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Study: Too Much TV Viewing Lowers Students’ Test Scores 
Published September 20, 1981

The first major statewide study of the relationship between television viewing and school achievement scores clearly shows that too much television has a negative impact on students.


12th-Grader Reading Skills Still On Decline 
Published November 7, 1980

Achievement scores for California third- and sixth-graders improved last year, but the reading scores of 12th-graders dropped for the ninth straight year.


State Board To Consider Fate Of School Activity Fee 
Published November 13, 1980

The state Board of Education today will consider the controversial issue of whether districts can charge public school students “participation fees” for activities – primarily athletics – which traditionally have been offered without charge.


Officials Foresee Hungry Students If Budget Is Cut 
Published March 16, 1981

Proposed budget cuts in school nutrition programs may double or even triple the cost of a school lunch for nearly 1 million California public school children, state officials predict.


Federal Switch: State Special Ed Wins High Praise 
Published October 2, 1981

In a complete turnaround from earlier threats to cut off federal aid to state programs for the handicapped, federal officials have praised the state Department of Education as “one of the nation’s earliest leaders in the development of statewide educational programs for the handicapped”


State Report Assails Independent Study Programs 
Published April 12, 1981

A state auditor general’s report on so-called “independent study” programs in California schools says they are often poorly supervised, financially sloppy and of limited education substance.


Riles Suggests Program to Voluntarily Integrate Schools 
Published April 12, 1981

With California’s major mandatory busing plan facing uphill legal battles, state school superintendent Wilson Riles proposed Monday putting more than $150 million into voluntary integration that emphasizes educational quality over strict ethnic balance.


24% Fail Rate For Seniors (PDF)

Nearly one-fourth of California public high school seniors may not graduate this June because they failed course requirements or state-mandated proficiency tests, a state Department of Education survey indicated Monday.