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EdSource in the News
Listed below are selected news articles that mention or feature EdSource and its work.
No middle ground | Thoughts on Public Education ~ 11/29/2011
“Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades,” a large 2010 California study by EdSource and Stanford University that examined the practices and policies of top-performing middle grade programs...studied 303 middle grades schools and surveyed more than 4,000 principals, superintendents and math and English language arts teachers. It found “no clear association between grade configuration…and higher school performance on standards-based tests.”
Study Links Academic Setbacks to Middle School Transition | Education Week ~ 11/28/2011
[R]esearch group EdSource found no difference between K-8 and 6-8 school achievement overall in its 2010 study of middle-grade achievement in California,“Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades,” but it did find students often faced a tougher transition into middle school than high school, according to Matthew Rosin, an EdSource senior research associate.
O.C. schools get $88.6 million from state lottery | The Orange County Register ~ 10/3/2011
An April report by education policy analyst EdSource in the Bay Area showed that less than 2 percent of K-12 education funding has come from the California State Lottery over the past 12 years.
Percentage of students passing exit exam rises | The Daily Californian ~ 8/25/2011
The percentage of high school students passing the California High School Exit Exam continued to increase statewide for the sixth consecutive year, according to data released by the state Department of Education Wednesday...The exam has been widely criticized as some allege teachers forgo education by teaching to the test and argue it does not gauge college preparedness, says Mary Perry, deputy director of EdSource, a nonprofit organization that researches education in California.
Making the Middle Grades Matter | U.S. Department of Education ~ 6/23/2011
Groundbreaking research by Robert Balfanz at John Hopkins University, and by EDSource and Michael Kirst at Stanford University, is illuminating how middle grade educators can both boost academic achievement and reduce dropout rates.
Waging a years-long battle for more school funding | Capitol Weekly ~ 6/9/2011
From 1983 through November 2010, voters approved 289 school-related parcel taxes out of 542 proposals, according to EdSource, which notes that 92 percent of the measures received at least a majority vote.
Researchers for the Mountain View-based think tank EdSource recommended that districts tailor teacher evaluations to meet the educational goals of their school districts, which could vary depending on student demographics.
Small Yolo school district seeks parcel tax | Sacramento Bee ~ 5/30/2011
Only about 53 percent of the parcel taxes proposed in California from 1983 to 2010 passed, though the approval rate has increased to about 61 percent in recent years, according to EdSource, an educational policy group based in Mountain View.
School Districts Look to Parcel Taxes for Aid | The New York Times ~ 4/28/2011
Of the 542 parcel tax elections in California between 1983 and November 2010, 289, or about 53 percent, passed, according to EdSource, a nonprofit education policy organization based in Mountain View.
How Bad Could It Get For Schools? Try Another $55 Million |The Education Blog ~ 4/6/2011
The multi-million-dollar question is whether California lawmakers will, in fact, suspend the state law that sets minimum funding for schools or not. Check out this fact sheet from EdSource about that law, Proposition 98, and how it shapes school funding.
The I, II punch of algebra proficiency | Thoughts on Public Education ~ 4/18/2011
The push to get more 8th grade students into algebra is clearly working. Their numbers jumped from 32% in 2003 to 57% in 2010, according EdSource. During that same time span, the percentage of 8th graders who scored proficient or better on the California Standards Test (CST) rose from 39% to 46%. Even students in so-called“at-risk” groups improved....But there’s a flip side. As more students take algebra I in middle school, cracks in the support system are beginning to widen.
GilroyDispatch.com | Halted state budget negotiations could affect GUSD
Without this revenue, flat funding from Proposition 98, which was passed in 1998 and guarantees minimum state funding for schools, could drop by $2.2 billion according to Brian Edwards, senior policy analyst for EdSource - an independent not-for-profit organization whose mission is to clarify complex education issues.
If voters OK tax hikes, GUSD school budget stays intact | GilroyDispatch.com ~ 3/8/2011
"I think K-12 educators should be reasonably pleased, but cautiously optimistic,"said Brian Edwards, senior policy analyst for EdSource - an independent not-for-profit organization whose mission is to clarify complex education issues.
Budget Issues Subject of Community Forum | Crescenta Valley Weekly ~ 2/3/2011
The first presenter was Mary Perry, the deputy director of EdSource, a nonprofit organization that emphasizes the clarification of education issues for the public. Perry’s presentation focused on the state of education in California from a financial perspective. Perry supplied the audience with facts, some of which were unsettling, such as California spending $1,444 less per pupil than the national average and having a low staff-to-student ratio (seven staff forevery 10 students.)
California's Classrooms Feel the Budget Crunch | Governing California ~ 2/8/2011
Though other states are also facing hard times, the policy analysis group EdSource recently explained why California's crisis is more severe. In a nutshell: 80 percent of our school funding comes from the volatile state budget, and the amount of revenue that school districts themselves can raise is severely restricted. Where does that leave our children -- 22 percent of whom drop out before graduating high school? Where does it leave the future of our Golden State? And what do YOU think we should be doing?
State's Push for 8th Grade Algebra Yields Mixed Results | EdBrief ~ 2/24/2011
According to 2010 statewide test data, since 2003 California schools have increased by 80% the number of students taking Algebra I in 8th grade. That change has been most dramatic among low-income, African American, and Latino students, many of whom did not previously have access to the course in the middle grades. A new study from EdSource makes clear, however, that while the state’s push to put students into Algebra I in 8th grade has opened up opportunities for many, it has also had some negative consequences.
EdSource sees flaw in Algebra for all | Thoughts on Public Education ~ 2/18/2011
A report by the non-partisan research organization EdSource is critical of the distinctly California trend of pushing eighth graders to take Algebra I while acknowledging impressive gains over the past decade in the numbers of low-income, minority children who are mastering the subject.
Lacking preparation, many 8th-graders fail algebra | California Watch ~ 2/18/2011
Thousands of California eighth-graders who have been pushed into taking high school algebra lack the preparation they need to succeed in those classes, and are being set up for failure. That is one of the key findings of a report by EdSource released today, titled"Improving Middle Grades Mathematics Performance."It takes a close look at California's push in recent years to have students take Algebra I in the eighth grade instead of in high school.
More California students are taking eighth-grade algebra than in previous years, but many of them are also unprepared for it and failing. Those are the key findings of a new study released Friday by EdSource, a Mountain View-based nonprofit focused on educational research and issues.
California has sharply increased the number of eighth-graders who take beginning algebra since 2003, but the results of that expansion are decidedly mixed, according to a new study by EdSource, a Mountain View-based educational policy think tank.
Report: state algebra push hurting many students - News | The Orange County Register ~ 2/18/2011
The study"Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better"by Bay Area think tank EdSource indicates that the statewide push the past decade to move students into algebra by the eighth grade has succeeded in boosting the overall number of proficient students.
New Study: California Kids Not Prepared For 8th Grade Math | NBC Bay Area ~ 2/18/2011
A new study shows about a quarter of California 7th graders are not meeting the state's standards when it comes to math. What's worse, about 30 percent of them are being advanced into Algebra I even though they are unprepared.
Study finds 8th grade students struggling with algebra | abc7news.com ~ 2/18/2011
But one-third of those who took the Algebra 1 test in 8th grade scored at"below basic"or"far below basic"level, according to an 18-month study by EdSource, a non-profit that studies education issues.
Flunking 8th-grade algebra | Linking and Thinking on Education ~ 2/18/2011
That’s boosted the number of eighth-grade algebra students by 80 percent, concludes a study by EdSource, working with Stanford and American Institutes for Research. Expectations are high. But performance is just what you’d expect.
Brown appoints majority to State Board | Thoughts on Public Education ~ 1/6/10
EdSource Executive Director Trish Williams appointed to the California State Board of Education.
The Middle School Mess | Education Next ~ 11/16/2010
The latest evidence of middle-school potential is a study from EdSource released in February 2010.“Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better” is, says Trish Williams, “the largest study of middle grades education ever conducted.”
Brown’s and Whitman’s platforms | Thoughts on Public Education ~ 10-27-10
EdSource, which juxtaposed the [gubernatorial] candidates’ positions on education, offers the best visual comparison.
Somewhere Along the Line | Inside Higher Ed ~ October 22, 2010
The report, commissioned by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and produced by the California-based nonprofit EdSource, looked at the demographics and academic progress of students who entered the state’s community colleges in fall 2002 and enrolled in at least one remedial writing or mathematics course between then and spring 2009.
Basic skills are barrier to success for many 2-year college students | Sacramento Bee ~ 10/7/2010
The stakes of getting stuck in remedial classes and never earning a degree are especially high in California, which is home to the nation's largest community college system, with 112 campuses and 2.9 million students."If we're serious, if the president is serious, about raising the completion rate, you can't do that unless you figure out how to get students in the community colleges ready to take on college-level work,"said Mary Perry, a deputy director at EdSource, an independent, nonprofit research group.
Governor's Race: How the education platforms compare | The Orange County Register ~ 10/5/2010
Article include a list of education issues and the stance by each candidate, compiled by education nonprofit EdSource and from candidates'websites and other campaign sources.
How California Compares on School Spending | NBC Los Angeles ~ 9/9/10
EdSource's latest task: getting to the bottom of competing claims about how California stacks up against other states when it comes to financial commitment to public education. Are we too cheap with our schools? Or wasting money?
Parcel taxes help local schools survive state cuts | Santa Cruz Sentinel ~ 8/29/2010
Interest in passing parcel taxes is growing in other local school districts as the state's financial crisis drags on without much hope that more flush years are around the corner, according to the education nonprofit EdSource. So far this year, 21 districts in California have placed parcel taxes on the ballot. In 2009, 31 districts did so, which is more than double the number in 2006, according to EdSource.
Can California keep achievement high as funding drops? | Santa Cruz Sentinel ~ 8/29/2010
Brian Edwards, a senior policy analyst at EdSource, a Mountain View-based nonpartisan think tank [said]:"What we do know is that expectations of academic achievement are higher than ever -- just look at the No Child Left Behind targets. Expectations are higher and schools are facing a revenue downturn. It's a question we all have to confront. How it turns out remains to be seen."
Parents fret about MPS middle-high school hybrids | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ~ 7/18/2010
The EdSource study Trish Williams led in California shows middle-school students were successful in all types of grade configurations, such as K-8 and 6-8. No one configuration alone correlated with higher achievement, she said.
Parcel tax raises issues of fairness | The San Diego Union-Tribune ~ 7/18/2010
School funding levy often rejected in poorer districts.
FUSD sets out to lure new students | Fresno Bee ~ 7/4/2010
It's no surprise to hear Fresno Unified has launched a campaign to boost enrollment, said Mary Perry, deputy director of EdSource, a Mountain View-based think tank that focuses on California schools."We will see continued pressure on school districts to maximize their revenue,"Perry said."And because they have very little power to increase the money coming in, increasing enrollment is one of the best levers they have."
CA cities vote to pay more taxes to help schools | Associated Press ~ 6/26/2010
Between 2001 and June 2009, 83 of California's 980 school districts approved parcel taxes, but most of those districts have less than 10,000 students and serve fewer low-income children than the average district, according to Edsource, an education research group.
Cities Take Budget Mess to Voters | The Wall Street Journal ~ 6/3/2010
Voters in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties will decide on new taxes to help K-12 schools offset declining state funding.
Major Middle School Study | NBC Bay Area ~ 4/4/2010
EdSource Deputy Director, Mary Perry, will be appearing on the NBC Bay Area education show, Class Action.
The Role of Community Colleges | NBC Bay Area ~ 2/28/2010
EdSource Deputy Director, Mary Perry, will be appearing on the NBC Bay Area education show, Class Action.
FUSD gets tough on summer school | Fresno Bee ~ 4/3/2010
"I know that districts were given flexibility with some of their funding, so they are choosing where to focus. This is an interesting choice,"said Mary Perry, deputy director of EdSource, a Mountain View-based think tank that focuses on California schools.
Class Action: Budget Crisis in San Francisco | NBC Bay Area ~ 3/25/2010
EdSource Deputy Director Mary Perry discusses school finance and budget cuts with San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Carlos Garcia and San Francisco School Alliance Executive Director Terry Bergeson.
Too many students forced to retake algebra | The Educated Guess ~3/24/2010
EdSource, as a followup to its massive survey of middle schools, plans to look at much of the same data on algebra on larger scale.
Schools districts around the state are taking a stand on an initiative that would amend the state constitution to make it much easier to pass new taxes for education.
Historic vote for community colleges, too | The Educated Guess ~ 3/21/2010
At an EdSource conference in Santa Clara last Friday, Hal Plotkin, a former trustee of Foothill-DeAnza Community College District and now a senior policy adviser in the U.S. Department of Education, encouraged California schools to pursue the money.
The report, perhaps the most comprehensive ever conducted on these critical grades, tells us exactly what is working in California to improve student performance in the middle grades while also dispelling prevalent myths.
Fresno Unified to create four-grade middle schools | Fresno Bee ~ 3/9/2010
EdSource recently completed a study on middle schools and academic performance and didn't find a consistent relationship between grade configuration and student outcomes, Perry said.
Officials hope that by keeping the proposal off the bigger June ballot, their odds of winning the tax hike will be higher.
Proposal would ease school parcel tax votes | Ventura County Star ~ 3/7/2010
A Bay Area group called Californians for Improved School Funding wants to help school districts throughout the state raise money through local parcel taxes.
Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Lessons From California | Education Week ~ 3/4/10
(Commentary by Trish Williams and Michael Kirst) As expectations for a more highly educated American citizenry rise, what happens in the middle grades matters more now than ever. The middle grades are the last, best chance to identify students at risk of academic failure and get them back on track in time to succeed in high school. Moreover, success in key subjects in the middle grades is a prerequisite to being able to enter high school academically prepared for a college- and career-ready path.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell issued the following statement today regarding a new report by EdSource, Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better, which identifies practices and policies that differentiate higher-performing middle grades schools from lower-performing ones that serve similar student populations.
Report: middle school success tied to high expectations | Orange County Register ~ 2/25/10
Middle schools that embrace high expectations, impose a rigorous curriculum for all students, and tie student achievement to principal or superintendent evaluations have the best academic success, according to a new study.
Best Practices in the Middle Grades Identified | Education Week ~ 2/25/10
Using students’ test scores as one part of evaluations for teachers, principals, and superintendents is associated with better academic performance at schools serving the middle grades, a report released this week has found.
We often hear that school performance is linked primarily to parents'background. But the often ignored fact is that frequently the biggest performance gaps are between schools serving similar types of students. This begs the question: If student demographics aren't driving the differential in performance, or the performance gap, what is driving it?
Study: Gaining Ground in Middle School - Why Some Schools Do Better | 4LAKids Blog ~ 2/25/10
What district and school policies and practices are linked to higher student performance in the middle grades? To find out, a research team led by EdSource spent 18 months conducting the most extensive study ever of middle grades.
Why some middle schools do better | Joanne Jacobs ~ 2/25/10
An intense schoolwide focus on improving student academic outcomes characterizes higher-performing middle schools in California, concludes Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better, a Stanford and EdSource report.
Edsource in Mountain View Ca. released this report today. This report, Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better, is based on surveys from 303 principals, 3,752 English language arts (ELA) and math teachers in grades 6-8, and 157 superintendents in California. Educator responses were analyzed against spring 2009 scores on California’s standards-based tests in ELA and math in grades 6, 7, and 8, which were taken by close to 204,000 students.
What works in middle schools | The Educated Guess ~ 2/24/2010
Districts aiming to raise scores of middle school students shouldn’t count on hiring a messianic principal or jiggling the grade configuration of a school or making vague commitments to excellence – or any single tie-it-in-a-bow policy.
What Can Be Done For Middle Schools? | National Journal Online ~ 2/24/2010
What reforms are needed at the middle-school level to ensure the success of college- and career-ready standards? I wanted to direct your attention to a new study on Middle Schools by EdSource released today, Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better.
Strong educational practices, not demographics or organizational philosophies, most affect middle school test scores, a survey of more than 300 California schools found.
Middle school education: Muddle or model? | Get Schooled ~ 2/24/2010
Released today, the study by EdSource involved a survey of 303 principals, 3,752 English language arts and math teachers in grades 6-8, and 157 superintendents in California. The study compared policies and practices against the spring 2009 scores on California’s standards-based tests of 204,000 students in grades 6, 7, and 8.
Serious school money questions go unanswered | Santa Monica Daily Press ~ 1/25/2010
A number of districts have implemented"more progressive"variable parcel taxes that tax improvements and set different rates for commercial or residential and single-family and multifamily properties, according to EdSource Inc's."Local Revenues for the Schools."
Primary-grade classes of 20-to-1 on the chopping block | San Jose Mercury News ~ 1/27/10
When San Jose Unified took the unpopular step of increasing K-3 class sizes to 30 for this school year, it had little company in abandoning one of California's most cherished education reforms. Now, faced with cutting budgets yet again, districts throughout Santa Clara County are targeting once fiercely protected student-teacher ratios of 20:1 in kindergarten to third grade. The Oak Grove School District in San Jose plans to go to 23 students next year, Campbell has targeted 24, Alum Rock and Mountain View are considering 25.