Contact: Mike Myslinski at (650) 552-5324
BURLINGAME – The governor has signed a bill securing funding for this fiscal year for a successful eight-year program bringing extra resources to hundreds of lower-performing public schools thanks to the CTA-backed Quality Education Investment Act of 2006.
“This bill will ensure that the 500,000 students receiving extra help in the 499 QEIA-funded schools continue to reap the benefits of proven education reforms,” said David A. Sanchez, president of the California Teachers Association. “Confusion during the summer’s budget crisis brought uncertainties about funding for this year, but now the program can continue to generate academic success at QEIA schools.”
The governor on Thursday signed ABx3 56 to ensure funding – and to guarantee that school districts with QEIA schools would not see any additional funding cuts. QEIA promotes proven reforms such as smaller class sizes, more counselors, and additional staff training.
New data shows the QEIA schools are showing significant academic gains. On average, the 499 QEIA schools scored five points higher than similar schools in the state’s Academic Performance Index (API) for the last school year, the first full year of extra QEIA resources. Also, 351 of the 499 QEIA schools met state schoolwide targets for API academic growth in the 2008-09 school year. The state’s API accountability system uses test scores to gauge progress and sets an API target of 800 for every public school. Seven QEIA schools exceeded this 800 API score benchmark, while 51 QEIA campuses had API growth of 50 points or more, according to an analysis by the QEIA Technical Assistance Center at the Los Angeles County Office of Education.