SBE sets federal K-8 attendance goal at 90 percent The state board moved Wednesday to hold elementary and middle schools accountable for a minimum attendance rate of 90 percent. SI&A Cabinet Report Report: Kindergarten attendance linked to future academic success A new report revealed kindergarten attendance is linked to future academic success. iSchoolGuide The first...

By Dennis Romero California lawmakers want to teach teens how to say yes to sex. And the state Assembly just passed the bill that would do just that. SB 695 by Senate President Pro Tempore de León of L.A. and Jackson and Sen.  Hannah-Beth Jackson of Santa Barbara would require high schools to teach the “yes means yes”...

Teen partly responsible for abuse by teacher, LAUSD tells appeals court Los Angeles Unified continues to argue that a 14-year-old girl should be partly responsible for sexual abuse by her eighth-grade teacher. Los Angeles Times LAUSD settles additional millions for Miramonte claims The LA Unified school board approved $4.5 million in additional settlement money for...

By Helena Bottemiller Evich As the Republican battle against Michelle Obama’s school lunch standards resumes in Congress later this month, some food giants are quietly backing away from their fight with the first lady. Many companies, such as Schwan’s, that once vigorously fought key elements of the initiative to trim sodium, fat and calories from...

LA Unified could pay more to alleged Miramonte victims Settlements already total $169 million, the largest the district has ever paid related to sexual misconduct. Los Angeles Times School groups pursue compromise on budget reserves A year-long battle between a coalition of school organizations and the California Teachers Association over district reserves has taken a...

The LA Unified school board is meeting today at a 1 p.m. The board is scheduled to discuss its search for a new superintendent as well as board member Mónica García’s resolutions for the district to recognize Latino Heritage Month, Student Attendance Month, National Coming Out Day and College Awareness Month. There will also be several public hearings regarding...

By The Editorial Board Kindergarten hasn’t been its old self for a long time. After decades of increasing focus on academics, it recently became more standardized as well; the curriculum for California’s 5-year-olds is now aligned with the Common Core academic standards. Kindergarten teachers are no longer preoccupied with keeping their squirmy charges from eating...

Prosecutors probe L.A. Unified’s food services for possible violations The Office of the Inspector General found mismanagement, inappropriate spending and ethical breaches in LA Unified’s meal operation. Los Angeles Times Fresno Unified’s legal tangles with no-bid contracts puts CA districts on alert LA Unified – which voiced support for Fresno Unified, saying it has spent...

By Dan Walters California’s public schools saw an enormous enrollment surge during the 1950s from the post-World War II baby boom. It overwhelmed many school districts’ capacities to build new facilities, and one response, enacted in 1957, was called “lease-leaseback.” The law authorized a district to lease a school site to a contractor for a...

Uncertain impact of California’s high school exit exam Gov. Brown last week signed legislation that exempted students from the graduating class of 2015 from having to take the test. EdSource Lawmakers consider retroactive diplomas for students who failed exit exam Between 2006 and 2014, nearly 249,000 students, or about 6 percent of test-takers, did not...