UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools

Study's Purpose: This research brief explores the Livingston Union School District’s (LUSD) implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program. The program aligns with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model and is sustained through California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). Located in California’s Central Valley, LUSD serves a predominantly Latine and socioeconomically disadvantaged student population in a high-need rural context. LUSD bolstered its school counseling program, making it a cornerstone of its student support strategy through collaborative leadership, strategic staffing, and equity-centered resource allocation. 

Research Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach—including document analysis, interviews, survey data, and quantitative outcomes—this study finds that the district’s sustained investment in school counseling has led to measurable improvements in school climate and student well-being, alongside reductions in suspension and chronic absenteeism rates, even amid the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.Key Findings: LUSD’s model reinforces a growing body of research demonstrating that lower student-to-counselor ratios and comprehensive, data-informed counseling models improve academic and behavioral outcomes, particularly for historically underserved students. Key findings highlight the importance of program fidelity, clearly defined counselor roles, and continuous stakeholder engagement in realizing the full potential of school counseling. 

Conclusion: The district’s model offers valuable lessons for other school systems seeking to integrate school counseling into broader strategies for educational equity and student success.

This case study examines how the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD) in San Jose, California, in partnership with Californians for Justice (CFJ), has leveraged California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) to strengthen student voice, leadership, and participation as drivers of educational equity. The study addresses a critical gap in understanding how LCFF has influenced authentic youth engagement in educational decision-making nearly a decade after its implementation. Using a qualitative case study design, the research draws on interviews, focus groups, document analysis, and stakeholder perspectives from students, families, educators, district leaders, and community organizers to examine the implementation and impact of youth-centered governance structures and practices. Findings indicate that sustained district-community partnerships, coupled with intentional changes to organizational culture and decision-making structures, expanded meaningful student participation beyond symbolic consultation to authentic collaboration. Student leadership informed district policies, strengthened equity-focused initiatives, enhanced civic identity and agency, and contributed to more responsive educational practices. The study concludes that LCFF can serve as a powerful mechanism for advancing educational and racial justice when paired with sustained partnerships, institutional commitment, and structures that position young people as co-creators of policy and practice rather than passive stakeholders.

This case study examines how California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) has been implemented in the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) to advance educational equity for historically underserved student populations. The study aims to identify how district practices have evolved under LCFF and SDUSD’s Vision 2020 strategic plan to improve outcomes for low-income students, English learners, and other marginalized groups while informing educators and system leaders of effective implementation strategies. Methods included a review of district documents, including the Local Control and Accountability Plan, strategic plans, budgets, and student outcome data, complemented by a two-day site visit and interviews with 34 stakeholders representing students, teachers, principals, district leaders, board members, labor partners, and community organizations. Findings indicate that targeted LCFF investments supported districtwide reforms focused on detracking, expanded access to rigorous coursework, strengthened instructional leadership, and improved systems for student support. These efforts were associated with increased A–G college readiness, higher Advanced Placement participation, improved English learner reclassification rates, and greater completion of world language requirements. Despite persistent fiscal pressures and implementation challenges, the findings suggest that strategic, equity-centered use of LCFF resources has contributed to measurable progress toward more equitable educational opportunities and outcomes in SDUSD.

This research brief examines how Pomona Unified School District (PUSD) leveraged California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) to redesign teacher professional learning and expand teacher leadership as a strategy for improving equitable academic and social-emotional outcomes for historically underserved students. Using a qualitative case study design, the researchers analyzed district documents, student outcome data, and strategic plans; conducted school site observations; and interviewed 53 stakeholders—including teachers, administrators, students, parents, union representatives, and district leaders—over a 19-month period. Findings indicate that LCFF enabled PUSD to increase teacher voice and choice in professional learning, establish teacher leadership roles, expand Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) coaching, and pilot co-teaching models that strengthened collaboration and instructional practice. Although the study does not establish causal relationships, multiple sources of evidence suggest improvements in teacher efficacy, school climate, and promising gains in student achievement, particularly in co-teaching classrooms and PBIS schools. The report concludes that teacher-led professional learning represents a promising strategy for advancing equitable outcomes and recommends that districts strengthen school readiness for teacher leadership, systematically spread teaching expertise, and build central office capacity to sustain teacher-led learning and leadership at scale.

This qualitative case study examines how Pomona Unified School District (PUSD) has implemented California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) to advance educational equity for historically underserved students, including low-income students, English Learners, and foster youth. The study aims to understand how district practices have evolved under LCFF and identify strategies that support improved educational outcomes through the perspectives of key stakeholders. Methods include a review of district documents, strategic plans, budgets, student outcome data, and Local Control and Accountability Plans, complemented by a two-day site visit and interviews with 53 stakeholders, including students, teachers, parents, principals, district leaders, labor representatives, and school board members. Findings indicate that LCFF enabled PUSD to implement equity-centered initiatives, including Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), teacher-led professional learning, and co-teaching models, which were associated with improved school climate, reduced referral and suspension rates, stronger English Language Arts and mathematics outcomes, and increased instructional collaboration. Despite ongoing fiscal and implementation challenges, the district demonstrated meaningful progress by aligning leadership, resources, and instructional practices around a comprehensive vision of equity and whole-child development. These findings suggest that sustained, systemwide implementation of LCFF can promote organizational transformation and improve outcomes for historically underserved students.