2023-2024 Annual Report
A Decade of Advancing Equitable and Empowering Education: Reflections and the Road Ahead
Ten years ago, the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) embarked on a mission to bring the best knowledge about learning, teaching, and education from the world of research to the worlds of policy and practice—in order to ensure equitable and empowering education for each and every child. This quest has been undertaken through deep partnerships with policymakers who want to accomplish these goals, as well as with researchers, educators, community leaders, and a wide range of organizations that want to create schools and systems that enable thriving for our children, youth, and families. Through a decade of research, collaboration, and collective work, LPI has become a trusted voice for sound evidence and sound policy, equipping policymakers and educators with the tools to create more equitable and empowering educational systems.
LPI has helped to strengthen early learning systems by informing policies that expand access to high-quality preschool for underserved children, including California’s transitional kindergarten initiative—the largest preschool program in the nation. Our research and policy work have helped to foster safer, more supportive school environments through community schools initiatives, restorative practices, and trauma-informed strategies that address children’s needs exacerbated by the pandemic. Our work to ground the redesign of schools and educator preparation programs in the science of learning and development has begun to redefine what is possible in education, proving that systemic transformation can be achieved through evidence-based policy and practice.
Central to our impact is the work we’ve done to advance equitable school finance. Through our research and partnerships with state legislatures, expert testimony, and initiatives like the Education Finance Fellowship, LPI has informed funding reforms in states like Michigan, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, empowering leaders to direct resources where they are most needed. Our analysis of California’s Local Control Funding Formula demonstrated how sustained investments in high-need students can significantly improve academic outcomes.
We have also tackled persistent teacher shortages—an issue that disproportionately affects schools serving the highest-need students—by studying and advancing solutions that improve both recruitment and retention, like teacher residency programs and the preparation of leaders who create collegial workplaces. These strategies, understood and informed by LPI’s research, have influenced federal and state policies and generated investments that strengthen the educator workforce. Our tools, including the State of the Teacher Workforce interactive map, have empowered policymakers and education leaders to address the conditions that drive shortages, ensuring that schools can recruit and retain qualified and diverse teachers.
Beyond these accomplishments, LPI has sparked national conversations on educational equity. National “Brown at 70” initiatives, undertaken with partners, brought together scholars, civil rights advocates, and policymakers to reflect on the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education and chart a path forward. Through publications, conferences, webinars, and strategy sessions, we continue to address the systemic barriers that perpetuate inequality, providing actionable solutions to dismantle them.
As we look to the future, the work ahead is daunting but vital. In this moment of heightened polarization, the promise of equity requires renewed commitment. LPI remains steadfast in its mission, harnessing the power of research, collaboration, and communication to build an education system that serves every learner and transforms the ideals of equity and excellence into enduring realities for all.
—Linda Darling-Hammond, President and CEO
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Photo credits: Long Beach Unified School District, Allison Shelley for EDUimages, Social Justice Humanitas Academy