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Fact Sheets


Fact Sheet
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Fact Sheet
| The science of learning and development research identifies several core principles that explain how children develop, learn, and thrive. Applying this science can help education systems better meet the needs of every learner and enable all students to reach their full potential.
Fact Sheet
An educator smiles in front of a group of students in a school hallway.
Fact Sheet
| Public schools face mounting challenges, including student mental health, chronic absenteeism, academic achievement, and teacher shortages. Yet the principal's impact is often overlooked. Effective leadership strengthens instruction, builds positive climate, and stabilizes the workforce. Investing in principal preparation, support, and retention is a powerful strategy for improving outcomes and advancing equity.
Fact Sheet
A teacher assists an elementary student in a classroom.
Fact Sheet
| 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.
Fact Sheet
A teacher helping elementary students in a classroom
Fact Sheet
| Designed to address California’s educator shortages and offset preparation costs, the Golden State Teacher Grant provides financial support to aspiring educators in exchange for a commitment to serve in a high-need school or preschool. An analysis of the program's first 5 years reviews statewide participation and grant recipients’ perceptions of the program.
Fact Sheet
Three students working collaboratively on a school project.
Fact Sheet
| Research on California’s historic investment in community schools reveals that schools implementing the strategy have experienced substantial reductions in chronic absence, notable decreases in suspension rates, and improved test scores, with the largest gains among historically underserved students.
Fact Sheet
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Fact Sheet
| Data show that about 1 in 8 of all teaching positions nationally are either unfilled or filled by teachers not fully certified for their assignments. Ongoing teacher shortages affect students in all types of districts. Local, state, and federal education leaders and policymakers can implement evidence-based solutions to build a strong and stable teacher workforce.
Fact Sheet
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Fact Sheet
| As a supplement to the State Teacher Shortages 2025 Update tool, this analyses includes data on the number of states reporting shortages by teaching area (i.e., special education, science, mathematics, language arts, etc.).
Fact Sheet
Teacher and student talking in a school hallway.
Fact Sheet
| Not all school safety strategies are effective, and some can lead to unintended consequences. Existing research sheds light on the evidence base for two very different approaches to school safety and their effectiveness in creating safe schools.
Fact Sheet
Teacher and student talking in a school hallway.
Fact Sheet
| Young people today show troubling signs of declining mental health, and more than half of children with mental health issues have an unmet need for mental health care. Schools rely on school counselors, psychologists, and community mental health providers to support students’ mental health; however, their ability to provide needed supports is strained.
Fact Sheet
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Fact Sheet
| Investments in the community schools strategy have increased in recent years as has the research on major state and district community school initiatives. Findings show that community schools are linked to improved student attendance, achievement, and school climate.