<p>Thanks for posting. Here's a snippet for those to lazy to click on the link. What is going on on Calif. is also going on across the country in that African Americans and Hispanics graduate at lower rates than do Asians and whites. This also is why URMs are in such demand by colleges. </p>
<p>I wish that the article also had given figures for the country, not just for Calif.</p>
<p>"Nearly half of the Latino and African American students who should have graduated from California high schools in 2002 failed to complete their education, according to a Harvard University report released Wednesday.
In the Los Angeles Unified School District, the situation was even worse, with just 39% of Latinos and 47% of African Americans graduating, compared with 67% of whites and 77% of Asians.
The report concluded that the public remains largely unaware of the true extent of the problem because the state uses "misleading and inaccurate" methods to report dropout and graduation rates.
The California Department of Education reported that 87% of students graduated in 2002, but researchers pegged the rate at just 71%. Nationally, about 68% of students graduate on time, according to the analysis."</p>
<p>thats because as a nation we have decided to abandon education in favor of lower taxes</p>
<p>in california, the problem is prop 13 passed in 1978 which limits the property taxes that state can collect. Property taxes are traditionally the most stable forms of education funding. california has some of the lowest tax burden of any state in the nation, espescially when compared to the northeast which also has large cities but higher property taxes. This leads to better education in the northeast. for example, when I went to school in the northeast I did not have to pay for ANYTHING. but, in california, in order to do any activity, there is a fee to be paid. Football costs 500 per season etc. My school(ranked #2 in state) is largely so good because it raises over 1 million from private sources, largely from the affluent community that it serves!</p>
<p>Ca is 44th in the nation for class room funding. Teachers are proportionately among the lowest paid when you consider housing cost. You can't blame the highschools, most of these kids are lost in elementary. I know because I teach 8th grade to minority students and it is a struggle to bring them up to pace with what they will need to thrive or survive in high school.</p>
<p>I attended the funeral of one of my former students who wont graduate, he wore blue, the shooter wore red...there is a need beyond math in these communities. This broke my heart. 17 years old</p>
<p>Someone said that, if it the question was simply about how much money we spend, the United States would have the best high schools in the world.</p>
<p>Mr. B, California's ranking has been much higher for years. California?s national ranking on expenditures for public schools slipped from 27th in 2000?01 to an estimated 35th in 2001?02, based on the National
Education Association?s (NEA) Rankings and Estimates. This, however, is a considerable increase from the lowest ranking of 41st in 1996?97. Thanks primarily to state funding increases in 1999 and 2000,California?s teachers are now estimated to be the highest paid in the nation, on average. I posted the 2004 figures yesterday -in answer to the same incorrect statement. </p>
<p>
[quote]
EXPENDITURES</p>
<p>? In 2002?03, Prop. 98 funding per pupil, based on money from the State General Fund and local property taxes, came to $6,684. However, total funding per pupil, based on money from all state, federal, and local sources, came to $9,216. Total education funding per pupil in 2002?03 was a 28.7 percent inflation-adjusted increase over the figure in 1992?93.</p>
<p>? In 2002?03, the state spent $15 billion on general revenue limits, which are no-strings-attached funds sent to local districts, and $12.4 billion on categorical programs, which are dollars earmarked for specific purposes.</p>
<p>? Categorical spending has been criticized for restricting local flexibility, fragmenting local programs, creating negative financial incentives, and blurring accountability for student needs. Most damaging, there is no conclusive evidence on the success of categorical funding.</p>
<p>? State officials admit that they have little idea how categorical funding is being used by local school districts. They are also in the dark about whether those funds are accomplishing program purposes.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The article quoted below dates from 2000. *Has there been any changes in the real problem that is accountability and minimum proficiency of educators ? * </p>
<p>
[quote]
San Francisco, CA ? Despite significant increases in funding, California?s public school system is still inadequately educating the state?s students, according to the California Index of Leading Education Indicators 2000.</p>
<p>"Only 16 percent of California fourth-graders reached the ?proficient? level, which the National Assessment Governing Board says all students should reach, and more than half rated ?below basic,? meaning that they do not even have a partial mastery of reading. These dismal results underline the continuing unsatisfactory situation in most of the state?s public-school classrooms," commented Lance Izumi. Izumi recommends additional courses of action such as:</p>
<p>Overhauling California?s teacher training curriculum to include significantly more content-specific course work, particularly in science and math;</p>
<p>Making teacher performance and competency exams more difficult and the scores necessary to pass these exams more rigorous;</p>
<p>Abolishing the state?s class-size reduction program, as it has a detrimental effect on the quality of teachers in the classroom;</p>
<p>Establishing a differential pay scale and pay math and science teachers more than teachers in other fields;</p>
<p>Increasing the emphasis placed on direct instruction of all subjects and the phonics method of reading instruction;</p>
<p>Focusing on teaching Limited English Proficiency students through English-immersion teaching methods, not bilingual instruction programs;</p>
<p>Retaining use of the SAT as a gauge of student achievement;</p>
<p>Block granting school funding down to local districts without attaching more than limited basic requirements;</p>
<p>Continuing to use the two-thirds majority principle rather than moving to a simple-majority vote for local school bond measures;</p>
<p>Reducing school construction regulations and eliminating prevailing wage requirements on school construction.</p>
<p>"If Californians really want to change the dismal statistics contained in this Index," said Izumi, "they must summon the courage to consider more systemic reforms, such as school-choice vouchers, that will fundamentally change the way education services are delivered. California?s children depend on it." From <a href="http://www.pacificresearch.org/press/rel/2000/pr00-02-29.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.pacificresearch.org/press/rel/2000/pr00-02-29.html</a>
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[quote]
thats because as a nation we have decided to abandon education in favor of lower taxes
[/quote]
Graduation rates do not depend on the amount of money spent on schools. Graduation rates depend on students growing up in families with two parents who value education. When school is important to a student, the student shows up. You will find more of these families are Asian American and fewer are African American. One thing is for sure -- low graduation rates among URMs are not the fault of white people. The blame falls squarely on African American and Latinos.</p>
<p>"<br>
Ca is 44th in the nation for class room funding. Teachers are proportionately among the lowest paid when you consider housing cost. You can't blame the highschools, most of these kids are lost in elementary. I know because I teach 8th grade to minority students and it is a struggle to bring them up to pace with what they will need to thrive or survive in high school.</p>
<p>I attended the funeral of one of my former students who wont graduate, he wore blue, the shooter wore red...there is a need beyond math in these communities. This broke my heart. 17 years old</p>
<p>When I lived in Detroit, I had a h.s. student who was my mentee. She lived in the inner city. 12 students who should have been seniors in her class of 400 had been murdered. When she told me this, I couldn't believe it, but I checked, and it was true.</p>
<p>So very sad....</p>
<p>Xiggi,
The answer to your question is no.</p>
<p>As a 6/7 English teacher with a masters in English and years of professional writing and editing experience prior to entering the teaching field, I can tell you that teacher proficiency and accountability are significant pieces, but only a small part of the problem. I am well-educated, have plenty of up-to-date, standards-based curriculum at my disposal, lots of technology and do not lack for any classroom materials. While I don't believe I'm adequately financially compensated for the effort and results that I put into the job, that is not important to me, since I knew the drill going in and decided it was worth it. </p>
<p>What bothers me is the archaic, factory-school model that we are being asked to teach in. Our large, impersonal middle and high schools (not just in CA) are draining the spirit from kids. I see them come in to 6th grade in August from their more personal, small schools, and they are engaged and enthusiastic. Now it's March and I can see some of them dropping out before my eyes -- in sixth grade! Their bodies are in their seats, but that's it. With 6 sets of 34 children in the classroom every day for 45 minutes, what can a teacher do to connect with each one of them? With 1,400 kids on campus, split between 40 or so teachers, what can any of us do to enforce true academic accountability? When a kid chooses to sit in his/her seat and NOT learn, for whatever reason, what can I do? I don't have a syringe and an IV to inject that desire to learn into them. </p>
<p>Take my word, we are working these children harder than ever - for certain harder than I was ever, ever worked at the same age. And yet the dropout rate grows. The students feel, and rightly so, that they are widgets being assembled by teachers charged with "imprinting" them with English or math or history... </p>
<p>As the Times article states: "Jefferson High School Principal Norm Morrow attributed his school's graduation rate pegged by UCLA at 31% partly to a transient student population and overcrowding that leave little opportunity for personal attention.</p>
<p>" If you don't connect with [students], they are going to drop out,' said Morrow, who disputed the UCLA graduation figure and put the rate at about 45% last year."</p>
<p>I agree with Izumi that an overhaul of teacher training is necessary. Go ahead, make the teacher exams more rigorous, pay math and science teachers more because they are scarce, increase direct instruction, heck, take away tenure (as Arnie wants to do) for all I care... but none of that will do more than nudge the problem toward a solution. Kids are not widgets to assemble. Knowledge is not portioned out in 45-minute, disconnected segments. Learning does not happen when the teacher barely knows your name in April. (Well, unless you are motivated by something outside of the classroom -- parents, for one).</p>
<p>As stated in a 2005 Rand Corp report: "California has the second highest ratio of students per teacher in the nation, even after a major effort began in 1996 to reduce ratios for K-3 and 9th grade. California K-12 schools have an average of 20.9 students per teacher, compared with a national average of 16.1." <a href="http://www.rand.org/news/press.05/01.03.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.rand.org/news/press.05/01.03.html</a></p>
<p>The fact is that 20.9 students per teacher is NOT the reality that the majority of middle/high school teachers and students experience. The statistics are misleading. They count the speech therapist, who works with one student at a time. They count the resource teachers, who might have 5 students at at time. The special ed. teachers who have class loads of 10 or so. And on and on. My average class load is 34. Times 4. The science and math teachers have 34 x 6. How am I supposed to know, support and demand meaningful results from 134 students a day? How can my colleagues do it with 200 kids? Before you venture a guess, please visit my classroom and try to get 34 13-14 year-olds in one 25x25 foot space to sit still, pay attention and stop thinking about sex while you try to teach them the rules of pronouns and antecedants, or thesis statements, or rhyme scheme.</p>
<p>Give me a school of 450 kids and a class of 20 students for 3 hours a day for three years in a row (me looping up with them for 6/7/8 grades) and allow me to pass them off to a high school teacher who will keep them for three hours a day for four years, and I promise you they will all pass the exit exam, graduate and go to college. </p>
<p>But that would probably cost our taxpayers too much, and the bill would never get a 2/3rds majority vote. </p>
<p>Most intelligent people know what needs to be done to increase the graduation rate in California, they just don't want to pay for it.</p>
<p>"Support for K-12 education as a proportion of the per capita income of Californians has fallen as well. California spent about 4.5 percent of the personal income of state residents on public education in the early and middle 1970s about the same as the rest of the country. But from the late 1970s through the middle 1990s, California's support lagged about 1.2 percentage points behind the national average, according to the report." <a href="http://www.rand.org/news/press.05/01.03.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.rand.org/news/press.05/01.03.html</a></p>
<p>Sorry for the rant. It's been a trying day.</p>
<p>MominCA:
My kids have been so lucky compared to CA students! They went to a public k-8 school that capped enrolments at 25 (in reality classes had about 22 students, except for kindergarten that was capped at 17). They had the same teacher two years in a row (because of combined grade structure). Most of the time, there was a teacher's aide or a student teacher. While the combined grade structure was hard for the teachers from the point of view of curriculum mastery and class preparation, they appreciated having to deal with only 12 new kids (and their parents) each year. The school had about 360 students.</p>
<p>More funding is only part of the issue in California. Changing the mindset of black families is a much higher priority, as we seem to value athletics over academics. The majority of us (AA families) don't insure that our children study and value an education the way that Asians, Indians (Desi) and Filipinos do. Our focus seems to be more on athletics, cheerleading and debutant balls.</p>
<p>Here in Silicon Valley, the average GPA of AA students in East Side Union High School District is just a 2.03, with 48% earning below a 2.0!</p>
<p>As others have said, we have lost many of our AA students, especially our young black men, long before they even reach high school. But we must educate parents along with children! We must teach parents of AA children how to raise successful AA children, which involves turning off the TV, improving study habits, making athletics and other academic distractions a lower priority, etc.</p>
<p>California can spend tons of money and recruit the best teachers that money can buy, but it will be wasted if we don't change the mindset of the black family.</p>
<p>We know that "it takes a village to raise a child," but the mindset and priorities of our village must change in order to raise academically successful children!</p>
<p>"Based on the 2004-05 state budget, Californias K-12 schools are receiving more than $46 billion in revenues this year, with another $5 billion for community colleges. This total is about $2 billion less than the minimum guarantee schools are entitled to under the states constitution, specifically the provisions of Proposition 98. The reduction was part of a deal negotiated by the Education Coalition and state leaders in 2004. That deal was codified by lawmakers in Chapter 213 (Senate Bill 1101) and chapter 216 (SB1108), companion measures to the state budget. </p>
<p>Chapter 213 -- as passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor -- specified that the amount of money that shall be applied by the state for the support of school districts and community college districts during the 2004-05 fiscal year shall be calculated by subtracting [$2.003 billion] from the amount that would otherwise be required if Proposition 98 were not suspended. "</p>
<p><a href="http://www.edsource.org/edu_fin_cal.cfm%5B/url%5D">http://www.edsource.org/edu_fin_cal.cfm</a></p>
<p>The Governor had promised to pay back these funds but instead is trying to underfund education again this year.</p>
<p>"Since the 2001-02 budget year, the state has accrued a maintenance factor obligation well in excess of the $1.4 billion. This maintenance factor is part of cuts and deferrals that, by the Education Coalitions calculations, total nearly $9.8 billion. The Coalition further contends that Californias public schools are severely underfunded and that schools sorely need the approximately $220 per student that the $1.4 billion represents"</p>
<p>The nearly $10 billion already owed to schools could dramatically increase class-size reduction funding in California, put a highly qualified teacher in every classroom and provide all schools with updated books and materials, according to Jack O'Connell, California Superintendent of Public Instruction, as well as fund music, art, transportation and other programs being trimmed from local district budgets across the state. </p>
<p>Carla Niño, PTA's President added, "California is still $500 below the national average in per pupil funding, yet we have the highest educational standards in the nation and the most diverse student population to educate. That doesn't add up. We've got to do better if we want our children to have the resources they need to achieve and compete in a 21st century global economy."
<a href="http://www.cta.org/News/2004/20041209_1.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.cta.org/News/2004/20041209_1.htm</a>
be sure to read the supporting data </p>
<p>The priviledge work so hard to deny working families and children their chance for a decent education. Real Property taxes in California need to be realigned with the rest of the country. </p>
<p>Who would recommend to the promising minds of CC that they take an underpaid career where bureaucrats and legislators will restrict your creativity (and success) while blaming you for a systemwide failure. California teachers are underpaid...just look at a ratio of home prices to salaries.</p>
<p>So the consensus is that public school districts should create smaller schools so that teachers could educate in smaller class sizes? Even though taxpayers would be against the construction of additonal schools?</p>
<p>Let teachers teach. Let doctors do medicine. Let farmers farm. Let parents parent. </p>
<p>I became acquainted with son's middle school math teacher, and who has since left teaching. Here's why. It wasn't because of the increasing class sizes and workload but because parents complained that she was too demanding of the kids (15-30 mins/day of homework, middle school). We are in a fairly upscale area of our public school district. This teacher gave a student a lower grade than what his parents were used to. Teacher volunteered to spend one-one extra hours with kid to bring him up to speed which all parties agreed to but kid and parents only followed partially through. The Parent, told other parents that this teacher was not fair and too tough which caused other parents (plural) to request a different math teacher, which pyramided in subsequent years. Principal put pressure on department head and he put pressure on teacher. This teacher, independently wealthy, finally said that she didn't need the aggrevation from weak administrators and know-it-all parents. Maybe we don't have a shortage of teachers but a shortage of respect for the teachers. For this teacher, money was not an issue. Respect was and always will be formost. </p>
<p>I would agree with all that the most important thing we can do is to teach the parent to be a parent.</p>
<p>Very large high schools aren't unique to big cities: Snohomish is typical of many rural areas, where several small high schools have been combined into one big school. Since public schools are funded according to the number of students they enroll, Diana Plumis, Snohomish High's principal, explains that an important advantage of a large high school is that "you can afford to offer a lot of different classes, and give kids greater opportunities to take a broad range of courses. Other than that, I see absolutely no advantage to a large high school. In a school as big as ours, only so many kids can be on the basketball team or join the debate club. For many students here, that creates a climate of disengagement."</p>
<p>But just how large a school is too large? University of Michigan education researcher Valerie Lee set out to find the answer. She divided a national sample of about 800 public and private high schools into categories by size, and measured the learning of close to 10,000 students during four years of high school. Lee reported in the journal Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis that regardless of the schools' resources or students' backgrounds, they learned the most at schools of 600 to 900 students. "The category '600 to 900' was where students learn the most," says Lee. "When schools got smaller than that, learning was less, and when schools got larger than that, learning was less and continued to be less as they got larger and larger." </p>
<p>Obviously, in most urban public high schools, the average school population is much higher than 600-900 students. If a high school has less than 1000 students, the Board of Education would shut that school down and shift those kids to another school to add enrollment.</p>
<p>"So the consensus is that public school districts should create smaller schools so that teachers could educate in smaller class sizes? Even though taxpayers would be against the construction of additonal schools?"</p>
<p>Smaller schools and/or smaller class size are only part of a very complicated solution. Districts are trying charter schools or magnet schools with smaller class size, but this doesn't necessarily increase academic success for all types of students if they don't show up for class, are not prepared for classwork because they didn't do their homework, or are acting up in class. Smaller schools still have to deal with inadequate classroom materials and other issues that affect the learning process and academic success.</p>
<p>I still believe that the mindset of AA and Latino families have to change before there can be any systemic change in California.</p>
<p>Before school let out last weekend (we have a week off this week) at a meeting with the principal, I told a parent and student to call me and I would come over to their house and tutor the student for free so he could pass this quarter. I made this offer to two classes and three sets of parents....no calls yet. </p>
<p>I offer to tutor before school, during my lunch and after school....most students who come for help have a B average and want an A. Rarely does an F show up for help. </p>
<p>Principals under pressure from the district are fixed on making sure the students know the name of the standard I teach, I want them to understand the math. So much of every day is spent doing silly things like changing a five step lesson plan to an eight step plan because that is what the principal learned in her class. I was recently told that even if the lesson has one objective (convert a word problem into an algebraic expression) I should find a way to break it down into three objectives. </p>
<p>The friends of the kid who was shot last week, won't be able to get counseling from a phychiatrist at our school until next Thursday (we don't have full time extras like this or a nurse or librarian.) A kid before the funeral asked me "Do you think I could get shot, Mr. B" I said no, but while my district is worrying about how she will do on a standardized test next month, I worry about how do we keep this kid alive, away from drugs and prostitution so that she will have a chance. </p>
<p>The problem is a lot bigger than test scores and teachers need help and schools need funding. These kids are as important as anyone elses.</p>
<p>There are some great posts here. MrB has been especially poignant.</p>
<p>My take on this is politically incorrect, so get your barbs and arrows ready. The problem has little to do with funding. There are any number of school districts with low test scores that spend plenty of money. Then there are school districts which spend little, and get great test scores. (Check out Abigail Thernstrom's book, No Excuses for more on the money issue) </p>
<p>If large percentages of students of one race or another are dropping out of high school, I would suggest that, instead of blaming "failing schools," we place the responsibility on the students themselves! (Zing, zing, zing, go the arrows!) Here we have teachers like MrB working their tails off, giving their all, and the students are unresponsive. I don't know many teachers who are trying to deny their students an education, but I sure know plenty of students who do not take advantage of the opportunities that are given to them by teachers like MrB.</p>
<p>To take another politically incorrect stance, I am not surprised at all by the facts presented by this article; it merely reflects the state of California's failing schools.</p>
<p>Like someone stated earlier, if money were the problem, this would be an easy fix. But to put it simply, money is not the sole problem. In order to revamp our state's educational system, you would probably need to revamp our state as a whole. Students in crime-ridden areas such as South LA and Watts have other things on their mind to worry about (and I can explain the blue-red analogy that Mr. B previously mentioned) than grades and schooling.</p>
<p>Going to a mid-city high school myself, I know exactly what happens during the standardized tests that gauge our school's performance. I'm not going to state numbers, but either a small majority or a large minority (I know, oxymoron), of students just bubble randomly, for the sake of just "finishing the test." It's ridiculous to see the number of 3rd percentile students at my school, yet it's reality.</p>
<p>The neighborhoods that some of these kids are placed in -- it's just sad. The circumstances beyond their control (poverty, gang warfare, etc.,) disallow them from performing adequately and to their potential -- and I see this with my own two eyes. </p>
<p>In order to change our district's educational standards and see remarkable improvement, you'll need to revamp the social circumstances entirely -- but until you find some magic machine where neighborhoods are instantly made safe and environments cleared -- .. it will be very difficult for students to succeed.</p>
<p>I commend teachers like Mr. B who show up to teach students, no matter what.. If it weren't for teachers like him, I probably would have fallen into the same trap.. But it was the help of teachers who were constantly "on my case" that got me to change.. Although I was ticked off at them before, in retrospect -- they helped me turn my life around.. from a failing student in middle school to a success (we'll see) in high school and beyond.. </p>
<p>The sad part of it is, the immediate area surrounding my high school has a real estate value averaging $500,000, yet the student body is not accurately representative of the surrounding neighborhood. My high school is in a great neighborhood, yet... it takes 0 students from the surrounding area (who all go to Beverly Hills HS, Palisades HS, etc.,) and takes a majority of kids from .. well, South LA.</p>
<p>Isn't it ironic that a University of Michigan researcher wrote that schools with a population of 600-900 learned best? Do students suddenly change their learning habits when they attend the 25,000 +/- U of MI? Of course not. </p>
<p>My guess is that the study in question is yet another flawed attempt to justify an assumption. Where are the largest schools? In cities, where parents often have low incomes. Where are the smallest schools? Often in rural areas where opportunities are also limited. Where are the mid-sized schools? In suburbs. </p>
<p>If parents demand excellent schools, they get them. Unfortunately, too many parents either don't demand excellence, or they have no concept of what excellence is. When was the last time you heard a majority of parents and students complaining their school was crappy? It's very rare. In America, we have a mentality of boosterism which blinds us to the facts.</p>
<p>I have a question? What happens in the state, which is in top five on the funding list? Does this graduation rate of Latino or Afro American is same or higher or lower? Some nonpartisan entity needs to prepare this relationship graph of funding versus graduation rate. They may show a case that actually funding is related to graduation rate. I believe it maybe true to an extent. However after approaching the diminishing returns, the AA families need to focus on changing their mindsets in valuing education over athletics. We need a sensible policy, which is solution oriented rather than blame game or asking for an infinite funding which will not happen as after all it is someone hard earned money which I have no way to stakes claim.</p>