ULTIMATE GOAL (2020):
Significantly improve the educational outcomes of California students. Measured by K-12 test scores; high school graduation rate; college readiness of community college students; community college students' degrees, certificates, and transfers.
THEORY OF CHANGE:
The two pillars of our theory of change are mutually reinforcing:
- Investments in research and analysis, dissemination, communication, advocacy, and technical assistance to policymakers will lead to better state policy that supports high achievement.
- Investments in technical assistance, professional learning networks, and new tools for educators will build the capacity of schools and colleges to continuously improve student outcomes.
The twenty-first century California economy will demand an increasing number of college-educated individuals, and the state is currently not on track to meet that demand. A failure to increase overall education levels could have dire consequences for the state, such as economic stagnation, increased need for social services and prisons, decreasing civic participation, and growing inequality. Though the dilemma is a nationwide one, California's demographics suggest that not addressing it could cost the state more in per capita income than any other state, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.
The overarching goal for this priority area is to improve the achievement of students along the K-16 pipeline to enable them to contribute effectively to their families, their communities, and to the California economy. Though ultimately the Foundation seeks to improve opportunities for all students to attain the highest levels of academic achievement, including bachelor's degrees and beyond, we focus our investments on the students who face the greatest barriers to reaching those goals: those attending California's public schools and community colleges. In particular, in order to ensure education levels keep pace with demographic shifts, we seek to raise achievement for low-income students, Latino and African American students, and English language learners. Increased opportunities for these students to succeed at the high school and college levels are essential to the wellbeing of the state and its growing population.
California's public schools rank near the bottom nationally in student outcomes such as test scores and graduation rates. California also lags the nation in the proportion of high school graduates who enroll directly in college. Among those students who earn high school diplomas and enroll in college, large numbers enter unprepared for college-level work and place into developmental, or remedial, classes. Very few of those underprepared students ultimately have the opportunity to complete a certificate or degree or transfer to a four-year university, diminishing their career and life prospects.
The Foundation seeks to stimulate major improvement in the quality of K-12 education in California and strengthen the California community college system, while improving transitions between high school and college to eliminate barriers to student attainment. To reach these goals, we invest in four types of activities:
-
Rigorous research and data analysis;
-
Technical assistance for the education ractitioners and policymakers;
-
Communication and dissemination to inform Californians about the state's educational needs and the ability of schools and community colleges to address them; and
-
Public and stakeholder engagement in order to build momentum for institutional and policy change.
The Foundation's grant dollars are a drop in the bucket compared to the $55 billion that the state spends annually on K-12 schools and community colleges. But properly leveraged, our resources can have a powerful impact by advancing change in the state-level policies as well as education practices that influence student achievement and attainment.
Strengthening California K-12 Schools
Strengthening California Community Colleges