Photo Credit: Phil Roader, Flickr

Photo Credit: Phil Roader, Flickr

Photo Credit: Phil Roader, Flickr

LCFF & LCAP

A set of laws called the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) determine way schools are funded in California. The system of school financing requires school districts to tailor their funding decisions to support students who face the biggest obstacles in achieving academic proficiency, graduating, and being college and career ready. The LCFF asks districts to focus on three high-need student subgroups in particular: low income students, foster youth, and English language learners. By July 1 of every year, each school district in California must create a Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) to show how its money is being spent on eight state priorities – one of which is school climate. This means getting involved in your school district’s LCAP development process is one way you can advocate for your school district to fund and implement some of the evidence-based alternatives to suspensions and expulsions discussed on this site.

Research & Resources

Russell W. Rumberger and Daniel J. Losen, The Hidden Cost of California’s Harsh School Discipline (2017)

Improving School Climate through LCAPsFight Crime Invest in Kids (2016) – Analysis of the School Climate Priority in Year 2 Annual Updates of Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs) for California’s 50 Largest School Districts. (2016)

Los Angeles LCAPs ReviewedCoalition for Educational Equity for Foster Youth (April 2015)

More resources and information about LCFF are available on the California Department of Education website.

Webinars

Real Results: Creating a Data-Driven LCAP to Support Discipline Reform

Fixing School Discipline with California’s Local Control Funding Formula

© 2024