Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors has announced grants totaling $3.1 million to eight nonprofit organizations working to advance education policy reform in California.

Awarded through the California Education Policy Fund, which was established in 2011 with funds from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the grants will bolster programs that address K-12 and community college policy-related issues such as standards and accountability, data systems, teacher effectiveness, college readiness, and financial reform. Grant recipients include the American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences, Californians for Justice, the Career Ladders Project, the Council for a Strong America, EdSource, the EdVoice Institute, the Foundation for California Community Colleges, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

"In this second year, the selected set of grantees complements those that are already part of the fund," said RPA president and CEO Melissa Berman, "further strengthening the network of strong and engaged stakeholders working to improve opportunities for California's students."