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In a commentary on school funding, Linda Darling-Hammond writes that investing wisely in education is increasingly important to the success of individuals, economies, and societies. Policymakers at the federal and state levels can play a role in ensuring schools receive equitable and adequate resources. In doing so, the country can close educational achievement gaps and increase the U.S. GDP, extending benefits to us all.
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The report, California’s Positive Outliers: Districts Beating the Odds, provides insight into the California districts that are most successful at advancing the academic achievement of African American, Latino/a, and White students, as measured by standardized tests. Lead author Anne Podolsky discusses the study's key findings and their implications for local and state policymakers.
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What is the place of technology in the classroom? Some would say it doesn't belong. But a number of states, including California, are investing in technology—and for good reason.
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California has an opportunity to invest in its children by investing in its educators. To do so effectively, the state should consider a multi-dimensional approach that includes a true infrastructure of support, higher professional standards, and competitive compensation. With these investments and holistic approach, California will be one step closer to setting its youngest learners on a path to good health, academic success, and economic security later in life.
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Teachers and district leaders are leveraging performance assessments to provide students with opportunities to explore interests and issues of their own choosing as they show what they know and are able to do. These authentic assessments create structures and processes for students to bring their full selves to the learning, creating culturally relevant and context-rich projects that can also address community concerns.
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School finance issues are taking center stage in many states, but the language used to communicate about funding isn't always clear and helpful. For building trust and understanding, it matters how we talk about school finance issues. The latest research on communicating about school finance issues are distilled into helpful do's and don'ts.
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The Trump administration rescission of federal school discipline guidance and proposals to arm teachers is making our schools more like prisons and less like centers of learning. In this Forbes commentary, Linda Darling-Hammond discusses the wide body of research showing that these policies backfire and real school safety will come from investments in social-emotional learning and restorative justice practices.
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We live in an era of extreme income inequality and one of the places it’s hitting hardest is in our schools. That’s because inequity is hard-wired into our school-funding systems. Linda Darling-Hammond and Jeff Raikes explain the hard wiring and discuss what we can do to shift direction and ensure that every child receives a quality education.
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In late December, 2018, the Trump administration rescinded Obama-era guidance on school discipline that has helped improve school safety and student achievement across the country. In advance of that decision, Linda Darling-Hammond and Chris Edley cautioned against this move in a commentary in The Hill. They explained that after states adopted the guidance, suspensions and expulsions—which are given at much higher rates to students of color—were reduced significantly as were school-based firearms incidents.
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Historically, U.S. schools have been rated based largely on student performance on an annual summative test. With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), state accountability systems now feature additional measures of student and school success, including academic growth. These factors are critical if we are to create accountability systems that recognize the contributions that schools make to student progress, while reducing bias against educators and schools serving students in diverse, high-poverty communities.
