Laura E. HernándezLinda Darling-HammondNatalie Nielson
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The science of learning and development demonstrates the value of positive relationships for student success and well-being. Secondary schools can integrate structures to cultivate the conditions that enable healthy attachments to grow between teachers and students, as well as between and among school staff and students’ families.
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Studies link positive school climate to lower teacher attrition rates and several positive student outcomes, including increased academic achievement and attendance, higher graduation rates, and improved behavior. As a result, more schools and districts are collecting and using climate data to improve school environments and inform policy and practice.
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This report analyzes the evolution and effectiveness of standards-based reforms in U.S. education beginning with increased federal involvement through the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act to more recent reforms, and explores the role of state governments in implementing systemic reforms aimed at aligning educational issues to enhance student outcomes.
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Studies link positive school climate to teacher outcomes such as retention and student outcomes, including increased academic achievement and attendance, higher graduation rates, improved behavior. As a result, more schools and districts are collecting and using climate data to improve school environments and inform policy and practice.
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In 2021, California began a significant expansion of PreK, including expanding state funding for transitional kindergarten and a legislative commitment to maintain other federally and state-funded PreK options for income-eligible families. Data show promising increases in enrollment of 4-year-olds, both in absolute terms and relative to trends in other states.
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Since the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, state assessments have prioritized easily generated, comparable scores, often at the expense of teaching and learning. States looking to improve assessments can draw from those that have redesigned systems to align with research on student learning and student-centered instruction.
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Teacher shortages are widespread, yet layoffs occur annually. This paradox stems from converging factors such as state and local funding decisions, fluctuations in public school enrollment, and the impending expiration of federal ESSER funds.
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The science of learning and development reveals how to design high schools so that learners can thrive in environments that support individualized development; where they have strong, supportive relationships; and where their social, emotional, physical, and cognitive needs are met.
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New Mexico supports community schools statewide, including in Roswell, where a middle and high school have created a nourishing school climate and culture by providing culturally responsive and restorative spaces, opportunities for student voice and engagement, and a social safety net to address out-of-school learning barriers.
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This rural New Mexico district implemented the community schools strategy in 2021, emphasizing project-based learning, family and community engagement, and physical and mental wellness. Since then, attendance at school events has dramatically increased, chronic absenteeism has decreased, and the graduation rate has increased.
