The findings, based on data from the lowest-performing 30 percent of California schools, reveal that the standards and accountability systems established by the 2004 Williams settlement have significantly improved conditions in schools throughout the state. Specifically, the report finds that:
- More schools have teachers who are qualified for the classes and students they teach. In 2005-2006, 29 percent of teachers in California’s low-performing schools were misassigned, according to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. By 2010-2011, that figure dropped to 13 percent. The improvement is largely attributable to increased efforts to ensure English Learner students are taught by appropriately trained and assigned teachers.
- School facilities are reportedly cleaner, safer and more functional. In the first four years of Williams implementation, county offices of education found 11 to 13 percent of low-performing schools had unsafe facility conditions. By 2012-2013, that figure dropped to 4 percent, even as most school facility officials expressed strong concerns about the future impact of disinvestments in facilities maintenance.
- More schools provide sufficient instructional materials and textbooks. In 2004-2005, 19 percent of low-performing schools did not have enough textbooks to go around; by 2012-2013, only 5 percent of schools in this category lacked sufficient textbooks. Overall, more than 215,000 new textbooks and instructional materials have been distributed to students in low-performing schools across the state, after problems with missing or inadequate materials were identified through Williams site visits.
“This report demonstrates why Williams remains the foundation on which California must build to provide every child a high-quality education,” said ACLU of Southern California Williams Implementation Attorney Brooks Allen. “The settlement has provided millions of students with the basic essentials they need to succeed. Now we must address the challenges identified by educators across the state and heed their lessons.”
Among the top challenges identified in the report is inadequate investment in school facilities. For example, school districts have been waiting for years for the State to deliver more than half of the $800 million promised in the Williams Settlement for “emergency” repairs.
“The State needs to make good on its long-overdue commitment,” said Sally Chung, educational justice research analyst for the ACLU of Southern California and author of the report. “The longer funding is delayed for emergency repairs, the longer students and staff are exposed to critical dangers. School officials have made it clear that a crisis is looming if preventative steps aren’t taken swiftly.”
Nine years of implementation have led to significant gains, but still more must be done to sustain the progress achieved by Williams and ensure that all students receive the basic necessities of equal educational opportunity. The work continues.
For a full copy of the report, please visit http://www.aclusocal.org/cases/williams-v-california/nineyears/ or www.decentschools.org.
Media Contact: Diana Rubio or Vicki Fox 213.977.5252