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Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), state assessment systems must be designed to measure higher-order thinking skills and understanding. This report, published in partnership with the Council of Chief State Schools Officers (CCSSO), details how states can use performance assessments—including portfolios, projects, and extended-performance tasks—to assess what students know and are able to do.

Principals play a central role in creating schools in which students thrive academically and the teaching staff is strong, stable, and supported. This report analyzes the research on quality preparation and professional development programs for principals, highlighting examples of effective programs and providing guidance for policymakers.

Turnover accounts for 90% of the demand for new teachers, exacerbating shortages and undermining academic progress. This brief summarizes research on the important role that principals can play in reducing the steady churn of teachers and highlights actions states and districts can take to strengthen school leadership.

Improving student achievement requires strong school leadership. Principals also play a critical role in addressing widespread teacher shortages by creating school environments that attract and retain competent teachers. This fact sheet summarizes key elements of high-quality and effective preparation and professional development programs designed to enable principals to improve student and school outcomes.

What will it take for states to move from compliance-focused accountability systems to systems that enable a culture of continuous learning and improvement? In this report, the authors lay out a vision for next generation accountability systems designed to support the goal of college and career readiness for all students.

Strategic selection and use of performance indicators can illuminate disparities in our schools and focus attention and resources on rectifying long-standing inequities. This report explores how states can use a multiple-measure accountability system to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for underserved youth and begin to dismantle the school-to-prison-pipeline.

California’s teacher shortage is worsening as demand continues to outpace the supply of new teachers. The shortage of special education, mathematics, and science teachers is especially severe, prompting an increase in the number of underprepared teachers. Low-income and minority students are disproportionately impacted by shortages, which threaten to undermine academic progress. This report details findings from LPI’s 2017 Update on California’s teacher shortage and offers policy recommendations to address this pressing problem.