The California board of education voted last week to add three new items to the state’s annual report cards on schools.
State-mandated report cards for each public school will now feature information on the qualifications of teachers, the condition of facilities, and the availability of textbooks.
The move stems from the state’s settlement this past summer of the Williams v. California lawsuit, a case brought by advocates for students in impoverished schools. In settling the 4-year-old case, the state promised to provide more money for school construction, qualified teachers, and new instructional materials, as well as the report-card additions.
California’s school report-card system, in place since 1988, is designed to give parents and the general public information about individual schools.
