New PPIC Report Examines Gap Between Resources and Standards in California Schools -- November 6, 2003 -- California Capitol Hill Bulletin -- Volume 10, Bulletin 33

Expectations of stellar academic performance for California students often outstrip resources available to schools trying to reach state standards found a new report released by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) on October 29, 2003. Titled "High Expectations, Modest Means: The Challenge Facing California's Public Schools", the report is the first in the three-part project aimed to examine links among school resources, costs, and student outcomes in California. The report's initial findings suggest a large gap between academic standards and school resources, and raises questions about the most efficient uses of the state's already modest school funds.

In 1997, California adopted high curriculum standards for various academic areas, and currently 70 percent of the state's public school students are expected to exceed the national median on standardized tests under the Academic Performance Index (API) system. At the same time, in 1999-2000, 22 percent of the state's budget went towards public schools compared to 25 percent in other states.

To better understand the reasons for such a wide difference between spending and standards, the report looks at the per-pupil spending levels in California and how they measure up to the expectations set out for students, and also at the state's education finance system. The report found that California has 25 percent fewer teachers per pupil and spends approximately 9 percent less per student than schools in the rest of the nation. The authors suggest that California's higher-than-average teacher salaries and larger population of school children result in a lower percentage of spending on K-12 education in comparison to the rest of the U.S.

The report also questions the effectiveness of the state's school finance, where the amount of money provided to schools is based on previous funding levels rather than on independent needs assessment. Proposition 98, the 1988 constitutional amendment establishing a minimum guarantee for public schools, often acts as a ceiling for public school revenues instead of a floor. The authors cite the recession of the early 1990s and the rise in the number of students per capita as additional reasons for the declining school revenues. In addition, the report notes that schools are restricted in how they can spend their funds by the K-3 Class Size Reduction (CSR) and suggests that funds be allocated with respect to the need of the school district, as is the case with low-income schools. The report concludes by suggesting that the California's Quality Education Commission, created during the 2001-2002 state legislative session to develop prototypes for California's public schools, may benefit from the findings and recommendations produced in this report.

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