Williams v. California A lawsuit that established safety and
materials requirements for California schools. On August 13,
2004, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the settlement of
Williams v. California, a lawsuit filed on behalf of thousands
of California's public school students who were denied equal
educational opportunity. Williams Legislation established new
standards and accountability mechanisms to ensure that all
California public school students have textbooks and
instructional materials and that their schools are clean, safe,
and functional. It also took steps toward assuring all students
have qualified teachers. A team of researchers, affiliated with
UCLA’s IDEA, investigated the statewide impact of Williams
Legislation on California’s lowest performing schools. Using a
mixed methodological approach, the study documents the progress
made during the first two years of Williams implementation:
2004-05 and 2005-06. Data for this investigation were provided
through surveys, County Office of Educ