June 3: Background

Panelists

• Dede Alpert, State Senator, Chair, Joint Committee to Develop a Master Plan for Education
• Trudy Schafer, California League of Women Voters

Discussion Questions

1. What do you hope a Master Plan will mean for California education (pre-kindergarten-postsecondary)?

2. How much influence can a state-level Master Plan have on education in classrooms across the state?

   • There has been a postsecondary education plan since 1960. Has it made a real difference? In what ways?
   • Can a Master Plan create a more "aligned" or "cohesive" education system, in which the parts work in a coordinated way?

3. The draft Plan talks about accountability as an essential component to achieving the vision of a cohesive education system.

   • What does accountability mean in such a complex system?
   • Can a Master Plan create real accountability, so that someone is responsible when student achievement doesn't happen?

4. After the Master Plan is written, how much influence will the public have on the process of putting it into effect?

Additional Information Related to These Questions

Several types of information related to today's discussion are available on the Web site. Please review the Background document, which summarizes introductory material from the draft Master Plan, including problems in California education and the intent and vision of the Plan.

The Briefing Book also includes many items that are relevant for today and for the rest of the Dialogue. See for example the sections at the top titled "Current Education Policy in California" (K-12 governance overview and links to information about the current Master Plan, which is for higher education only) and "Draft Master Plan for Education" (timeline; why a new plan; framework document with scope, purpose and context for the new plan; and links to the draft Master Plan itself). The section on Working Group Reports and Staff Analyses lead to searchable versions of each report. There are also links with general information, including glossaries of education terminology and California government links. To find the Briefing Book quickly, use the icon in the Navigation Panel at left.

Related Issues

A number of cross-cutting issues are listed in the Briefing Book and copied below for convenience. These issues will come up throughout the Dialogue. If you would like to know more for example about "accountability," click on that link to find a variety of resources. Typically these lists begin with material that gives a general overview.

Overview of Topics