- Education in State Constitution: Article IX: Sections 1-16
- Education in State Code: EDC: Titles 1-3
- State Board Members: 11 Members; Appointed; 4-year term
- Education Authorities: DoEd; State Board; State Superintendent
KNOW YOUR STATE
“Eureka”
California has a Department of Education, a State Board, and a State Superintendent. The State Board consists of 11 members appointed to 4-year terms.
Every state sets its own school choice rules, and California is no exception. The NWEF School Choice Index scores California on 17 measures, from open enrollment to education savings accounts, then ranks it against all 50 states. Open any category below to see where California earns points and where it falls short.
California scores well on charter school access. Its biggest gaps are private-school options like ESAs and vouchers.
Scored from state law · as of August 2026
Your state lawmakers wrote the rules behind this score. Most of them have never seen how California compares to other states.
Submit the form below and we'll send you two ways to find your own lawmakers, plus a short message you can copy, personalize, and send. It takes a couple of minutes.
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