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4,627 Publications Found
September 15, 2005 - Presented to the Assembly Education Committee and Senate Education Committee.
August 16, 2005 - We identify the differences between the projections of Medi-Cal Program expenditures recently released by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) and those prepared by our office, and shed light on the reasons for those differences.
July 26, 2005 - The 2005-06 budget reflects an improving state fiscal picture brought about by better-than-expected growth in General Fund revenues. The new spending plan funds the Proposition 42 transfer to transportation, and includes significant increases in both K-12 and higher education. The new budget does not use any of the remaining $3.7 billion in deficit-financing bonds authorized by Proposition 57 in March 2004, and it prepays a $1.2 billion loan due to local governments in 2006-07. The spending plan includes roughly $6 billion in savings and related budget solutions in order to maintain budgetary balance. The savings included in the 2005-06 budget will address part of the state's ongoing structural budget shortfalls. However, even if all of the savings in the plan are fully achieved, we believe that current-law expenditures will exceed projected revenues by around $6.1 billion in 2006-07.
June 30, 2005 - Where does the funding for higher education come from? How are costs divided among various groups (such as undergraduate and graduate students)? What role do student fees play? How is financial aid funded? How does the state decide how many students to fund in a given year? The purpose of this primer is to address these and other questions related to the funding of higher education in California, so as to aid policymakers and other interested parties in their deliberations and decision making.
June 15, 2005 - Summary of the 2005-06 Budget Bill (SB 77), as adopted by the Conference Committee on the Budget.
May 18, 2005 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee #3 on Resources and the Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources
May 18, 2005 - Presented to the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on May 18, 2005.
May 18, 2005 - Presented to the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on May 18, 2005.
May 17, 2005 - Presented to the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on May 17, 2005.
May 16, 2005 - The May Revision proposes to use about $4 billion in new funds generated from an improved revenue outlook to reduce budgetary debt and restore the Proposition 42 transfer to transportation. We believe the administration’s general approach of using the resources for debt reduction and one-time purposes is sensible in light of the state’s structural budget shortfall. We strongly urge the Legislature to aim at ongoing solutions which are of the same magnitude as the administration’s proposal.
May 16, 2005 - Presented to the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on May 16, 2005.
May 9, 2005 -
This paper summarizes our recent report on the success and shortcomings of high schools in California. High school represents a critical phase in the educational
development of K-12 students. Our report examines high schools through the lens
of three groups of high school students.
Our Findings
Dropouts (Students Who Fail to Graduate).
About 30 percent of the entering ninth grade class fails to graduate on time.
Research and data suggest that the factors leading to student dropouts are in
place by the time students enter ninth grade. Despite decades of trying,
research has not identified programs or services that consistently reduce
dropout rates.
The "General" Track (Students Who Graduate Without
Qualifying for a Four-Year University). This includes about 45 percent
of entering ninth grade students. About one-half of this group attends college
after graduation and the other one-half enters the labor force. Research and
data indicate that many in this group do not have clear postgraduation goals,
which prevents these students from using
high school most effectively to make a smoother transition to adult life.
The "University" Track (Students Who Graduate and
Qualify for Admission to the State’s Public Four-Year Universities).
These students account for about one-quarter of entering ninth grade
students. Entering college freshmen frequently lack the English or mathematics
skills required for study at the university level. Higher education admissions
and placement policies contribute to the problem, as they fail to clearly
communicate the skill levels needed for success in college.
Our Recommendations
Despite considerable differences in the problems facing
these groups, several themes emerge in our recommendations that are consistent
across the groups. Our recommendations address the problems experienced by high
school students by strengthening accountability, improving information, and
increasing flexibility.
Accountability
We recommend the Legislature "fine
tune" accountability programs by:
Information
We also suggest several ways the
Legislature could employ information to help make high schools more responsive
to student needs by:
Flexibility
Flexibility also is a theme of our
report. Improvements could be made by:
The Bottom Line
While many critical factors are outside of the state’s
control, we think our recommendations provide a strategic approach for how the
state can contribute to improving high schools.
May 6, 2005 - California City School Superintendents 2004-05 Executive Board Meeting. Budget implications for K-12 education in the coming year.
May 6, 2005 - PowerPoint presentation describing the status of transportation funding.