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Education Trust—West

The Education Trust–West Responds to Governor Brown’s May Budget Revision

OAKLAND, CA (May 14, 2013) – Arun Ramanathan, Executive Director of The Education Trust—West, issued the following statement in response to Governor Brown’s May budget revision:


“The Education Trust—West applauds Governor Brown for his May budget revision. We are pleased that the Governor remains committed to his Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) proposal that would transform California’s antiquated and inequitable education finance system to a system based on student need.  We also applaud the Governor for providing additional funding to school districts to support the immediate implementation of the Common Core State Standards. We believe that this investment is in alignment with the Local Control Funding Formula and has the potential to transform teaching and learning in our schools and classrooms. We are similarly pleased that the Governor has strengthened his LCFF proposal to increase fiscal transparency and help ensure that supplementary and concentration funding benefits low-income students and English Learners. We commend Governor Brown for his commitment to educational equity and encourage the Legislature to support LCFF.”

 

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Improving Teacher Evaluation in California

Most teachers say they teach because they love their students, and because they love helping them to learn. And it shows. Research shows that the single most important school-based factor in improving student academic performance is the quality of the teacher in the classroom. Students who have strong teachers year after year soar academically. 

The Education Trust—West Statement on the Nation’s Report Card Results for California

OAKLAND, CA (November 1, 2011) – The 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reveals that the performance of California’s fourth and eighth-grade students on the NAEP reading and math assessments has slowly improved from 2003. Yet, when you peel back the layers of data, a more comprehensive picture emerges.  California still has a long way to go, particularly for students of color and students in poverty. Achievement gaps between students of color and their white peers have remained relatively unchanged over the last two decades. And the gap in 4th grade math performance between Latino and white students has actually grown larger since 2000, from 27 to 30 points.

New Ed Trust—West Report “Turning Back the Clock” Spotlights the Negative Impact of Shortening California’s School Year on Students; Calls on State Leaders to Prevent Cuts to Critical Learning Time

OAKLAND, CA (October 31, 2011) – Today, in coordination with a broad range of advocacy organizations, the Education Trust—West, releases Turning Back the Clock: The Inequitable Impact of Shortening California’s School Year. The policy brief highlights research findings that confirm the critical importance of increased classroom time for improved student achievement, particularly for students in poverty and discusses the negative impact of decisions made to shorten California’s school year.  

The Education Trust—West’s Statement on President Obama’s Plan for Waivers to NCLB

OAKLAND, CA (September 22, 2011) – The Education Trust—West issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement that it will provide states with the opportunity to apply for waivers to No Child Left Behind (NCLB):

“President Obama’s announcement of an application process for waivers of No Child Left Behind provides California with an unprecedented opportunity to improve our education system to better serve all students. Our state’s leaders have been consistently critical of NCLB and asked for relief from its requirements without presenting a real vision for closing California’s persistent achievement gaps. They now have the flexibility to develop a new accountability system focused on cutting our state’s achievement gaps in half. They also have an opportunity to reform our broken teacher evaluation system and guarantee access to college and career ready curriculum for all students. In a state where students of color and low income students represent the majority of our student population, closing opportunity and achievement gaps and implementing critical reforms should be our leaders’ top priorities. California’s future and our students’ hopes and aspirations depend on the willingness of our state leaders to be courageous enough to turn this unprecedented opportunity into a reality.”

Ed Trust—West Statement on 2011 Accountability Progress Report (APR) Results

Oakland, CA – The Education Trust—West issued the following statement in response to the California Department of Education’s (CDE) release of the 2011 Accountability Progress Report results:

The APR results released today by the California Department of Education make one thing clear: we need to do more for our state’s Latino, African-American, and low-income students.  

Both California’s accountability system, the Academic Performance Index (API), and the federal accountability system of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) indicate that far too many California schools are failing to adequately educate their students—especially the low-income students and students of color who now comprise the majority of our state’s student population.

For 2010-11, slightly more than two-thirds of students were required to reach proficiency in English-language arts and math for schools to meet federal AYP targets. The vast majority of California’s Title I schools did not meet this benchmark.