Press Releases

Community schools can be a successful strategy for improving schools under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), according to a policy brief released by the National Education Policy Center and the Learning Policy Institute. The brief, Community Schools: An Evidence-Based Strategy for Equitable School Improvement, finds that community schools, an increasingly popular school improvement strategy, are strongly supported by research evidence, as required by ESSA.

California is home to more than 3 million children from birth through age 5. These children are in a critical phase of development that will, in part, determine their long-term academic success, health, and well-being. And, while research shows that participation in high-quality early care and education programs (ECE) can have a highly positive impact on children’s development, many of California’s children don’t have access to that care. A report by the Learning Policy Institute, Understanding California’s Early Care and Education System, lays out the key problems that need to be solved.

As states develop new accountability and improvement systems under the Every Student Succeeds Act, a new report examines ways that social and emotional learning and school climate can be included.

A just-released follow-up to a January 2016 report on teacher shortages in California shows that shortages have worsened in the past year, with especially severe shortages continuing in special education, math, and science. The update compares data from 2015-16 with earlier data, finding that while roughly the same number of teachers are entering the profession each year, the increasing demand for teachers in California is far outpacing the supply.

Statement of Learning Policy Institute President Linda Darling-Hammond on California Governor Jerry Brown’s Proposed Budget for Special Education | As a leading national institute conducting and communicating research to improve education policy and practice, LPI applauds Governor Jerry Brown’s proposal in this year’s budget summary to study special education funding in the service of improving special education in California. As state leaders explore strategies for funding reform, we hope they will attend to the state’s urgent need to build a supply of high-quality teachers.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) includes a number of important requirements and opportunities to advance equity in U.S. education. A new report by the Learning Policy Institute, Equity and ESSA: Leveraging Educational Opportunity Through the Every Student Succeeds Act, outlines the equity implications of ESSA and discusses ways in which the federal government, states, districts, and schools can promote equity for underserved children and youth. The report was released in conjunction with a briefing on Capitol Hill.

A Fall 2016 survey of California school districts reveals that the state’s teacher shortage has reached alarming levels, with 75% of surveyed districts indicating there are too few qualified teachers to fill their teaching vacancies. Teacher shortages leave districts with high rates of vacancies and force them to rely on underprepared teachers and substitutes, increase class sizes, and assign teachers outside of their areas of training. To better address shortages, particularly in high-need fields and schools, the state and districts will need to develop a variety of evidence-based strategies that can be targeted to meet the needs of different communities.

Seizing on a shift in policy momentum, advances in research, and growing public support for a well-rounded education, the Aspen Institute today announced the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development. The Commission will advance a new vision for what constitutes success in schools: the full integration of social, emotional, and academic development to ensure every student is prepared to thrive in school and in life.

According to a new research analysis released by the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), the nation is staring at a serious teacher deficit that is only going to get worse unless steps are taken now to address it. The analysis, A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand and Shortages in the U.S., is accompanied by three related policy briefs and an interactive map that rates each state on various factors affecting teacher supply and demand.

On July 14, Linda Darling-Hammond, President and CEO of the Learning Policy Institute, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) during the hearing "ESSA Implementation: Perspectives from Education Stakeholders on Proposed Regulations." In her remarks, Dr. Darling-Hammond stressed that ESSA regulations must support accountability that leads to equity and improvement by providing transparency and clarity for action.