California Department of Education lacks capacity to support instructional improvement

 
New academic demands and challenges in schools require increased capacity to support instructional improvement. Capacity comes in many forms: technical, organizational, and political. In addition, there are different sources of capacity, such as the state government and networks. 

This report examines: 

•What sources of capacity to support instructional improvement operate in California? 
•How are they distributed? 
•How does California’s capacity compare with other states? 
•How might California’s capacity be strengthened?

The researchers specifically examined these questions of capacity relative to puzzles of creating coherence and instructional alignment for California’s ambitious grade-­‐level standards.

Current conditions in the CDE constrain the agency’s ability to support frontline practice:

•Limited CDE in-­‐house subject-­‐matter expertise: Reductions in CDE staff have occurred disproportionately in portions of the agency devoted to instructional support. 
•Greater staff reductions in California than in other states: State-­‐level staff reductions over time have been significantly higher in California than in other states. 
•Lower average salaries for state-­‐level positions: One challenge to attracting and retaining subject-­‐matter experts arises from lower average salaries in the CDE than in high enrollment county and district offices.  

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