Briefs

April 17, 2026 | Texas is navigating high teacher attrition and relying on uncertified teachers who can fill vacancies quickly. While the share of uncertified teachers tripled across the state between 2019–20 and 2024–25, some districts maintained high rates of certified teachers. This study sought to identify those districts and understand the local contexts that might encourage hiring and retention of certified teachers. These findings are especially relevant in the context of newly passed state legislation enabling a significant financial investment in retaining and recruiting credentialed teachers.

April 8, 2026 | Oakland High School has reimagined learning by integrating a community schools model, Linked Learning pathways, dual enrollment, and comprehensive student supports. Grounded in strong relationships and community connections, this approach has expanded engaging, real-world learning opportunities while improving student achievement, graduation rates, and teacher retention.

March 27, 2026 | Los Angeles Unified School District successfully implemented its Community Schools Initiative through a robust support structure that centers inclusive environments enabled by restorative practices, project-based learning, and Linked Learning pathways. While all low-income schools in the district are recovering from pandemic-era lows, these schools are improving at substantially higher rates in achievement and attendance.

March 23, 2026 | California’s expansion of universal prekindergarten (PreK) has helped increase access to early childhood education (ECE) programs. This brief examines the impact of investments in universal PreK by calculating how many 3- and 4-year-olds have enrolled in publicly funded ECE programs across the state.

March 17, 2026 | The most recent data from NCES’ national teacher and principal surveys highlight persistently high teacher turnover and widespread dissatisfaction. The data also point to strategies for decreasing turnover, including competitive salaries, effective school leadership, improved working conditions, and supports for early-career teachers.

December 4, 2025 | Well-prepared teachers are essential during early years of learning, which form the foundation for lifelong success. A study examining early childhood credentialing programs in Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York sheds light on strategies institutions of higher education can use to promote quality and accessibility of ECE credential programs.

December 4, 2025 | Well-prepared teachers are essential during the early years of learning, which form the foundation for lifelong success; and yet fewer than half of U.S. states require teachers to hold a credential. State-level policies governing the credentialing of early childhood teachers in Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York illustrate how states can support a high-quality preschool workforce.

December 1, 2025 | A diverse teacher workforce is vital to student achievement and school climate, yet only about 20% of U.S. teachers are people of color. Barriers for teachers of color include limited access to comprehensive preparation, lower pay, higher debt, and less supportive working conditions. Research sheds light on conditions that foster retention.

November 19, 2025 | As community schools expand statewide, districts play a critical role in ensuring these efforts thrive. Three California local education agencies have used new investments to strengthen professional learning, streamline services, and build the infrastructure for lasting change. Their strategies illustrate how systems can support schools to implement and scale up community schools.

November 4, 2025 | Despite decades of reforms, race and class remain among the most reliable predictors of student success. Findings from four southern school districts show how leaders used strategic planning, capacity building, data use, equitable resource allocation, and sustained leadership to reduce persistent disparities in achievement, graduation, and discipline for students of color.