California Public Schools

California schools boast a total statewide student population of 7,089,982 attending 10,314 schools in 1,139 public school districts and 4,739 private schools. Public school revenue and expenditures vary by school district but California public schools spend an average of $9,447 per student each year. That ranks California schools number 7 nationally.

Student teacher ratio is an important statistic cluing parents into the probable attention their child might receive individually in a classroom setting. California public schools average a student teacher ratio of 19:1. California private schools average 11:1. Also, high schools in California average a student body population of 782, while California middle schools and elementary schools average student body populations of 577 and 531 respectively.

For more information or individual school reports click here: California Schools

For the past three years California Schools have been the subject of an in-depth analysis of school reform. The study, Beyond the Mountains: An Early Look at Restructuring Results in California, conducted by the Center on Education Policy (CEP), is part of a multi-year review of the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on Maryland, Michigan and California Schools.

The examination concerns specific restructuring methods used by California Schools and their success. According to CEP founder and president Jack Jennings, "While it is still too early to tell whether restructuring is working, it is clear from the experience of California and Michigan, the two states we have studied in-depth, that simply requiring schools to replace staff does not guarantee increased student achievement. Rather, success is linked to implementing multiple improvement strategies."

This is of critical concern to California Schools for a couple of reasons. California Schools have more schools facing restructuring than most other states for several reasons. School restructuring is mandated by the NCLB act for any schools unable to meet its Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) markers for five or more consecutive years. One reason that California Schools saw the number of its schools facing this mandate double to 8% in the last year is because of its massive size. Also, California Schools implemented AYP markers a year before it was federally mandated. Of the California Schools facing restructuring, over 60% are in urban areas.

The numbers don't look good. 207 of the California Schools in the implementation phase of restructuring failed to meet AYP standards for seven consecutive years. That's why the CEP study has such import. The study concluded that the California Schools that were most successful in raising student achievement were those that analyzed school data and implemented initiatives designed to meet those specific needs. This is important because the US Department of Education previously recommended replacing staff rather than other forms of restructuring.

Other reform methods in California Schools include instituting English Language Learner programs, direct coaching for teachers and principals, changes in scheduling and the hiring of a district-level coordinator. The California Schools that used the above methods, without replacing staff or changing to a charter system, were generally more successful than the other schools studied. What will this mean for the future of California Schools?

It's likely that funds for teacher planning time, instructional coaches and special instruction for at-risk students will appear on coming legislation. As noted by Jennings, the California Schools still have a long road ahead before the success of many programs can be fully evaluated. That's why California Schools need the quantifiable results of a study like this one.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information please visit California Public Schools

Get your child's academic career off to the right start. Click below for free comprehensive reports on public, private and charter schools- elementary, middle and high schools.

• Locate the ideal school
• Track a school's performance
• Compare school profiles
• Help your child succeed

These days, schools aren't the only ones assigning grades. Parents are evaluating school performance by investigating unbiased reports and current statistical information on schools and school districts. Click here School Rankings to see which schools are making the grade.