California entered 2010-11 with a longstanding imbalance between ongoing spending and income. To help close that gap, state policymakers suspended Proposition 98, the minimum funding guarantee for K-12 schools and community colleges. In total, revenues for K-12 schools are down nearly 10% this year compared with 2007-08. Yet more cuts loom as the…

Staff at the Cucamonga (California) School District discovered no magic key to improving mediocre student performance in their schools. Academic gains became evident only after implementing several steady-improvement strategies in teaching, instructional technologies, learning focus, libraries, remedial reading, and summer school. (MLH)

Across the country, states are developing more unified and comprehensive education systems for young children. The authors of this article outline seven features that help connect various early education programs across a state. First, supportive governance ensures that all parts of an early care and education system complement, rather than…