Just as students receive report cards that measure their performance and progress in school, The Education Trust–West develops annual report cards that grade California school districts on how well they serve their Latino, African-American, and low-income students. This brief summarizes the findings of our Second Annual District Report Cards. District leaders create the conditions for reform at the school and classroom levels that lead to improved student achievement. Our 2011 report cards focus on the critical role districts play in improving Latino, African-American, and low-income student achievement, closing achievement gaps, and preparing students for college eligibility. This year’s report cards reveal many of the same patterns as last year’s, with noteworthy changes in some districts and regions. As in 2010, the largest unified districts in Southern California tend to achieve better outcomes among their traditionally underserved students than Northern California districts. And of the large, unified districts assigned grades in both 2010 and 2011, most districts maintained the same grades overall and across indicators. While some districts improved or declined, twice as many districts improved their overall grades as those that slid backward.
Published: October 8, 2014
