California and the 24 other states developing the Smarter Balanced assessments aligned to the new Common Core standards have approved support tools for all students, including English language learners and students with disabilities. The supports range from digital notepads to test items translated into the student’s native language. The “Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines” identifies three types...

California is among the top 10 states with the sharpest declines in spending for K-12 education since the last recession, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The study found that California’s per-student spending was down 13.8 percent since the 2008 school year. In all, 34 states are spending less on K-12 education...

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today that the state will defray costs of Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) test fees for more than 129,000 low-income students across California. The $10.8 million, which will be distributed to school districts, represents nearly a third of the total funding distributed to states under the...

Three days after the Obama administration warned that thousands of low-income California children would be shut out of federally funded Head Start preschool programs, the California Department of Education announced today distribution of $25 million in state “restoration” funds. The state money is intended to salvage preschool services as part of the California State Preschool Program, which...

LA Unified opens its doors for a new school year tomorrow, and despite an especially contentious few months for LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy, he’s all optimism.  In Part One of a two-part interview, LA School Report contributor Vanessa Romo talks with Deasy about his relationship with teachers, the challenges of pioneering the new Common Core...