Publications

The California Collaborative on District Reform periodically releases letters, briefs, reports, and policy statements to document the work of California districts and to inform discussion around relevant policy issues. Please visit the following links to see California Collaborative research briefs or policy statements:

Policy and Practice Briefs

Leveraging LCFF For Equity and Coherence: The Case of San José Unified School District

June 2019

California’s transition to a new governor, superintendent of public instruction, legislators, and members of the state board of education is an opportunity to reflect on the implementation of the L
Brief Shares Recommendations from the LCFF Test Kitchen

April 2019

Governor Newsom’s January budget proposal outlines plans for a single web-based application that can merge various district reporting tools to increase efficiency and public understanding.
Brief Describes Math Course Sequencing and Placement in San Francisco

March 2019

In the face of stagnant achievement and persistent achievement gaps in mathematics, school districts have enacted a variety of changes to varying levels of success.
Improving LCFF Implementation Through User-Centered Design: Year 1 of the LCFF Test Kitchen

February 2019

The LCFF Test Kitchen has enabled three school districts to make progress by leveraging the power of user-centered design.
User-Centered Design as a Pathway to Effective Policy: Lessons Learned from the LCFF Test Kitchen

February 2019

This is the second of two briefs coming out of the LCFF Test Kitchen.
Always Room for Improvement: The California System of Support as a Catalyst for Change

September 2018

In the 2017-18 school year, the California State Board of Education rolled out a new statewide system of support for local education agencies, with the goal of moving away from punitive accountabil
Fostering Innovation: How User-Centered Design Can Help Us Get the Local Control Funding Formula Right

July 2017

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) has introduced positive and much-needed change to California’s approach to K-12 education funding by allocating resources according to student need and free
Implementing LCFF: Communicating About District Plans

July 2016

As they continue to implement the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), California educators find themselves struggling to communicate district plans to parents, teachers, and other members of the
Implementing LCFF: Possible Solutions to Emergent LCAP Challenges

January 2016

The Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), a state-required document in which districts describe their goals, their strategies to achieve these goals, and the resources allocated to support thes
Learning from the Past: Drawing on California’s CLAS Experience to Inform Assessment of the Common Core

March 2015

As California approaches a new system of academic standards, instruction, and assessment, it enters familiar territory.
Implementing LCFF: Building Capacity to Realize the Promises of California’s New Funding System

November 2014

This brief, the second in a series from the California Collaborative exploring LCFF implementation issues, highlights some capacity needs for leaders at all levels of the K-12 education system.
Implementing LCFF: Early Lessons From the Field

July 2014

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) represents a fundamental transformation of the way California allocates state funds to school districts and the ways the state expects districts to make decisions about (and report on) the use of these funds.
Common Core Implementation: Units of Study in Sacramento City

March 2014

As district leaders search for the best ways to improve student learning with the Common Core State Standards, some early implementers are giving us an opportunity to learn from their experience.
California and the Common Core State Standards: Early Steps, Early Opportunities

February 2013

This brief stems from the symposium Collaborating for Success: Implementing the Common Core State Standards in California
Beyond the School: Exploring a Systemic Approach to School Turnaround

February 2011

Recent attention to school turnaround often situates the causes for (and solutions to) persistent low performance at the school level.
Raising Expectations for Mathematics Instruction in California: Algebra and Beyond

March 2010

This policy and practice brief builds on dialogue that began in response to the California State Board of Education’s July 2008 motion to make Algebra 1 the test of re
Policy Briefs on California Education Finance and Governance

October 2007

In October 2007, EdSource hosted a policy convening in response to findings from the Getting Down to Facts research project.

Reports and Series

From Combat to Collaboration: The Labor-Management Partnership in San José Unified School District

December 2017

It started with a cup of coffee. Frustrated with the existing district-union relationship, SJUSD and SJTA agreed to work together to chart a new path. Their relationship has continued to grow for more than two decades, and is now stronger than ever.
You’ll Never Be Better Than Your Teachers: The Garden Grove Approach to Human Capital Development

September 2013

Teachers matter. Educators, policymakers, and the general public alike agree that great teachers are vital to a thriving K-12 education system, yet the pathways to assembling a high quality teaching force remain elusive.

Policy Statements

Collaborative Writes a Letter to SBE and CDE about Smarter Balanced Experiences

July 2015

The California Collaborative’s June 2015 meeting in Whittier Union High School District gave district leaders the opportunity to prov
Collaborative Members Support Local Control Funding Formula

April 2013

Eight superintendents on the California Collaborative on District Reform and the chair of the group wrote a letter urging Joan Buchanan to pass the the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in the budget this year.
California Collaborative Urges State to Move Forward with a Thoughtful Weighted Pupil Formula Policy

May 2012

The California Collaborative on District Reform, led by 10 district leaders from across the state, issued a letter to the Governor urging the state to move forward with a weighted pupil formula (WPF) to improve our state’s ability to educate children to their fullest potential.
The California Collaborative Encourages Adoption of the Common Core

June 2010

The California Collaborative on District Reform met as a group on June 29-30, 2010 to review the Common Core State Standards in depth, examine their relationship to California’s current standards, and discuss what their adoption would mean for student learning in the state.
California Collaborative District Leaders Advocate for Flexibility Provisions in Race to the Top Legislation

December 2009

Seven California superintendents, including those from six California Collaborative districts, wrote this letter to California legislative leaders supporting the reinstitution of provisions for dis

The California Collaborative on District Reform is currently made possible with the generous support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the S.H. Cowell Foundation, the Silver Giving Foundation, the Stuart Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Previous support was also provided by California Education Partners, the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, and the California Education Policy Fund.