Press Releases

Social and emotional skills, habits, and mindsets—such as self-awareness, self-regulation, communication, compassion, and empathy—can set students up for academic and life success. A new case study by the Learning Policy Institute looks at a preservice and inservice programs preparing teachers to integrate social emotional learning into instruction.

In some California school districts, students of color are reaching extraordinary levels of academic achievement—defying trends and exceeding the performance of students of similar backgrounds in other districts across the state. A new report by the Learning Policy Institute examined which districts have excelled at supporting the learning of students of color as well as White students, taking into account their socioeconomic status.

Too many U.S. schools employ harsh, zero-tolerance discipline policies resulting in suspensions and expulsions for minor offenses that can push students out of school and onto a path to prison. A new report by the Learning Policy Institute shares the research on the negative impacts of zero-tolerance and exclusionary discipline policies, provides details on research-based approaches that actually make schools more safe and inclusive, and addresses the potential consequences of the Trump administration’s rescission of federal discipline guidance.

Principals are a key in-school factor associated with student achievement. When principals leave, it can disrupt school progress, increase teacher turnover, and stall student achievement. A new study developed by the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) reviews existing research to identify why school leadership matters and the impacts of principal mobility on student achievement.

Public schools are increasingly segregated along both racial and socioeconomic lines, and many of the most extremely segregated schools are also the most under-resourced, plagued by inexperienced educators, lack of access to quality curriculum, and lack of quality facilities or access to technology. Two new LPI reports look at the roles the federal government, states, and districts play in promoting racially diverse learning environments.

California’s massive overhaul of its education finance and accountability systems since 2012 has begun to increase supports and improve outcomes for historically marginalized students, according to a report released by the Learning Policy Institute. The state’s equitable funding plan, together with its move towards a more holistic—and less punitive—accountability system has come to be known as the “California Way.”

Students who attend high-quality preschool programs reap benefits that can last through school and their lives, according to a review of research by Learning Policy Institute. The study includes reviews of rigorous evaluations of 21 large-scale public preschool programs which find that children who attend these programs are more prepared for school and experience substantial learning gains in comparison to children who do not attend preschool.

In recent years, the country has been rocked by debates about school choice. For some, school choice, in and of itself, is viewed as a major goal of policy. For others, the term raises concerns about privatization of public schools. Often forgotten in the policy debates are the fundamental questions of whether and how choice influences access to high-quality schools for all students, and whether, in our diverse democracy that requires common ground, choices promote or undermine integration. Rather than debate school choice as an end, a new research report shifts the focus to choice as a means to an end.

A new study identifies policy and practice strategies that foster strong academic, social, and emotional learning, based on the science of learning and development.