California’s public schools are not only bad, they ‘aren’t preparing children to compete in today’s economy,’ according to a new report from Children Now, a national nonprofit organization that actively focuses on children’s issues throughout the country.
The report gave the state a ‘C-‘ in the categories of ‘Early Care’ and ‘K-12’ education in its 2006-07 Children Now Report Card.
The grade is so low because 60 percent of students fall short of state proficiency targets; many high school students are dropping out and only about one-third are eligible to attend a California State University or University of California campus.
According to Children Now spokesman Corey Newhouse, the problems may stem from a lack of early childhood education.
‘Our best estimates suggest that fewer than half of our 3- and 4-year-olds are currently attending [preschool], and that the kids who could benefit most (low-income children, children of color) are much less likely to attend than their peers,’ Newhouse stated in an e-mail.
The limited number of children attending preschool can largely be attributed to a lack of government funding, according to Newhouse. The recent failure of Proposition 82, which would have enstated a new publicly funded, voluntary preschool program for all California children, was a harsh blow to the future possibility of preschool education.
According to the report, poor state proficiency levels correlate with the fact that about one-quarter of public school students in California are not proficient in English, which is five times the national rate. The report indicates that 46 percent of the English-language learners are Latino students.
The statistics are supplemented by the fact that Latinos are least likely to attend preschool, according to a joint Stanford University and UC Berkeley study conducted in 2005, even though they are most likely to benefit in areas of language and math skills.
The report also determined that only 31 percent of ninth graders will complete high school eligible to attend a CSU or UC campus.
‘Our governance and financing systems are complex and convoluted, and we have yet to really dedicate the resources we need to [for] at-risk kids to ensure that they reach our lofty standards,’ Newhouse stated in an e-mail.
However, the failure to meet university requirements is not just the result of lacking student proficiency, according to the report.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reduced funding for outreach programs by $19.3 million in his budget proposal this year.
Although major problems were identified, the report also highlighted improvements made in the interest of California’s schools. Major changes have been made to the overall state budget this year, including an 11 percent increase in K-12 spending along with allocations of $400 million in each of the next six years to finance low-performing schools.
Also, Proposition 1D, which passed in November, supports a $10.4 billion plan to modernize California’s schools.
‘The governor’s agenda for children, as expressed in his proposed budget and health care reform plan, will improve the well-being of our kids and our society,’ Children Now President Ted Lempert stated in a press release. ‘We look forward to working with the governor and the Legislature in the coming year to ensure that the final budget reflects the needs of children and supports their success in bold ways.’
