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Most racial and ethnic segregation—and most financial inequities—in American public schools occur between, not within, school districts. Solving these problems often requires interdistrict solutions. Some regions are crossing boundaries and finding effecting ways to promote school diversity, equity, and access; examples include Boston, Hartford, and Omaha.
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Public schools are increasingly segregated along both racial and socioeconomic lines, and many of the most extremely segregated schools are also the most under-resourced, plagued by inexperienced educators, lack of access to quality curriculum, and lack of quality facilities or access to technology. Two new LPI reports look at the roles the federal government, states, and districts play in promoting racially diverse learning environments.
Roberta C. FurgerLaura E. HernándezLinda Darling-Hammond
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California students, families, educators, and policymakers are at the center of one of the most ambitious, equity-focused education reforms in the country. Changes include a bold, new approach to equitable funding, a more holistic vision of student and school success, and community engagement in decision making. This study analyzes the impact of the reforms on opportunities and outcomes, and identifies the challenges ahead for California.
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California’s massive overhaul of its education finance and accountability systems since 2012 has begun to increase supports and improve outcomes for historically marginalized students, according to a report released by the Learning Policy Institute. The state’s equitable funding plan, together with its move towards a more holistic—and less punitive—accountability system has come to be known as the “California Way.”
Roberta C. FurgerLaura E. HernándezLinda Darling-Hammond
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In 2013, California adopted its Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which has shifted billions of dollars to districts serving high-need students, created a multiple-measure accountability system, and provided all districts with broad flexibility to develop spending plans aligned to local priorities and needs. This report examines LCFF and related reforms—the decade-plus effort leading to their passage and the impact on culture, practice, opportunities, and outcomes—and explores next steps to sustain and deepen improvement. Read the report or brief >
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We live in an era of extreme income inequality and one of the places it’s hitting hardest is in our schools. That’s because inequity is hard-wired into our school-funding systems. Linda Darling-Hammond and Jeff Raikes explain the hard wiring and discuss what we can do to shift direction and ensure that every child receives a quality education.
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The cost for failing to properly invest in a high-quality public education for all children has grave implications for both the students and society at large. A new report shares essential state-level strategies and examples to help policymakers develop equitable and effective school finance systems.
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Creating equitable and adequate school finance systems is a challenging-but-achievable task. It's also an essential one, as the cost of failing to properly invest in high-quality public education for all children impacts not just students but society at large. This new study shares essential state-level strategies and examples to help policymakers develop equitable and effective school finance systems.
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Education has the potential to be the "great equalizer" in society—mitigating the impacts of poverty and race. But that potential has yet to be realized in America. In this Education and the Path to Equity blog, Zakiyah Ansari, Advocacy Director with the New York State Alliance for Quality Education, discussed the progress made in investing in the right of every student to learn well.
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Fifty years ago, in his book, Rich Schools, Poor Schools: The Promise of Equal Educational Opportunity, Arthur Wise noted the glaring inequities in public school funding and suggested that examination by the courts would reveal they were unconstitutional. In his blog, Wise describes advocates’ efforts to redress those wrongs through a judicial strategy, legislatures’ responses to court rulings and judicial orders, where we stand now, and what remains to be done to achieve equal educational opportunity.
