Passed in 1999, the Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA) established a results-based accountability system in California with specific performance targets for schools. The PSAA created a system of rewards and sanctions for meeting or not meeting those targets, and established assistance programs for low-performing schools. In 2001, the High…

In January 2006, PAL[R] Peer Assistance and Leadership, a Promising Prevention Program of Workers Assistance Program, Inc. (WAP), received a $30,000 grant from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) in order to be scientifically-evaluated on the outcomes and effectiveness of its programs and services. According to the grant, the…

A descriptive study investigated whether a common middle-level writing program exists, and what factors impact the writing program and the relationships among these factors. A random sample of 1,500 classrooms in California and Missouri stratifying on four grade span school types (K-8, 6-8, 7-8, 7-9) was chosen. A survey was developed, sent, and…

Despite the blizzard of reform activity since 1983, neither state legislation nor state education department mandates have diminished the failure rates of at-risk youngsters. One-third of all elementary students are at risk of failing academically. This paper reviews past state department of education reform efforts and suggests innovative ways…

This volume attempts to identify and describe factors that supported the unexpected expansion of Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I services in thirteen participating local education agencies (LEAs). It also describes changes in program delivery patterns that may not have supported expansion of services but may have accompanied…

This document discusses the Small Business Development Center initiative which addresses the needs of California businesses to grow through the delivery of one-on-one counseling, seminars, workshops, conferences, and other technical activities. The community colleges host 21 full centers. Some of the major objectives of the initiative are the…

The California Legislature and Governor created the Class Size Reduction (CSR) program as part of the 1996-97 Budget Act. The goal of the program is to increase student achievement by reducing average class sizes from 28.6 students to no more than 20 students in up to 3 grades. The 1997-98 governor's budget proposes expansion of the CSR program to…

This study surveyed Head Start grantees in California who had received federal funds to expand their programs through partnerships with local and state organizations or blended funding. The survey sought to provide a profile of the collaborative partnerships formed and identify best practices, program barriers and solutions, and unresolved issues.…

Explores the effects of California's Class Size Reduction Initiative on district leaders, examines initial district-level implementation efforts, investigates how district implementation proceeded, and analyzes leaders' perceptions of benefits and challenges. Districts that implemented the program smoothly operated at a businesslike speed,…

To increase parental involvement, Mount Carmel High School (Poway, California) has adopted strategic-planning change model. Successful strategic plans are connected to school mission and core values, gain staff support, remain open to input from all parties, build trust and rapport among participants, ensure open communication with stakeholders,…

The state with the largest public higher education system in the nation takes important steps toward establishing a statewide accountability model.

When Palmdale School District and Pivot Learning Partners entered into their first contract in 2006, neither organization foresaw the magnitude and complexity the relationship would take over time. Pivot Learning Partners (formerly known as Springboard Schools) is a non-profit service provider that first entered the Palmdale School District…

This study examines the impact of a new Decision-Support System (DSS) on decision making in a community college in California. It looks at how attitudes and behaviors about data and their use were impacted by the implementation of a new DSS. The study found that the decentralization of data, through the DSS, produced a shift in terms of an…

In this article, the author discusses Response to Intervention (RtI), a school-wide system of intervention. One of the advantages of RtI in the diagnosis of disabilities is that it allows schools to intervene early to meet the needs of struggling learners. RtI also maps those specific instructional strategies found to benefit a particular student,…

In response to an official request for information and evaluation of solid waste production and management at California's public colleges and universities, this study examined existing conditions and barriers to solid waste reduction and recycled product procurement, and suggested assistance strategies. The examination found that these…