STUDY WILL HELP STATE'S OFFICIALS TO FUND EDUCATION.

Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer

Four philanthropic foundations announced Thursday they will fund a $2.6 million study aimed at providing California educators and policymakers the information they need to improve student achievement.

With schools struggling to meet the state's increasingly tough standards, the study aims to help elected officials more effectively spend education dollars so students can meet achievement goals.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation and the Stuart Foundation will fund what state leaders called an ``unprecedented'' series of 23 studies led by Stanford University.

Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata said the study's results should be the driving force in drafting the state budget in fiscal 2007.

``The irony is we have in California more prisoners under lock and key than in any other place in the world, and they're funded based on need, but our schools are funded by what's in the cupboard,'' said Perata, D-Oakland. ``We have a lot riding on this.''

The studies will seek to address three issues:

--Current school finance and governance systems

--How existing resources can be used more effectively

--What additional resources are needed so California students can meet the goals

``This is the first time we've specifically requested an analysis and a report on what it takes to adequately educate a child in California in the 21st century,'' Perata said.

State schools Superintendent Jack O'Connell said California needs help in tackling such tough issues as a wide achievement gap and high dropout rates.

``We need a clear idea of what it's going to cost to meet the different educational needs of our diverse student population,'' he said. ``The need to spend more money and the efficiency with which we spend it should be considered.''

Naush Boghossian, [phone]

naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com