California needs a focused state-level plan to close the achievement gap
It’s time for the state to finally demonstrate the leadership, urgency and accountability needed to help local schools close the achievement gap and accelerate performance for all students.
The problem isn’t too few programs; it’s too little coherence. A responsive, customer-service approach where the state supports school districts and county offices according to their specific, local needs rather than dictating to them from Sacramento. It’s a patchwork, and our students deserve better.
The Problem: A state without a coherent plan
While recent test scores show meager improvement, millions of California students perform below grade-level and lack basic skills in English language arts and math — and the State of California has no meaningful plan to address this.
California has launched countless programs aimed at improving student outcomes, yet no unified statewide strategy ties them together. The result is a scattershot approach dependent on one-off grants, temporary initiatives and disconnected reforms rather than a durable blueprint for student success.
A Strategy for Success: A coherent state-level plan to close the achievement gap
1. Clear, measurable state goals
- Set specific targets for how the California Department of Education, the State Board of Education, the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) and other state agencies will better assist local schools in closing the achievement gap — not just dictate to them without sufficient support for implementation or accountability for the state’s own role in student achievement.
2. Annual benchmarks and transparent reporting
- Annual benchmarks and transparent reporting that require the state to assess its own efforts and take responsibility for their effectiveness in helping locals schools close the achievement gap.
3. A public “State of the Gap” dashboard
- Easy-to-use visual tools to help the public track the state’s performance in supporting local educational agencies and improving outcomes.
4. Alignment of the state budget with a unified strategy
- Money should follow purpose, not politics. Education spending should be focused on what will help local schools close the achievement gap, not the latest fad or pet project.
5. Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) reports and hearings
- Regular, independent, nonpartisan analysis of the state’s education programs and initiatives and progress in supporting local districts and county offices of education.
6. A shift from compliance to customer service
- A responsive, customer-service approach where the state supports school districts and county offices of education according to their specific, local needs rather than dictating to them from Sacramento.
The Challenge: California’s achievement gap is not just an education crisis — It’s a moral, practical and economic emergency
California’s workforce, economic and civic vitality depend on the success of every student. California cannot have large, persistent groups of low-performing students and expect to remain a prosperous, competitive and functional state. But the state’s current approach to the achievement gap is too scattered to give California's students what they need.
- Fewer than four in 10 students are proficient in math
- Slightly less than half meet English language arts standards
- For low-income students, foster youth, African American and Latino students, proficiency often falls in the 20 to 30 percent range
- At the current pace, it would take generations for many student groups to reach proficiency in core subjects
These disparities are not caused by a lack of effort at the local level. They are the consequence of a fragmented state system that is reactive, uncoordinated and unaccountable for its own performance. Minor gains in recent test results can’t obscure the problem: most students are not on a path to success and the state has no coherent, coordinated plan to close the achievement gap.
The accountability gap
School districts and county offices of education are held accountable through elections, audits, dashboards and public reporting. But who measures whether the administration, the legislature and state agencies — the Department of Education, the State Board of Education, the California Collaborative of Educational Excellence — are effectively supporting student learning?
Local schools face constant scrutiny; while the state takes little accountability
For decades, California has measured and monitored every LEA while never holding itself accountable for determining whether its own policies, budgets and programs actually improve student outcomes. Local schools are doing their part. Sacramento isn’t. And without a comprehensive statewide plan, California's most vulnerable students will continue to lag behind.
Why this matters
California’s future depends on the strength of its education system and the success of students. But the state’s current approach is too scattered, too slow, and too unclear to meet the moment. It’s time for the state to support local schools with the same intensity with which it evaluates them.
For board of education members
For education leaders
For the public
- Learn the facts
- Tell your friends, family and neighbors
Vision for California: Coherence, accountability, performance
California cannot call itself the Golden State while leaving millions of children in the shadows of opportunity. It’s time to stop mistaking activity for achievement, stop relying on fragmented programs and stop burdening local schools with a responsibility the state refuses to share.
It’s time for the state to step up — and for Californians to demand it.
Join CSBA and spread the word. Hold Sacramento accountable. The achievement gap must be eliminated to build a future where every student has the opportunity to succeed.
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