Conditions better in California classrooms
Three years after a settlement ended a class-action lawsuit brought on behalf of California's poorest students, a study has found that teaching and learning conditions in the state's lowest-performing schools have improved: More children are receiving textbooks, school facilities are in better repair and more teachers have proper credentials. The lawsuit, Williams vs. California, has led to laws requiring county superintendents to visit the lowest-achieving schools to monitor the availability of textbooks and the physical condition of buildings as well as to determine if teachers--particularly those in classrooms with large numbers of English-learners -- are properly assigned.