SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell issued the following statement regarding recent studies conducted by the RAND Corporation and the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation:

"The RAND report offers good data to support some foregone conclusions -- California's schools have been under-funded for decades, at the same time our demographics have grown more challenging. While money is not the only answer to improving student achievement, it is clear that without additional investment in quality instruction and student support we cannot expect to restore California to its status among the top-achieving states. Nor can we expect to close the achievement gap that leaves low-income students, Latino, and African American students lagging behind their peers.

"It is time to thoroughly and thoughtfully evaluate our system of school financing to determine what constitutes adequate funding for an education system that prepares all students from all backgrounds to fulfill their academic potential. The Quality Education Commission is a promising vehicle for that discussion. I again call on the Governor to appoint members to that commission so the discussion can begin in earnest.

"The study conducted by the Fordham Foundation once again hails California as a national leader for our academic standards in English and math. These standards are the bedrock for our students' education. But having the best standards in the world means nothing if our students are not learning. As the RAND study points out, we need to give our schools the resources they need to provide an enriching educational experience so our students can rise to the challenge of high standards and be well prepared for college or a career after their K-12 experience."

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RAND Report: California's K-12 Public Schools; How Are They Doing? [http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2004/RAND_MG186.pdf] (Outside Source; PDF; 872KB; 258pp.)

Fordham Foundation Report [http://www.fordhamfoundation.org/doc/05sci_CA.pdf.pdf] (Outside Source; PDF; 34KB; 1p.)