Last week the California State Board of Education voted to begin testing all 8th grade students in Algebra I within three years. To find out more about the issues that helped prompt this decision—including math and science instruction in California currently, students' performance and college readiness, and the state's long-term workforce needs—see our January 2008 publications. All are available for free, including our 24-page research report Math and Science Education for the California Workforce: It Starts with K-12. This report (now a free download!) is accompanied by an executive summary, a policy brief on recruiting and retaining math and science teachers, and a handy student/parent guide to California's fastest-growing careers in English and Spanish.

Do charter schools perform better than traditional public schools? Our fourth annual analysis of California's charter schools revisits this question. It compares student achievement as measured by state tests for charter elementary, middle, and high schools with their non-charter counterparts. It also compares charters operated by charter management organizations with those that are not. This report also provides charter school vital statistics and profiles three large unified school districts with substantial numbers of charter schools. Download the executive summary for free or purchase the full report online.

The academic achievement of California's nearly half-million African American students is improving, but California still has much more to do to support these students consistently. Download free this 24-page report that offers up some hard facts, but also provides information about encouraging local outcomes around the state. (Executive summary available.) And see the Selected Stories About African American Achievement page for data on California schools where African American students did particularly well in 2007, plus transcripts of interviews with principals at 10 of these schools.

More than 10% of California's public high school students attend some kind of alternative program. This 8-page brief summarizes the initial research study from the California Alternative Education Research Project, which examines continuation schools specifically.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and California Standards Tests (CSTs) appear to offer conflicting reports on the academic performance of California's students. This 12-page report explores some of the factors that explain why the two tests yield different but valuable portraits of student achievement.

EdSource provides some of our publications in Spanish. This section is useful for parents by providing guides, questions and answers about California schools, and other information about current educational topics. To see the list of available publications, click here.

It's here! Quick and easy access to the facts and figures of K-12 education, accompanied by important context and clear explanations. EdSource's annual Resource Cards are an unequalled resource when you need reliable information fast!

One in every four public school students in California is designated as an English learner (EL). And nearly one out of every two students lives in a home where the most frequently spoken language is not English. Learn more about the state's EL population in our new report, English Learners in California: What the Numbers Say.

No one's sure when state officials will approve the 2008-09 state budget. Meanwhile, schools and districts throughout California are hoping for the best while planning for the worst. Visit our California School Finance website for information and resources on the education budget as well as background about the state's finance system and frequently asked questions about topics such as the Proposition 98 minimum guarantee and state spending comparisons.