ACSA is partnering with WestEd on Getting Down to Facts III — the latest installment in a highly influential statewide research project.

The Getting Down to Facts reports have a strong track record of impact. The first report laid the groundwork for the creation of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), and the second expanded investments in early childhood education. Now, Getting Down to Facts III will take a deep look at compliance and reporting requirements in California’s public schools, an area that has grown increasingly complex and time-intensive for educators and administrators.

For the first time, this study will collect statewide data on the benefits and challenges associated with education reporting requirements. The goal is to better understand how compliance activities influence school improvement efforts and to use that information to help streamline the state’s accountability system.

Recent studies underscore the urgency of this work. The 2024 “report of reports,” mandated by AB 1315, revealed a labyrinth of reporting demands on local educational agencies, with the appendix of requirements stretching more than 50 pages. WestEd’s earlier research found that chief business officials spend roughly 20 percent of their workweek (an entire day) on compliance-related tasks. Smaller districts, with fewer than 1,000 students, spend nearly twice that proportion.

School leaders’ voices are needed to help inform this important statewide effort. ACSA is inviting all California education administrators to take a 20-minute survey on compliance in public education. The insights shared will help shape policies aimed at reducing administrative burdens and focusing energy where it matters most — supporting students.

ACSA members are encouraged to take the survey and share it with their colleagues today by visiting bit.ly/4nCJB30.