Created by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation in 2011, the California Education Policy Fund (CEPF) worked to improve education policies in the state by strengthening and supporting an “ecosystem” of nonprofit advocacy, research, grassroots and information-sharing organizations. With an annual budget of about $4 million, for the last three years, CEPF has supported organizations advancing a wide range of deeper learning-aligned policies that boost success in college and careers, especially for disadvantaged students. Specifically, CEPF prioritized grantees’ efforts in advocacy, research and communications designed to help California make continued progress in four policy goal areas.
This evaluation is the third in an annual series on CEPF, and covers the 2015–16 grantmaking cycle. As in past years, this external review has three goals:
- Track notable steps California is taking to adopt and implement policies, practices and innovations that advance deeper learning in schools
- Document how CEPF grantees are working individually and collectively to inform and influence the state’s progress
- Inform the fund’s annual grantmaking and grantee networking strategies