding was down 3.7 percent in 2009-10 and 5 percent in 2010-11. To help school districts manage this reduction, the state temporarily removed the strings associated with roughly 40 categorical programs and eliminated various other requirements. We surveyed school districts to gather information regarding how they were being affected by recent federal and state actions. Most importantly, the survey responses show that many districts: (1) have reserved some federal Ed Jobs for 2011–12; (2) would find an additional deferral in 2011–12 more difficult to accommodate; (3) have benefited notably from existing flexibility provisions and desire additional flexibility; and (4) already have increased class sizes notably, instituted furlough days, laid off some teachers, and shortened the school year. Given these survey findings, we identify several ways the Legislature could provide school districts with more flexibility in the short term. We also provide the Legislature with a relatively simple approach for making more lasting improvements to California’s K–12 finance system.

Handout

Overview of the Child Care and Development Budget

February 2, 2011 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services and Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance

Handout

Overview of Education Mandates

February 1, 2011 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance

Handout

Higher Education Funding Overview

January 27, 2011 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 On Education Finance

Handout

The 2011-12 Higher Education Budget in Context

January 27, 2011 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 On Education