Master Plan for Education:  K -- University

MASTER PLAN COMMITTEE -- http://www.senate.ca.gov/ftp/sen/committee/select/CALMASTER/_home1/PROFILE.HTM

 

PUBLIC HEARINGS

CALIFORNIA POLICY ADVOCATES

DEVELOPING THE MASTER PLAN
Working groups will be charged with examining the research and best practices supporting student achievement related to those objectives, and utilizing that information to develop policy options for the Joint Committee to consider as potential components of the Master Plan for Education.

This framework is intended to serve as a guide to the future work of the Joint Committee in developing a Master Plan for Education.  Deliberations of the Joint Committee will be guided in great part by the products of working groups it will establish to examine specific issue areas  impacting public education.  The working groups are envisioned as the operational arm of the Joint Committee and its permanent staff.  Working groups will utilize the services of research professionals, invited experts, graduate student interns, and professional personnel working with educational entities.

The Joint Committee will identify the specific objectives delineated in this framework that are to be examined by working groups.  Working groups will be charged with examining the research and best practices supporting student achievement related to those objectives, and will utilize that information to develop policy options for the Joint Committee to consider as potential components of the Master Plan for Education. 

Public feedback on the objectives of this framework should be directed to the working group to which each is appropriately assigned.

In addition to these six working groups, the Joint Committee will collaborate with the California Children and Families Commission to identify the most appropriate means by which the objectives for early childhood education can be achieved.

LONG RANGE PLANNING

California has established public schools throughout the state to educate nearly six million young people in over 8,000 schools, organized into more than 1,000 districts.  The state must assure that resources are coordinated sufficiently to provide each of these students an opportunity to receive a high quality education irrespective of where they reside in the state.  This challenge is made even more complex by the tremendous diversity to be found among public school students, by continual growth in school-age student populations, and by constant population shifts continually experienced in the state. 

Approximately half of public high school graduates historically have gone on to postsecondary education within the state.  This influx of students numbers more than 280,000 annually and is projected to increase to 370,000 by 2010.  California’s current Master Plan for Higher Education, designed to ensure the availability of postsecondary education and training opportunities for growing student populations, was based on the premise that those opportunities would be comparable throughout the state, irrespective of whether a student chooses a community college, state university, or university campus. California’s postsecondary education opportunities are provided by 139 public colleges and universities; more than 100 independent colleges and universities; and more than 3,000 private educational institutions.  Taking maximum advantage of these numerous postsecondary educational opportunities requires planning and coordination throughout the state. All of these institutions should be considered in strategy options as California seeks to continue its historic commitment to providing postsecondary education to all who desire it.

California’s vision for education requires that a clear focus be placed on the needs of learners to assure that all students throughout the education continuum have equitable educational opportunities.  With nearly eight million students attending public schools, colleges, and universities, long range planning is essential and must consider strategy options that assess the fiscal resources and numbers and distribution of teachers, faculty, administrators, and facilities that may be needed in the future.

Long Range Planning - Public Schools

  • The state should designate an entity to continuously monitor changes in California’s population and estimate the total numbers of students that will need to be accommodated in public elementary and secondary schools, by grade level and geographic areas of the state;
  • Demographic data produced by the designated state entity shall be used by the state to determine the physical capacity of existing school sites to serve the estimated public school population and determine the need for and costs of new capacity, teachers, instructional materials, and other resources;
  • The state should encourage collaboration by public schools with neighboring public colleges and universities and providers of social services that benefit students;
  • The state and local governing boards should assess the feasibility and likely impact of implementing options recommended by the state-designated entity(ties) for long-range planning;
  • Local districts should collect, maintain, and report core data identified by the state-designated entity for long-range planning; and,
  • Each local school board should adopt policies to assure the availability of first-rate teachers, support personnel, instructional support equipment, and facilities to meet student demand.

Long Range Planning - Public Colleges and Universities

  • The state should designate an entity to engage in continuous long-range planning for postsecondary education demand.  The entity should be empowered to require data submission from all public colleges and universities to enable it to:
  • Provide accurate assessment of current and future capacity to accommodate demand;
  • Identify current and future problems and generate options for addressing the problems, including cost estimates for each option;
  • Provide advice to policymakers that encourages comprehensive policy planning in lieu of frequent reform initiatives and statutory mandates;
  • The state should encourage collaboration by public colleges and universities with independent and private providers of postsecondary education and, where appropriate, with elementary and secondary schools;
  • The state should identify multiple mechanisms for providing additional facilities and resources to accommodate estimated future enrollment demand;
  • State policymakers should consider the recommendations and advice of its designated long-range planning entity(ties) when deciding on annual policy and budget priorities for public education;
  • Each statewide system governing board should require its chief executive officers to engage in long-range planning for their respective system, including collaboration with independent and private education providers within the state;
  • Each statewide system governing board should assess the feasibility and likely impact of implementing alternative responses recommended by the state-designated entity(ties) for long-range planning;
  • Each statewide system governing board should ensure that local districts and campuses collect, maintain, and report core data designated by the state-designated entity for long-range planning; and,


Each statewide system governing board should adopt policies to assure the availability of first-rate teachers, faculty, support personnel, instructional support equipment, and facilities to meet student demand in accordance with the mission of the system.

PURPOSES OF EDUCATION

The primary purpose of education in California is to promote learning.  Success in meeting this purpose results in individuals possessing the knowledge and skill sets to sustain a democratic society and a desired quality of life. Those important results for citizens and California society provide a compelling rationale for state support of public schools, colleges, and universities.  The primary components of California’s rationale for supporting its education system include:

Learning prepares the individual for life in a diverse global society. Learning opportunities exist throughout life and society, but it is the special responsibility of educational institutions to ensure that individuals receive the opportunity to: 

  • Learn and master the basic cognitive and social skills needed for success in life and the advanced knowledge and skills that will make them competitive with graduates of the best educational institutions in other states and nations;
  • Develop an awareness and appreciation of the culture of California, the nation and the world;
  • Instill the social values of integrity, morality, discipline, and civic-mindedness;
  • Develop an understanding of the impact of education on their lives and of the educational options available to them; and
  • Nurture a love of learning and an enthusiasm for life-long learning.

Learning prepares the individual for work. 

The obligation to work must be addressed by most people in their lifetime as the means by which they establish a desired lifestyle and wholesome families.  Every sector of the global economy is evolving in response to rapid change, in ways that underscore the growing importance of learning.  Requisite job skills are shifting from a reliance on physical ability to a reliance on the ability to use knowledge, solve problems, and think creatively and independently.  Various job categories are disappearing and new employment sectors are emerging at an increasingly rapid pace.  To ensure that learners are prepared for work, educational institutions play a special role in ensuring that individuals: 

  • Develop the habits and talents needed to compete in the workplace; 
  • Acquire an understanding of life and career options available to them; and 
  • Learn the life skills needed to be independent and to provide for their family.

Learning prepares society to manage change and effectively respond to challenges. 
California has achieved international recognition for social, economic, and scientific achievement largely as a result of its commitment to learning. California has profited immensely from the diversity of its citizens and the contributions of its college-educated populace. Today, the state’s commitment must be expanded beyond traditional college degree programs to meet increasing societal demands for life-long learning.   Public colleges and universities have a special responsibility to: 

  • Advance high quality teaching and learning at each educational level;
  • Advance the frontiers of knowledge; 
  • Assist in the improvement of elementary and secondary education; and


Apply their combined resources to effectively respond to the challenges of growth, diversity, and change that periodically emerge in the global society of California and the world.

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