New Report Details Not-So-Golden State of Calif. Education

California’s education system is lagging on nearly every measurable standard of quality, from funding to teachers to student achievement, contends a report issued last week by a prominent think tank.

Written by researchers at the RAND Corp., the comprehensive, 258-page study offers a sobering analysis of the decline of a state education system that 30 years ago was widely regarded as one of the best in the country.

Faced with overwhelming fiscal troubles in recent years and laws requiring most education funding to come from state coffers, California leaders have struggled to support education at the minimum levels mandated by the state constitution. Now, some observers believe that the situation could provoke a school finance lawsuit...