AR 87: Relative to school accountability.

WHEREAS, It is the intent of the Legislature to promote pupil well-being, improve academic outcomes, and ensure that public education resources are used as effectively and efficiently as possible to directly benefit pupils and classrooms; and

WHEREAS, Before the adoption of the Local Control Funding Formula, the state’s categorical funding system imposed extensive and prescriptive reporting requirements on local educational agencies, resulting in significant administrative burden and reduced flexibility in the use of education dollars; and

WHEREAS, The Local Control Funding Formula sought to streamline reporting and accountability by introducing the Local Control and Accountability Plan process as the key driver of educational partner engagement and accountability; and

WHEREAS, Accountability and transparency are fundamental and essential components of California’s public education system, ensuring responsible stewardship of public funds and continuous improvement in pupil outcomes; and

WHEREAS, Some degree of planning, reporting, and data collection will always be necessary to maintain transparency, inform policymaking, and evaluate the effectiveness of state and local education investments; and

WHEREAS, Since 2019, the Legislature has enacted a growing number of new planning, reporting, and accountability requirements applicable to local educational agencies; and

WHEREAS, This increase in requirements has resulted in duplicative, fragmented, and excessive reporting obligations that are disjointed from the Local Control and Accountability Plan process and that divert limited local resources away from direct services for pupils and classrooms; and

WHEREAS, The Assembly Committee on Education analysis of Senate Bill 1315 (Chapter 468 of the Statutes of 2024) suggested that a more coherent and effective accountability system would include consideration of the following key guiding questions before establishing any new reporting requirements, including all of the following:

(1) Purpose: Why is this information being requested and how will it be used?

(2) Audience: Who is going to use this information?

(3) Value: Of how much value is this information and what is the opportunity cost?

(4) Feasibility: Is it possible to get the desired information, including from small local educational agencies?

(5) Duplication: Is this information already reported to the state in some other form?

(6) Duration: How long should this requirement be in effect?; and

WHEREAS, Formal and systematic consideration of purpose, intent, and impact of any proposed new planning, reporting, and accountability requirements will lead to robust analysis of its effect on the ability of local educational agencies to maximize the use of education dollars for pupil learning and well-being; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That, in order to continue the Assembly’s commitment to maximizing the number of dollars for pupils and classrooms and to creating a coherent accountability structure, the Legislature supports efforts that align with and more formally integrate this commitment into its daily activities, including urging the adoption of a process for education budget and policy committees to analyze questions of purpose, audience, value, feasibility, duplication, and duration as part of the existing committee and floor bill analysis process, and that the Governor, the Senate, the Department of Finance, the State Board of Education, the State Department of Education, and all other state entities overseeing public education are similarly urged to consider these same questions when analyzing, considering, developing, or implementing new reporting or planning requirements, including those contained in the Governor’s proposal for the annual Budget Act; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.