Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The education finance system in California was replaced in 2013 by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). The new formula provides districts with greater flexibility and accountability at the local level in making fiscal decisions. As part of this process, districts must work with stakeholders to develop a Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), a three-year plan outlining district goals for improving student outcomes. Drawing upon Queer Theory, with its emphasis on hetero-cis-normativity and intersectionality, this study examines how school district LCAPs address, or fail to address, the unique experiences and needs of LGBTQ students. Despite extensive state legal protections in California, decades of research continue to reveal that LGBTQ students experience disproportionately hostile school climates compared to their non-LGBTQ peers. In this study, we analyzed LCAPs from the 25 largest school districts in California from the 2022–2023 academic year to determine whether plans included school climate data pertaining to the experiences of LGBTQ students and whether they established queer-specific goals and actions to improve outcomes for this student population. Findings from this document analysis revealed that none of the districts in our sample included disaggregated school climate data reflecting the experiences of LGBTQ students. Furthermore, only 56% established at least one LGBTQ-targeted goal or action related to improving their outcomes, which we categorized into five themes for analysis. Due to a number of barriers, we argue that without additional state guidelines and resources, school districts may continue to inadequately address school climate concerns for this population within their accountability plans.

Keywords

LGBTQ students transgender students LCAP LCFF school climate

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

ACLU . (2023, December). Mapping attacks on LGBTQ rights in U.S. state legislatures. https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights

Blaise

Taylor

(2012). Using queer theory to rethink gender equity in early childhood education. YC Young Children, 67(1), 88–98.

Bornstein

(1994). Gender outlaw. Vintage Books.

Bowen

G. A.

(2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027

Boyland

Swensson

Ellis

Coleman

Boyland

(2016). Principals can and should make a positive difference for LGBTQ students. Journal of Leadership Education, 15(4), 117–131. https://doi.org/10.12806/V15/I4/A1

Boyland

L. G.

Kirkeby

K. M.

Boyland

M. I.

(2020). Actions and attitudes regarding middle-grade LGBTQ students: Principals’ perspectives. Journal of School Leadership, 30(2), 166–191. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052684619852109

Butler

(1990). Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity. Routledge.

California Department of Education . (2001). Assembly bill 537 advisory task force report California student safety and violence prevention act of 2000. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/se/documents/ab537report.pdf

California Department of Education . (2017).School conditions and climate work group recommendations framework. https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/pn/im/documents/memo-ocd-oct17item01a1.pdf

10.

California Department of Education . (2023a, February 24). State priority related resources. https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/lc/statepriorityresources.asp

11.

California Department of Education . (2023b, March 21). Legal advisory regarding application of California’s nondiscrimination statutes to transgender youth in schools. https://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/eo/legaladvisory.asp

12.

California Department of Education (2023c, May 4). Largest & smallest public school districts. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/ad/ceflargesmalldist.asp

13.

California Department of Education . (2023d, August 14). Positive school climate. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/se/schoolclimate.asp

14.

California Department of Education . (2023e, November 14). Frequently asked questions related to the implementation of senate bill 48. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/senatebill48faq.asp

15.

California Department of Education . (2023f, November 15). California’s healthy education initiatives. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/he/cf/cahealthfaq.asp

16.

California Department of Education . (2024a, February 9). Frequently asked questions: School success and opportunity act. https://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/eo/faqs.asp

17.

California Department of Education . (2024b, May 24). LCFF priority 6 statement of model practices. https://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/lcff-pri6-practices.asp

18.

California Department of Education . (2024c, June 12). Antibullying, harassment: Policy, procedure. https://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ee/c1c.asp

19.

California Department of Education . (2024d, July 1). Local control accountability plan. https://www.cde.ca.gov/re/lc/

20.

California Department of Education . (2025a, January 6). California healthy kids survey. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/at/chks.asp

21.

California Department of Education . (2025b, January 24). Culture & climate - Quality schooling framework. https://www.cde.ca.gov/qs/cc/

22.

Campbell

Peter

Taylor

(2021). Educators’ reasons for not practising 2SLGBTQ+ inclusive education. Canadian Journal of Education/Revue canadienne de l’éducation, 44(4), 964–991. https://doi.org/10.53967/cje-rce.v44i4.4665

23.

Capper

C. A.

Alston

Gause

C. P.

Koschoreck

J. W.

Lopez

Lugg

C. A.

McKenzie

K. B.

(2006). Integrating lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender topics and their intersections with other areas of difference into the leadership preparation curriculum: Practical ideas and strategies. Journal of School Leadership, 16(2), 142–157. https://doi.org/10.1177/105268460601600203

24.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . (2023). Youth risk behavior survey: Data summary & trends report, 2013–2023. https://www.cdc.gov/yrbs/dstr/index.html

25.

Cerna

Stern

Austin

Betz

Zhang

Hashmi

(2021). Understanding the experiences of LGBTQ high school students in California by race/ethnicity. WestEd.

26.

Cohen

D. K.

Moffitt

S. L.

Goldin

(2007). Policy and practice: The dilemma. American Journal of Education, 113(4), 515–548. https://doi.org/10.1086/518487

27.

Collins

T. A.

La Salle

T. P.

Rocha Neves

Foster

J. A.

Scott

M. N.

(2023). No safe space: School climate experiences of Black boys with and without emotional and behavioral disorders. School Psychology Review, 52(3), 250–263. https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966x.2021.2021783

28.

Creswell

J. W.

(2014). Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Sage.

29.

Daily

S. M.

Smith

M. L.

Lilly

Davidov

D. M.

Mann

M. J.

Kristjánsson

Á. L.

(2020). Using school climate to improve attendance and grades: Understanding the importance of school satisfaction among middle and high school students. Journal of School Health, 90(9), 683–693. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12929

30.

Ebrahimji

Mossburg

(2023, June 7). Three people were arrested outside a California school board meeting after fights between pro-and anti-LGBTQ protesters. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/07/us/glendale-school-meeting-fight-pride-month/index.html

31.

Gase

L. N.

Gomez

L. M.

Kuo

Glenn

B. A.

Inkelas

Ponce

N. A.

(2017). Relationships among student, staff, and administrative measures of school climate and student health and academic outcomes. Journal of School Health, 87(5), 319–328. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12501

32.

GLSEN (2023). School climate for LGBTQ+ students in California. https://maps.glsen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GLSEN_2021_NSCS_State_Snapshots_CA.pdf

33.

Halvorsen

(2023). Interrogating white men’s allyship: Implications of performativity for qualitative methodologies. Qualitative Inquiry, 29(8–9), 956–966. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778004221144070

34.

Hanson

Zhang

Cerna

Stern

Austin

(2019). Understanding the experiences of LGBTQ students in California. WestEd.

35.

Heilig

J. V.

Romero

L. S.

Hopkins

(2017). Coign of vantage and action: Considering California’s local accountability and school finance plans for English learners. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 25(15), 1–24.

36.

Holquist

S. E.

Mitra

D. L.

Conner

Wright

N. L.

(2023). What is student voice anyway? The intersection of student voice practices and shared leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 59(4), 703–743. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X231178023

37.

Hsieh

Shannon

(2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277–1288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732305276687

38.

Hunt

S. M.

Radliff

K. M.

Acton

Bible

Joseph

L. M.

(2024). Students with disabilities’ perceptions of school climate: A systematic review. School Psychology International, 45(2), 115–132. https://doi.org/10.1177/01430343231194732

39.

Johns

M. M.

Lowry

Haderxhanaj

L. T.

Rasberry

C. N.

Robin

Scales

Stone

Suarez

N. A.

(2020). Trends in violence victimization and suicide risk by sexual identity among high school students - youth risk behavior survey, United States, 2015–2019. MMWR Supplements, 69(1), 19–27. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su6901a3

40.

Klevan

Leung-Gagné

Nakajima

T. M.

(2024). Using data to improve school climate. Insights from three California schools. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/918.411

41.

Kosciw

J. G.

Clark

C. M.

Menard

(2022). The 2021 national school climate survey: The experiences of LGBTQ+ youth in our nation’s schools. GLSEN.

42.

Levengood

T. W.

Hadland

S. E.

(2023). Hostile laws and hospitalization: Why anti-LGBTQ+ legislation threatens adolescent lives. Journal of Hospital Medicine, 18(5), 449–452. https://doi.org/10.1002/jhm.13038

43.

Levin

J. A.

Datnow

(2012). The principal role in data-driven decision making: Using case-study data to develop multi-mediator models of educational reform. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 23(2), 179–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2011.599394

44.

Lincoln

Y. S.

Guba

E. G.

(1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage.

45.

Machado

(2023, September 27). Governor signs bill requiring compliance with state’s inclusive education laws. https://blog.csba.org/inclusive-education-laws-bills/

46.

Magby

Cerna

(2023). Understanding school climate: An overview of school climate domains. WestEd.

47.

Mandinach

E. B.

(2012). A perfect time for data use: Using data-driven decision-making to inform practice. Educational Psychologist, 47(2), 71–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2012.667064

48.

Mayring

(2019). Qualitative content analysis: Demarcation, varieties, developments. Forum for Qualitative Social Research, 20(3), 16. https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-20.3.3343

49.

Meyer

I. H.

Luo

Wilson

B. D. M.

Stone

D. M.

(2019). Sexual orientation enumeration in state antibullying statutes in the United States: Associations with bullying, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among youth. LGBT Health, 6(1), 9–14. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2018.0194

50.

Movement Advancement Project (2025, January 20). Safe schools laws. https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/safe_school_laws/discrimination

51.

Nowell

L. S.

Norris

J. M.

White

D. E.

Moules

N. J.

(2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847

52.

Office of the Governor Gavin Newsom . (2023, September 25). California bans book bans and textbook censorship in schools [Press release]. https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/09/25/california-bans-book-bans-and-textbook-censorship-in-schools/

53.

Ojeda

A. G.

Frey

Fisher

Lapp

(2019). Where does the money go? Trends in supporting California English learners in district local control accountability plans. Peabody Journal of Education, 94(2), 193–208. https://doi.org/10.1080/0161956x.2019.1598117

54.

Panorama Education . (n.d.). California: A powerful technology platform to support California students. https://www.panoramaed.com/state/california

55.

Poteat

V. P.

Sinclair

K. O.

DiGiovanni

C. D.

Koenig

B. W.

Russell

S. T.

(2013). Gay-straight alliances are associated with student health: A multischool comparison of LGBTQ and heterosexual youth. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 23(2), 319–330. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2012.00832.x

56.

Reyes

M. R.

Brackett

M. A.

Rivers

S. E.

White

Salovey

(2012). Classroom emotional climate, student engagement, and academic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(3), 700–712. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027268

57.

Russell

S. T.

Bishop

M. D.

Saba

V. C.

James

Ioverno

(2021). Promoting school safety for LGBTQ and all students. Policy Insights From the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 8(2), 160–166. https://doi.org/10.1177/23727322211031938

58.

Saewyc

Homma

(2017). School safety and connectedness matter for more than educational outcomes: The link between school connectedness and adolescent health. In Russell

Horn

(Eds.), Sexual orientation, gender identity, and schooling: The nexus of research, practice and policy (pp. 39–57). Oxford University Press.

59.

Saldaña

(2016). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (3rd ed.). Sage.

60.

Schildkamp

Ehren

Lai

M. K.

(2012). Editorial article for the special issue on data-based decision making around the world: From policy to practice to results. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 23(2), 123–131. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2011.652122

61.

Scrimin

Moscardino

Altoè

Masón

(2017). Attentional bias for academic stressors and classroom climate predict adolescents’ grades and socioemotional functioning. Journal of Research on Adolescence: The Official Journal of the Society for Research on Adolescence, 28(1), 245–258. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12329

62.

Sedgwick

E. K.

(1990). Epistemology of the closet. University of California Press.

63.

Snapp

S. D.

McGuire

J. K.

Sinclair

K. O.

Gabrion

Russell

S. T.

(2015). LGBTQ-inclusive curricula: Why supportive curricula matter. Sex Education, 15(6), 580–596. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2015.1042573

64.

Thapa

Cohen

Guffey

Higgins-D’Alessandro

(2013). A review of school climate research. Review of Educational Research, 83(3), 357–385. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654313483907

65.

Voight

Nation

(2016). Practices for improving secondary school climate: A systematic review of the research literature. American Journal of Community Psychology, 58(1), 174–191. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12074

66.

Woltran

Lindner

K.-T.

Schwab

(2024). (Mis)communication between educational policy and practice: Teachers’ perceptions of educational policy communication during COVID-19. Cogent Education, 11(1), 2427532. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2427532

67.

Woo

Diliberti

M. K.

Steiner

E. D.

(2024). Policies restricting teaching about race and gender spill over into other states and localities: Findings from the 2023 state of the American teacher survey. RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1108-10.html

68.

Wozolek

(2019). Implications of queer theory for qualitative research. Oxford Research Encyclopedias.

Addressing LGBTQ Student Needs in California’s Education Landscape: A Document Analysis of Local Control Accountability Plans

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References