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In this issue of the Reimagining College Access Newsletter: a new Complete College America report on the use of k–12 performance assessments in college advising and placement, RCA presentations at upcoming national conferences, and a newly released College Completion Strategy Guide offers direction on evidence-based strategies to advance equitable outcomes for college students.
Dion BurnsDaniel EspinozaJulie AdamsNaomi Ondrasek
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The school conditions and educational outcomes California students in foster care experience may be impacted by a range of challenges associated with multiple school moves and barriers to important supports at the school and state levels. Effective processes and policies that span the state’s education system and the foster care system can help create a coordinated web of supports to enhance student outcomes.
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The increased stress, mental health challenges, and inequities observed during the pandemic have reaffirmed the need to create safe, welcoming learning environments for students and educators. Well-designed teacher preparation for a whole-child approach is an important step toward meeting students’ needs and can overcome major hurdles such as teacher shortages.
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As the pandemic landscape continues to evolve, schools and districts are encountering a range of new challenges. LPI has synthesized 10 of the most important COVID-19-related actions schools and districts can take this fall to support students and staff.
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A student’s performance under conditions of high support and low threat differs substantially from how they perform without such support or when feeling threatened. To create identity-safe classrooms where students can learn and thrive, schools can promote trust and interpersonal connection; create purposeful communities of care and consistency; use restorative practices to promote understanding, voice, and responsibility; and recognize diversity as an asset.
Kia Darling-HammondLinda Darling-HammondEliza Byard
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Young people today must learn to think critically, solve complex problems, communicate effectively, work collaboratively, and embrace lifelong learning. There is still a long road to travel to ensure all students have access to this type of “deeper learning”; however, policies that promote healthy environments, supportive learning conditions, well-resourced and inclusive schools, skillful teaching, and high-quality curriculum can help pave the path forward.
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In 2021, California committed to making transitional kindergarten (TK)—a school-based preschool program—available for all 4-year-olds by 2025–26. As TK becomes universal, California will need to expand the early learning workforce by recruiting educators and candidates and supporting them through various pathways into the profession. State policymakers can take six recommended actions to help stabilize, support, and expand the entire early childhood workforce.
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Magnet schools can be tools for increasing community and school diversity and providing academic benefits to all students. They also present opportunities for neighborhood revitalization and stability. However, achieving these outcomes requires holistic thinking about civil rights and integration. Schools and neighborhoods are inextricably linked, and policies that reflect this reality will garner better results for both children and communities.
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Community schools have proved to be a successful approach to educate and support the whole child through family and community engagement, enriched and expanded learning, and integrated student supports. An important element for states to consider when investing in community schools is the provision of technical assistance, which can play a key role in supporting high-quality implementation.
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Early learning has the potential to support children’s learning and development prior to kindergarten. This study investigates the relationship between preschool quality in California and children’s learning and development. Children of almost all demographic groups enrolled in programs categorized as higher-tier showed more learning and development than those in lower-tier programs, though underserved children were less likely to attend the higher-tier programs.
