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Great question! The innovation for teachers without access programs would come through the cycles of inquiry. Within the cycles of inquiry, there is room/options for innovation how a teacher will provide intervention based on the data. See article below.

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Talking directly with administrators in an open conversation and ask how I can step up to support them in creating an accessible atmosphere for all students.

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https://www.wested.org/wested-insights/rel-west-data-based-inquiry-cycles/

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Now Is the Time for Teachers to Use Data-Based Inquiry Cycles
This post, written by Pamela Fong of The Center for the Future of Teaching & Learning at WestEd, first appeared on the REL West blog and is posted here with permission.
In this unprecedented time during a global pandemic, schools are navigating uncharted waters as they must quickly adapt to new ways of teaching and learning. Teachers are learning how to use video conferencing platforms, employ interactive digital tools, test creative strategies for maintaining student engagement, and redesign their classrooms for social distancing. Regional Educational Laboratory ( REL) West Literacy Improvement Partnership leader Kim Austin calls the current situation "a large-scale, unintended experiment in American education."

Without a blueprint to follow, now is an opportune time for teachers to innovate and try new ideas. But how can they know if a new approach is actually helping students to learn?

" This is the moment - it is the time of innovation," says Jarrod Bolte, founder and CEO of Improving Education. Bolte has been involved in REL West partnerships supporting K-6 teachers to use an iterative cycle of prototyping and problem solving to improve student outcomes in literacy.

"We know that teaching has to be done differently in this new environment," adds Austin, "but we don't have clear answers yet as to how to reach all students, including all types of learners."

To help develop clearer answers, REL West partnerships have been working with teachers to engage in cycles of prototyping and inquiry - trying out new approaches, gathering data, and making refinements to improve their practice.

Teachers Prototyping to Shift Their Instruction

To assess whether an aspect of instruction is resulting in student progress, teachers can use a form of prototyping - similar to what designers do to test and validate a solution to a problem before investing more fully into it. If data indicate that an instructional approach is not helping students, teachers make an adjustment, then assess again.

To illustrate this iterative process, consider a team of teachers who have weekly grade-level meetings. At the start of an inquiry cycle, the teachers identify a shared problem. They agree on gathering specific data that they can capture to better understand the problem and that they will bring to the next meeting. The teachers meet in collaborative " learning huddles " to examine the data, which informs the innovation or the change to their instruction that they will test. At their next meeting, if the new data show that the change is working, the teachers may decide to adopt the practice. If teachers don't see positive results in the data, they may decide to make an adjustment and continue testing it, or even decide to abandon the practice and try an alternative approach (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Inquiry Cycle
Source: Literacy Improvement Partnership. (September 2018). Using Learning Huddles to Improve Teaching and Learning. REL West.
"Teachers are 'change idea' machines - they iterate on and tinker with their instruction every day," says Austin. "Inquiry cycles introduce a more intentional way to evaluate what's working and what's not working."

With the limited time that teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators have to modify their teaching for millions of students this year, continuous improvement can serve as a useful tool. As Bolte states, "Through an improvement approach, the change is a faster pace and produces quicker refinement than piloting a whole program and reflecting on it afterwards."

Teachers as Change Agents

Bolte points to recent work in Baltimore City Public Schools ( BCPS) as an example of how teachers can prototype an idea, rely on data to improve it, and then very quickly scale it for broad impact. When the coronavirus pandemic arrived in spring 2020 and schools closed for in-person instruction, BCPS elementary school teachers knew they needed a solution to provide continuous learning for students sheltering in place, especially those without internet access. A core group of teachers brainstormed ideas and quickly decided to put together a boxed set of "low-tech" materials along with instructions for 40 learning activities, then test the boxes with 250 BCPS students and their teachers. Each "Learning in a Box" contained grade-appropriate materials, ranging from modeling clay and other manipulatives to whiteboards and dry-erase markers.

To understand how well the boxes were working, the core teachers collected information on how students and parents were interacting with the materials, the number of students who engaged daily with the materials, and how long they used the materials. The informal feedback served as data, enabling the teachers to modify and improve the content. Two more cycles of testing, data collection, and adjustments were conducted as a second round of 500 boxes were distributed, followed by a third round of 1,000 boxes. With each cycle, the teachers continued to refine the Learning in a Box content until it was ready to scale across the district. The teachers also developed nearly 100 supplementary one-minute videos of BCPS teachers demonstrating activities using the kit materials for students and parents, who are able to access the videos online. As schools reopened virtually in the fall, the district distributed 5,000 Learning in a Box kits to BCPS students in pre-kindergarten through second grade with plans to distribute more kits in the winter and spring as it secures additional grant funds.

In another example from Washoe County School District in Reno, Nevada, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, REL West supported two elementary schools by introducing inquiry cycles to improve literacy instruction. Several grade-level teams were trying to understand how to improve their writing conferences with students - a key component of their new Being a Writer curriculum and an evidence-based practice. To start their improvement efforts, the teachers needed data. They developed conference trackers to monitor how often writing conferences were conducted with each student. When the teachers met in a learning huddle to look at the trackers, the data revealed a few things: One, teachers were not conferring with a consistent number of students every day; two, some students needed more touch points than others; and three, there was a need for teachers to provide additional discussion points during the writing conferences. After reviewing their processes, teachers decided that students needed a "work on" prompt to remind them about specific changes to make to their writing and some students needed a follow-up conference to assess whether the changes had been made. They modified the tracker to support these change ideas by adding two columns to record a "praise" point and a "work on" point discussed with their students and by grouping students according to common areas of need on the tracker for small-group, follow-up conferences. As the inquiry cycles became routine, REL West observed the teachers shifting in how they collaborated and used data in their teams. Through the iterative process, teachers were able to reflect on their practice over time, adapt their writing conference practices and conference tracker prototype, address each issue as it surfaced, and ultimately, observe their students' writing improve. The prototyping and improvement process helped make teaching visible and highlight areas of instruction to change to better meet students' needs.

Continuous improvement cycles provide teachers with tools to identify their own problems and opportunities to improve their practice. Additionally, when teachers see from the data that an innovation or change idea works, they can share the emerging practice with other teachers, who can test and adapt it for their own context.

Key Conditions for Teacher Success

Understandably, time is needed for teachers to develop comfort and confidence in utilizing a new approach to professional learning. Coaches, principals, and other support providers can provide research-based guidance to support teachers' decision-making and prototyping. With practice and support, the cyclical routine can help teachers develop a different mindset -specifically, that it's okay to not know the solution to a problem right away, that inquiry data do not have to be complicated and formal, that even small changes can produce wins, and that improving practice comes from a series of trial and error.

From their recent work in supporting K-6 teachers to conduct their own rapid cycles of testing and reflection to improve literacy instruction, Austin and Bolte offer the following elements as important to teacher success:
Teacher Mindsets

An openness to change and innovation.

A willingness to be vulnerable with your practice, to make your practice public, and to acknowledge when something isn't working.

A habit for asking a problem-oriented question - What is the problem we are trying to solve? - and to use "change ideas" to guide the work of that cycle.

Routines for Collaboration

Use collaborative structures and routines for how to do this work together, such as:

learning huddles for collaborative, rapid decision-making

a discussion protocol to make space for problem solving and to discuss successes and challenges

access to resources from outside of the teacher team - instructional coaches, key articles, or examples from other teachers who have been successful in tackling a similar problem

meeting agendas to focus discussions and provide purpose

Bring data to every learning huddle, which adds rigor to the process.

Leverage existing data, such as student work. If possible, develop data collection prototypes that are easy to use, such as quick observation notes, checklists, or tally sheets.

Supportive Leadership

Adjust the schedule to allow sufficient time for ongoing professional learning and different types of collaboration to support planning, inquiry, and problem solving.

Understand that with continuous improvement support, teachers should be the main decision-makers in this change work and that they have expertise in developing the answers.

Message the "why" of the work consistently to support a culture of learning and problem solving. Provide opportunities to use a trial-and-error approach to identify emerging practices.

Related Resources

To learn more about collaborative structures that can support teachers in using inquiry cycles, check out these REL West resources:

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Now Is the Time for Teachers to Use Data-Based Inquiry Cycles

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This post, written by Pamela Fong of The Center for the Future of Teaching & Learning at WestEd, first appeared on the REL West blog and is posted here with permission. In this unprecedented time during a global pandemic, schools are navigating uncharted waters as they must quickly adapt to new ways of teaching and learning.

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This website provides a look at what charter schools are subject to for each state. In California, "charter schools are allowed an automatic waiver from most state laws, regulations, and policies governing school districts. They are not exempt from laws establishing minimum age for public school attendance, the California building standards, facilities requirements, and fiscal requirements such as the Charters Revolving Loan Fund policies. Charter schools are required to conduct statewide assessments and meet content standards" (Education Commission of the States)

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January 2018

Alaska

Charter schools are exempt from a school district's textbook, program, curriculum, and scheduling requirements. Charter schools are also exempt from a state law that requires superintendents of schools to select, appoint, and otherwise control school district employees that serve under the superintendent. Local school boards may exempt a charter school from other school district requirements in the contract.

Citations: Alaska Stat. Ann. § 14.03.255

Colorado

Pursuant to contract, a charter school may operate free from specified school district policies and free from state rules unless otherwise specified. The state board promulgates rules identifying state statutes and state rules that are automatically waived for all charter schools. A school district or the state charter school institute, on behalf of a charter school, may apply to the state board for a waiver of a state statute or state rule that is not automatically waived for charter schools by rule. Charter schools are subject to all federal and state laws and constitutional provisions prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, ancestry, or need for special education services. A charter school also is subject to any court-ordered desegregation plan in effect for the chartering school district and to state accountability and assessment provisions, the Colorado Finance Act and the Children's Internet Protection Act.

Citations: Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 22-30.5-104

Florida

Charter schools are exempt from all statutes of the state education code, except for the following:

Additionally, charter schools are required to be in compliance with statutes relating to:

Public meetings and records, public inspection, and criminal and civil penalties.

Public records.

Maximum class size.

Compensation and salary schedules.

Workforce reductions.

Contracts with instructional personnel hired on or after July 1, 2011.

Substantive requirements for performance evaluations for instructional personnel and school administrators.

Financial record-keeping and reporting.

Citations: Fla. Stat. Ann. § 1002.33

Georgia

Charter schools are exempt from state education law, regulations, policies and procedures except those related to:
In addition, charter schools remain subject to all federal, state, and local rules, regulations, court orders, and statutes relating to:

Citations: Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-2065

Idaho

Each public charter school is exempt from the rules governing school districts, except for charter school-specific rules promulgated by the state board of education and rules relating to the following:

Teacher certification.

State standardized tests.

Federal individuals with disabilities act.

Accreditation schools.

Qualifications of a student for attendance at an alternative school.

Financial reporting.

Professional codes and standards, including ethics.

A thorough system of public schools (i.e., safe, disciplined, teaching of basic values such as honesty, college and work-ready skills, citizenship, technology).

Rules that specifically pertain to charter schools.

Citations: Idaho Code Ann. § 33-5210; Idaho Code Ann. § 33-5204

Indiana

Except as otherwise specified in the charter schools law, charter schools are exempt from the following:

Charter schools must follow laws and rules governing the following:

Conversion charter schools must also follow teacher and administrator employment rules and regulations.

Citations: Ind. Code Ann. § 20-24-8-4; Ind. Code Ann. § 20-24-8-5

Kentucky

A public charter school is exempt from all statutes and administrative regulations applicable to the state board, a local school district, or a school, except the public charter school shall adhere to the same health, safety, civil rights, and disability rights requirements as are applied to all public schools and to all requirements otherwise identified in the state public charter school law.

Not waived are requirements related to:

Citations: Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 160.1592; Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 161.141

Louisiana

Charter schools are exempt from all state board rules and regulations and any local school board rules and regulations applicable to public schools and their officers and employees, except those specifically outlined in an approved charter and in state law, including health and safety, accountability and assessments, civil rights, individuals with disabilities, attendance reporting, student information and open meetings, among many others.

Citations: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 17:3996

Maine

A public charter school is subject to all federal laws and authorities, to local law not inconsistent with the state charter school law and to the charter contract. A public charter school is exempt from all statutes and rules applicable to a noncharter public school, a local school board or a school administrative unit. Charter schools are not, however, exempt from the following:

Civil rights and health and safety requirements.

Student assessment and accountability requirements.

Conflict of interest and public records and proceedings requirements.

Criminal history and fingerprinting requirements for employees.

Provision of special education services and related requirements.

Responsibility to provide access to career and technical education provided by the resident school administrative unit, the career and technical education region or the career and technical education center.

Proficiency-based diploma standards.

Educator effectiveness requirements.

Approval standards for public preschool programs, if applicable.

Citations: Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. 20-A § 2412

Maryland

Charter schools must comply with all laws governing public schools. They may seek waivers on a case-by-case basis from the state board of education or county board, depending on the policy, but waivers cannot be granted for laws pertaining to:

Audit requirements.

Measurement of student academic achievement.

Health and safety of students or employees.

Civil rights of students or employees.

Roles and responsibilities related to children with disabilities.

The state charter school law.

"Eligible charter schools" (a public charter school that has been in existence for at least 5 years and demonstrates to the public chartering authority a history of sound fiscal management, above-average student achievement on statewide assessments and other measures developed by the state board) may ask to be exempt from:

Citations: Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 9-106; Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 9-104.1; Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 9-107

Michigan

A public school academy is required to comply with all applicable law, including all of the following:

Citations: Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. § 380.503

Nevada

Every two years, the public charter school authority must, in consultation with the department of education and sponsors of charter schools, review all statutes and regulations from which charter schools are not exempt and determine whether those policies assisted or impeded charter schools.

During the application process, charter management organizations may request waivers from requirements governing the charter school governing body membership.

Citations: Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 388.171

New Mexico

A charter application is required to include a description of both discretionary waivers and waivers provided for in law. The state department of education must waive requirements relating to:

For schools authorized by a local school board, the board may waive only locally-imposed school district requirements. A state-chartered school is exempt from district requirements. The department of education may waive graduation requirements.

Charter School Districts: Charter school districts are exempt from policies and rules pertaining to school day length, staffing, subject areas, and instructional materials. The department of education may waive other requirements, and local school boards may seek waivers from department rules in the charter school application.

Citations: N.M. Stat. Ann. § 22-8B-4, N.M. Stat. Ann. § 22-8B-5, N.M. Stat. Ann. § 22-8B-8, N.M. Stat. Ann. § 22-8E-4, N.M. Stat. Ann. § 22-8E-5

North Carolina

Except as provided in the state's charter school law and pursuant to the provisions of its charter, a charter school is exempt from statutes and rules applicable to a local school board or school district. However, laws pertaining to the following may not be waived:

Health and safety.

Instructional days and hours.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvements Act.

The school's programs must at least meet the student performance standards adopted by the state board of education and the performance standards in the school's charter.

Assessments required by the state board of education.

3rd grade reading proficiency and related promotion and retention requirements.

Citations: N.C. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 115C-218.10, N.C. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 115C-218.75, N.C. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 115C-218.85

Ohio

Except as otherwise specified in the state's charter school law and in the contract between a charter school and a sponsor, a charter school is exempt from all state laws and rules pertaining to schools, school districts, and boards of education, except those laws and rules that grant certain rights to parents. Charter schools must comply with certain laws pertaining to, among others:

Assessments

Health and safety

Student discipline

A ll policies requiring compliance are outlined in statute.

Citations: Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3314.03, Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3314.04

Oklahoma

Except as provided for in the state's charter school law and a charter school's charter, a charter school is exempt from all statutes and rules relating to schools, boards of education and school districts. There also are a limited amount of waivers available to charter schools. Charter schools are subject to laws and regulations pertaining to:

Citations: Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 3-136

Tennessee

A charter school may apply to the local school board or the state commissioner of education for a waiver of state board rules and statutes. Rules relating to the following may not be waived, among others:

Civil rights

Nondiscrimination

Health and safety

Open meeting laws

Public records

Instruction time

Parental rights

Weapons on school property

Citations: Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-13-105; Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-13-111

Texas

Charter schools receive an automatic waiver from most state and school district education laws. Although applicability varies by type of charter school, most are still subject to the following state laws, among others:

Health and safety

Accountability

Bilingual education

Public Education Information Management System

Prekindergarten programs

Criminal history records

Citations: Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 12.012; Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 12.013; Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 12.055; Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 12.056; Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 12.103; Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 12.104; Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 12.156

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Charter Schools: What rules are waived for charter schools?

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January 2018 Alaska Charter schools are exempt from a school district's textbook, program, curriculum, and scheduling requirements. Charter schools are also exempt from a state law that requires superintendents of schools to select, appoint, and otherwise control school district employees that serve under the superintendent.

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Charter schools are required to conduct statewide assessments and meet standards

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https://www.ocmboces.org/tfiles/folder1608/Superintendents_supervising%20principals.pdf
This is a good article on the relationship between principals and superintendents. - Chloe

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According to PPIC.org "under LCFF, 2020–21 per pupil current spending is higher for low-income than higher-income students (by $1,265), for EL than non-ELs (by $500), and higher for Black and Latino than white students (by $1,278 and $1,185, respectively)"

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California now spends slightly more per student than other states-but ranks below average when accounting for labor costs. Although funding levels reached record highs during the pandemic, falling enrollment and rising costs mean schools will face fiscal challenges ahead.

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What do you mean by 'issues'? There is a lot that is impacted in a title 1 school. That usually means that the students are not only from low SES but also are behind in meeting the content standards for the school year grade level they are in. A great principal will get resources to support the title 1 school however, it will always take time and money to each year to see the specific needs and then purchase what needs to be purchased. Digital applications, technology such as smart boards, etc, cost a a lot of money. And then think of al the other things that the funds go to towards the school, assembles, lunch with the principal, and many others.

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I read this article about funding, it explains that funding is dispersed equally among all students. However, there is additional funding for targeted students such as English Learners, low-income, foster, and homeless students. Change takes time to happen, which is why we may see the situation not improving. In my experience, especially with english learners, you see the changes over time through annual standardized testing scores.

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Study of Local Control Funding Formula examines new school spending data

Credit: Allison Shelley for American Education

Credit: Allison Shelley for American Education

Diverting funds intended for California's high-needs students for other spending "dampens" the potential to significantly close the achievement gap between high-poverty and low-poverty students, new research from the Public Policy Institute of California has found.

School districts on average are directing only 55 cents of every dollar of extra funding from the Local Control Funding Formula to the schools that high-needs students who generate the money attend, research fellow Julien Lafortune concluded in a policy brief and full report.

Lafortune examined school-level financial data reported to the state for all districts with more than 250 students and with more than 10 schools. He was able to do the research using federally mandated school-level data available for the first time.

The "imperfect targeting of resources to high-need students within districts remains a concern," he wrote, adding that there are big differences among districts in the extent to which they target the additional resources.

The money that didn't reach the high-needs students wasn't necessarily "wasted," he said; instead of being targeted, it was spread evenly among all students across a district.

Related

Smaller classes, more novice teachers: the 'tradeoff' for low-income California schools

PPIC's research also indicates that the funding formula is having a positive impact on improving test scores and college eligibility, particularly in districts that receive the most funding.

The Local Control Funding Formula provides the bulk of the general funding that school districts and charter schools receive from the state. Along with a base grant for all students, it provides "supplemental" money for every high-needs student plus "concentration" funding that sharply increases when they comprise most of the students in a district. Under the funding formula, high-needs students are low-income, foster and homeless students, as well as English learners, who are targeted for additional funding.

As of this year, districts in which targeted students make up at least 60% of enrollment, which is about the statewide average for high-needs students, receive an extra 15% in funding. Districts in which targeted students make up 80% of enrollment receive about a third more in additional funding.

The money is paying off, particularly in the districts with the highest-needs students, Lafortune found, raising tests scores on the Smarter Balanced standardized tests in math and English language arts and enabling more students to meet the course requirements for admission to the California State University and the University of California.

In the highest-need districts - those with 80% or more students targeted with extra funding - the share of students meeting or exceeding standards increased by 10 and 9 percentage points in English language arts and math, respectively, while at lower-need districts, the share increased 4 and 5 points from 2014-15 through 2018-19. Low-income districts narrowed the achievement gap by 6 percentage points in English language arts and 4 percentage points in math.

However, the overall statewide progress in narrowing the gap between all low-income students and non-low-income students was less: only 2.5 percentage points in English language arts and 0.6 percentage points in math.

Lafortune found the same pattern when analyzing the course requirements, known as A to G, for qualifying for admission to the University of California and the California State University. In the decade preceding the enactment of the funding formula in 2013-14, there was no change in the gap in A to G completion rates between low- and non-low-income districts. Since then, the gap between the highest-need districts and the lowest-need districts, with less than 30% of low-income students, narrowed by 9 percentage points. For the districts in between, which received some concentration money, the gap closed only 5 percentage points.

Previous studies of Local Control and Accountability Plans, in which districts lay out annual plans for supplemental and concentration spending, had found some districts had underused or misdirected the money. A state auditor's analyses of three districts' spending concluded that the funding formula law "has not ensured that funding is benefiting students as intended." This year, Gov. Gavin Newsom adopted one of the auditor's key recommendations, eliminating a loophole that allowed districts to spend leftover money for high-needs students however they wanted the following year.

The money also has been difficult to track in schools with high-needs students. However, through a requirement under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, California for the first time is reporting accurate spending data by school; previously, California calculated teacher salaries, the largest component of school spending, using a districtwide average, not actual salaries. The new mandate is not a complete remedy, since it remains difficult to make spending comparisons among districts. However, it does reveal which high-needs schools are disparately funded.

Lafortune attributes the differences in spending on high-needs students to two issues he raises in the report:

Extra funding is intended to fund additional programs and services for high-needs students, but it is funded by district, not by school, giving districts flexibility on where to spend the money;

Although districts with the biggest proportions of high-needs students (80% or more of enrollment) get the most concentration funding, many other districts have nearly the same total number of high-needs studentsget considerably less funding. And non-low-income districts that get no concentration funding still contain a quarter of the state's schools where a majority or more of the students are low-income.

That is all the more reason why the state "must ensure that supplemental and concentration funding is benefiting the students who generate it in a more direct and significant way," said Samantha Tran, senior managing director of education policy at Children Now, a nonprofit advocacy organization. It appears that the funding formula is working in districts that receive the most funding, "which is great, but there is absolutely more the state needs to do to actually close achievement gaps," she said.

Lafortune recommends several options to spread the additional funding more evenly. One way would be lowering the threshold for districts to receive concentration funding. Another would be to fund concentration dollars by school instead of by district, ensuring that the money would go to students who generated the extra funding. The challenge with the latter is that it might encourage further segregation - redrawing school boundaries to include larger concentrations of low-income families, Lafortune said.

In a study two years ago, Lafortune documented that districts were using the additional funding to hire counselors and teacher aides for low-income schools, but they also had disproportionate numbers of novice teachers. He once again recommends that the Legislature address this issue.

"Key policies, therefore, should involve additional funding and incentives that allow districts to hire and retain qualified staff in the highest-need schools, especially given teacher shortages around high-demand subjects," he wrote.
To get more reports like this one, click here to sign up for EdSource's no-cost daily email on latest developments in education.

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Nearly half of money for high-needs students not getting to their schools, analysis finds

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Credit: Allison Shelley for American Education Credit: Allison Shelley for American Education Diverting funds intended for California's high-needs students for other spending "dampens" the potential to significantly close the achievement gap between high-poverty and low-poverty students, new research from the Public Policy Institute of California has found.

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Collaborate with other teachers to see if they have alternative teaching methods that may be more effective in that situation. - Chloe

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Local Control Funding Formula is "California's new school funding formula, enacted in 2013. Actual funding allocations, when available, will be available via the Principal Apportionment page."

https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/lc/index.asp

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LCFF Overview

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) is hallmark legislation that fundamentally changed how all local educational agencies (LEAs) in the state are funded, how they are measured for results, and the services and supports they receive to allow all students to succeed to their greatest potential.

If you would like to receive updates regarding the LCFF via email notification, subscribe to the LCFF listserv by sending a "blank" message to join-LCFF-list@mlist.cde.ca.gov. (To unsubscribe, send a "blank" message to unsubscribe-LCFF-list@mlist.cde.ca.gov.)

Components of LCFF

California Accountability Model and School Dashboard

The California Accountability Model and School Dashboard provide information about how local educational agencies and schools are meeting the needs of California's diverse student population based on a concise set of measures.

LCFF Support and Assistance

California's accountability and continuous improvement system is based on a three-tiered framework, with the first tier, general assistance, made up of resources and assistance that is made available to all local educational agencies. Differentiated assistance is the second tier of assistance that one or more agencies is required by statute to provide to local educational agencies that meet certain eligibility criteria. The third tier is intensive intervention, which is generally required based on persistent performance issues over a specified period of time. The Assistance Status spreadsheet linked below provides the assistance status for county offices of education, school districts, and charter schools.

2019 LCFF Assistance Status
2019 LCFF COE/District Assistance Status Spreadsheet (XLSX) 2019 LCFF Charter School Assistance Status Spreadsheet (XLSX) County Superintendent of Schools Summary of Support (PDF)
Prior LCFF Assistance Status Data Files and Record Layouts
2018 LCFF Assistance Status 2017 LCFF Assistance Status
Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP)

The LCAP is a tool for local educational agencies to set goals, plan actions, and leverage resources to meet those goals to improve student outcomes. The Local Control and Accountability Plan webpage provides resources to support the planning, implementation and evaluation of an LCAP.

In order to create a clear connection between an LEA's performance and the planning process that is memorialized in the LCAP, California Education Code ( EC) Section 52064 was amended to include a requirement that an LEA that meets certain criteria include one or more specific goals in the LCAP focused on improving student outcomes of low-performing student groups and/or schools. The legislative intent of these requirements is two-fold: first, to ensure that LEAs are addressing the needs of consistently low-performing student groups; and second, to ensure that higher performing LEAs are addressing the needs of low-performing schools within the LEA.

The CDE has prepared files that indicate the LEAs that have met the criteria to include one or more specific goals in the LCAP. These files indicate, for all applicable LEAs, the student group(s) and schools are required to be addressed within a specific goal in the LEAs LCAP. These files will be prepared and posted annually. For additional information related to this requirement please see the Goals and Actions section of the LCAP template instructions.

LCAP Required Goals Lists
LEAs required to include a goal in the 2022-23 LCAP based on student group performance (XLSX) LEAs required to include a goal in the 2022-23 LCAP based on school performance (XLSX)
LCFF Apportionments

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) Overview provides information about funding.

The Principal Apportionment includes funding for the Local Control Funding Formula, which is the primary source of an LEA's general purpose funding; Special Education (Assembly Bill 602); and funding for several other programs. The Principal Apportionment is a series of apportionment calculations that adjust the flow of state funds throughout the fiscal year as information becomes known.

Resources

The LCFF Priorities/Whole Child Resource Map provides LCFF priorities and whole child resources and supports to help local educational agencies, schools, and families serve the needs of California's diverse student population.
Tuesdays @ 2 Webinar Series
The State Priority Related Resources page provides links to resources for developing and implementing state priorities in the LCAP.

The Family Engagement Toolkit (PDF) and Editable Templates (DOC) provide practical planning and evaluation tools that support efforts to engage all families, particularly those of underrepresented and underserved students.

The LCFF Reports page provides access to search for the latest available LCFF funding and accountability data for individual schools, school districts, and county offices of education.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions: Local Agency Systems Support Office | LCFF@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0809

Last Reviewed: Friday, December 17, 2021

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The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) is hallmark legislation that fundamentally changed how all local educational agencies (LEAs) in the state are funded, how they are measured for results, and the services and supports they receive to allow all students to succeed to their greatest potential.

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I found this video hope it helps in some way.

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This is a very hard situation. On one part we want to give our children as much as we can but we are very limited due to funding issues. We can first start off by asking parents/guardians of our children if they are willing to buy any material for the students or donate anything. There is also amazon wishlist or other websites where teachers can list things they need and random donors buy it for them. Last option would be trying to host a fundraiser to save up money.

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I definitely think its important to get to know your parents and I think sometimes parents can be hard to reach due to their jobs or other factors, so I think in that case interacting with them outside of school would be appropriate. Its definitely important to create a relationship with parents to build trust and be able to work together to best help their child. - Chloe

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There's a lot of specials for teacher at stores. Ive also heard of teachers having donations or going to yard sales to look for back packs.

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There's a lot of specials for teacher at stores. Ive also heard of teachers having donations or going to yard sales to look for back packs.

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Both of my parents are teachers and in their time teaching they have gone to students' sporting events (especially school related ones), quinceneras, graduation parties, and more. I think its important to build these types of relationships with students, but also maintain appropriate boundaries!

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I would think so. Many if not all of the courses I have taken here through APU have put a great emphasis on doing our part by being inviting to the parents in any way or form that we can. Many of the classes have encouraged setting up home meetings to get to know the students home life and get a better understanding towards teaching the students. From personal experiences I recall physical education courses announcing community runs for fundraising, and this was a great time to get the students and families involved, and it was always a great time while promoting a healthy lifestyle.

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If the teacher's union is not involved, maybe teachers can reach out to other local unions to see if they can get help organizing one. Also, collaborating and working together closely with other teachers to solve issues can help. Groups of teachers can go to the administration for help and support. Also looking into community organizations that support teachers and workers may help too. -Tanya Malik

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One of the options would be to connect with local community organizations and businesses to see if they would be willing to sponsor your classroom with the supplies or funding for the supplies.

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I could collaborate with a group of other teachers to brainstorm ideas of ways to create unity in the school culture in order to best support the students. I would then pitch those ideas to the administration in hopes they would implement them

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Building Resilience and Self Care- Josefina

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Building Resilience and Self Care- Josefina

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I would like to find a balance between school, work, and being a single mom to make more time to practice self care. it is incredibly important for me to take care of myself. One thing I would like to do in specific is giving myself weekly manicures, this may seem like something unnecessary, but it is something that makes me feel good about myself. Another thing I would like to start doing again is working out; my goal is to get a work out in at least 3-4 times a week.

I can build resiliency by continuing to build my professional network. Although I learn many valuable concepts at school, I know that my resource is the people who have been in the field and have more experience. As a new teacher, I will appreciate any tips and advice my fellow veteran teachers are willing to give me.

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Work with community resources. I also would collaborate with other teachers. I think bouncing ideas off of one another can help even with a poor leadership. Also, I would avoid getting sucked into wasting time about gossiping. 

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Work with community resources. I also would collaborate with other teachers. I think bouncing ideas off of one another can help even with a poor leadership. Also, I would avoid getting sucked into wasting time about gossiping. 

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When I got hired as a special education (many were general ed new teachers as well) teacher 8 years ago, we were encouraged to get to know our families and their students and go to their sports games and show support. I believe it depends on the district, but that is a good question to ask when you get hired.

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I know that they get audited every year to make sure they are providing students with a good education. At my charter school with have to document everything and show proof of everything. With grade we always have to provide a work sample for each great and a scoring guide. We do have a little more freedom with our curriculum but that will still get audited every year. My school also sticks to the common core state standards as well.

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I think building a united front with other teachers would be extremely important. Everyone might be going through similar things and can really support each other. Trying to bring up your needs to the administration you are working with in a way that shows how you can make a positive impact.

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Learning to handle one task at a time instead of focusing on the whole list I have to complete. Also, taking a break when I need one and not feeling guilty about it.

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In addition to practical leadership experience, most states require public school K-12 administrators to possess a master's degree in a related discipline such as administrative leadership or curriculum. Plus 6 years of experience

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In addition to practical leadership experience, most states require public school K-12 administrators to possess a master's degree in a related discipline such as administrative leadership or curriculum. Plus 6 years of experience

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I would get to know them personally first, and then ask if there is anything I can do to better support them and practically help them. I would also let them know that I am here for them however they would need me.

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I think that some principals are worn out and not practicing self-care or they are not properly trained. I think sometimes it takes a certain personality and passion.

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I think that some principals are worn out and not practicing self-care or they are not properly trained. I think sometimes it takes a certain personality and passion.

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I think teachers can support their administrators by listening to their ideas and asking ways that they support them, as well as thinking of other ways to collaborate on their ideas.

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I found this video on the pros and cons of charter schools- Tanya Malik

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I found this video on the pros and cons of charter schools- Tanya Malik

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pg_aGwAETI

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I would say teach the "fun learning" and if it is effective then everyone will have be on board even if it takes them some time.

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At Val Verde Unified we have ELAC meeting for all of our Hispanic descent families who want and need more support from their particular school. They are invited each month to attend and ask any questions they have as well given information on our school and what their child is working on and how they can help. Also, we have a parent engagement center for any resources or support for our families.

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I want to work on understanding my emotions and being okay with feeling Tired and not feeling like I have to be able to conquer it all without feeling overwhelmed.

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Self care is an area where I would like to invest more time. Currently, I make sure to be conscoius of what I eat so that I can take care of my health. I also need time to destress, so I try to balance my time during the weekend to spend time with my son and my best friend.

Resilience- This is an area where I know that I need to grow. Currently, I am building resilience by learning to tackle difficult tasks in chunks and asking for help when needed. I am currently teaching a summer school class where I need to plan and prep for the class myself. I reached out to my mentor teacher and she provided great advice for me to get started planning. She also suggested I plan with my fellow co-teacher, this advice has definitely assisted in tackling this overwhelming task and I am able to learn from my co-teachers ideas and perspectives.

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Often, a district finance team makes allocations to schools based on perceived need. When this happens, a principal is usually told what their budget is, often through a report that has come down from the district's central office finance staff.

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Often, a district finance team makes allocations to schools based on perceived need. When this happens, a principal is usually told what their budget is, often through a report that has come down from the district's central office finance staff.

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Anel Torres

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- If they are not, it important for teachers to have the resources with this information ready to go for the parents who may mention a need for them.

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I simply need top keep working on myself to keep evolving into the better version of myself. I believe I am on the correct path thus far, however there is always room for improvement and it will be noticeable with time. I am positive for the most part, however I still need to work on more professional ways to deal with situations I dislike such as dealing with bullies, unprofessionalism, and bad vibes. I realize when I deal with these things my tone turns rather angry, which may not help the situation at times.

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Working with administration and collaborating with other teachers is a great way to get the support you need. I have found that it always depends on how you frame your needs. If you're able to show how it will support the school, the students and be successful, it is hard to say no.

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Talk and collaborate with other educators. There is always a way! :)

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One thing I need to work on is setting boundaries with when I do work such as grading, so I do not burn myself out. Setting rules such as no grading on the weekend or after 10pm.

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As far as I’ve heard, the district administration and the administration at the school sites works on this.

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I would collaborate with the teachers to create some solidarity. Make sure we are on the same page when it comes to certain issues and try to vote on issues that will help the school obtain better leadership.

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There should be available resources from the community and the school should provide resources as well.

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ASK! If you do not ask admin how you can help/support them you will not know how. Sometimes all you need to do is ask how they are doing to make an impact.

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Create a relationship with them and get to know them on a personal level so that you can start to learn how you can support them.

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I have heard that a lot of teachers use Donors choose and Amazon wishlists to ask the community for help gaining supplies. I’ve heard they’ve had good results too!

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I think it's about taking risk. That principle was not afraid to take risks and different approaches which other principles might.

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I am not exactly sure what your question means, but we should always be aware of the cultures and communities that our students belong to. We should never assume or pretend to understand certain choices from cultures that we have no knowledge of. In addition, we shouldn't reach parents how to be parents according to our standards of parenting. 

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I am not exactly sure what your question means, but we should always be aware of the cultures and communities that our students belong to. We should never assume or pretend to understand certain choices from cultures that we have no knowledge of. In addition, we shouldn't reach parents how to be parents according to our standards of parenting. 

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Many issues remain in place because not enough is put into the school in other aspects. In many ways it also takes a lot of time to make changes possible.

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I believe it can be added to the school newsletter with resources or even the classroom newsletter. 

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I believe it can be added to the school newsletter with resources or even the classroom newsletter. 

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I need to work on reflection. I don't often reflect on ways I can improve or make my work simpler or more efficient. I believe that looking back at mistakes you've made or ways to do things more effectively will enhance my teaching

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I need to work on my social emotional competency and keeping my emotions in check. Now I tend to be over emotional and I do not want that to affect my students. I also need to work on my organizational skills and procrastinate less.

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As someone that works in a charter school, from my experience we are able to form connections with every single one of our students. They are able to get more one-on-one attention. In my charter school, teachers have anywhere from 25-40 students at one time and they remain that students teacher until they graduate.

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Have a positive attitued and a team player

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Work together with other teachers who feel just as strong as you do.

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Connecting with the student on a deeper level to find out what their interests are and using those interests to connect ELA/ Math lessons.

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I would try to brainstorm with other staff and faculty to set a goal they would like to reach to promote school leadership.

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I make sure to play music I enjoy while I am working so that the time feels to go by quicker. I also try to work in well lit areas near a window.

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I think it might be because of higher parent  involvement and the students desire to be at that specific school.

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I think one possible reason that this principal was trying to revamp his school is because he has personal experience and can relate with his students. I also believe that it depends on the passion and the drive the principal has to make a difference. - Stefani

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I need to work on setting boundaries and not being such a people pleaser. Working on saying no.

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I need to work on preparing lessons and all materials needed ahead of time and saving those lessons to use from year to year. I also need to work on organization so that I can be better prepared for the day, especially for the unexpected things that happen during the day. I feel that this will help me with self-care. Sometimes I may double work for myself.

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For self-care and resilience I tend not to take many things too personal, and also I always do my best to divide my home and work life. It is very easy to bring your work problems into the household and create a load of problems there as well. I had a teacher tell me once that we need to be able to flip the switch immediately after leaving school or else you will find yourself soon hating many things in your life. As far as self-care on its own I have been exercising and eating better for about 2-weeks now, and I can honestly say I am beginning to slowly feel different. I am in the field of physical education and I need to take myself serious if I am going to want me students to also take me serious in my perspective.

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Learning to take breaks and reflecting on what I need to work on. Journaling my thoughts and working through my anxiety.

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For self care, I am practicing mindfulness techniques. I am meditating and working on focusing on how to destress. I am also building resiliency by building up my support system.

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5 min. meditation before class and hikes. I also learn from my mistakes

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5 min. meditation before class and hikes. I also learn from my mistakes

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I think am doing good at keeping a balanced lifestyle. Although I prioritize my work and school work, I also make sure to leave time for things I enjoy. Doing things like working out or hanging out with friends refuels me!

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Setting boundaries, learning to say no when necessary.

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Not allowing others opinions influence my mood or hinder my thought process.

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The principal had a vision for his school, and he understood what the students and teachers needed to carry out the vision. 

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The principal had a vision for his school, and he understood what the students and teachers needed to carry out the vision. 

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Teachers can support administration by approaching any manners in a professional way. Acknowledgment of their work is a great way to do this. Being patient with them when they need to get this for you is a great way to be helpful as well.

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I need to work on being okay with not having hands on activities planned all the time for my students. It’s hard for my to just do the bare minimum for them but it’s so much work.

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Boundaries...not needing to do it ALL!

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I am making sure I am scheduling time to do things that I enjoy while also completing my work. I am taking care of myself and keeping myself healthy so that I am able to get my work done and stay positive.

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I need to work on setting boundaries at work and create habits such as not taking my work computer at home.

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-Chunking large tasks into smaller tasks
-Exercise daily
-Daily Meditation/Prayer Time
- Ask for Help

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I need to learn to set better boundaries when it comes to helping others. I need to remember that it is not always a bad thing to say no.

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Collaborate with other teachers and the school board

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It is easy for me to fill my schedule and calendar to stay busy but I am being intentional with rest. Blocking off time in my day/week to read, go for a walk, be still, and unhurried.

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Personal experience. He related to the students he was in charge of because that was what life was like for him growing up - Ali

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Personal experience. He related to the students he was in charge of because that was what life was like for him growing up - Ali

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I need to work on being able to separate my emotions from school because I can get so overwhelmed that I start to fall behind on things I need to get done.

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For self care, I make sure to have a morning routine before I head out to work. One of the activities that keeps my levels of stress is running and cross training. In addition, I try to approach any situation with a positive mindset, and I acknowledge that all difficult situation have a resolution.

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I am creating a routine where I include self care tasks such as exercise and free reading time.

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Talk with administration, suggest ideas and work together with colleagues - Ali

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Talk with administration, suggest ideas and work together with colleagues - Ali

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Spending time journaling, reading, and enjoying nature

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Spending time journaling, reading, and enjoying nature

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I need to work on healthy boundaries and not being a perfectionist. I need to work on believing in myself and my mission as a teacher. I should not be so hard on myself and focus on the bigger picture for the student.

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I need to work on healthy boundaries and not being a perfectionist. I need to work on believing in myself and my mission as a teacher. I should not be so hard on myself and focus on the bigger picture for the student.

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I am making sure I take enough time throughout the week to just decompress. I go on walks, watch the sunset, or just take a nap. I am also working on communicating my needs with the people around me. It is not always easy, but I’ve found it lifts the weight off of my shoulders.

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Believing in my capabilities and asking for help when I need it

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I am always trying to look on the bright side of things...

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Going running and finding time to relax with family and friends.

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Setting boundaries and no work on the weekends

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I am taking quiet time, reflecting, and journaling. Plan to read the book of 10 best traits for a teacher and healthy boundary books.

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I am taking quiet time, reflecting, and journaling. Plan to read the book of 10 best traits for a teacher and healthy boundary books.

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Not to stress over the little things. Take a breath and rely on those you can trust - Ali

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Not to stress over the little things. Take a breath and rely on those you can trust - Ali

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Positive Self Talk and Positive Thinking 

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Positive Self Talk and Positive Thinking 

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Chunking tasks into smaller segments so that larger assignments are not overwhelming. Pre-planning. Also, face masks. Lots of face masks. - Ali

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Chunking tasks into smaller segments so that larger assignments are not overwhelming. Pre-planning. Also, face masks. Lots of face masks. - Ali