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Money matters when it comes to improving our nation’s schools, but how that money is spent is critical. This report reviews and analyzes efforts by four states to undertake progressive school funding strategies in order to substantially improve learning opportunities for all students and provides recommendations for federal and state policies to address funding inequalities that contribute to the cycle of poverty.

School principals are responsible for maintaining a positive school climate, motivating school staff, and enhancing teachers’ practice. They are vital to ensuring teachers’ success in the classroom and students’ success, but one in five principals leaves their school each year and the numbers are worse in schools in underserved communities. Inadequate preparation, poor working conditions, insufficient salaries, lack of authority, and high-stakes accountability policies are among the drivers of principal turnover that must be addressed.

In American public schools, most racial and ethnic segregation—and most financial inequity—occurs between, not within, school districts, which is why cooperative interdistrict approaches are often the most effective at addressing these problems. Looking at three regions—Boston, MA; Hartford, CT; and Omaha, NE—the authors examine interdistrict desegregation designs that use innovative funding strategies to foster equity, quality, and access. They share academic and social outcomes and identifies lessons for policymakers.

Most racial and ethnic segregation—and most financial inequities—in American public schools occur between, not within, school districts. Solving these problems often requires interdistrict solutions. Some regions are crossing boundaries and finding effecting ways to promote school diversity, equity, and access; examples include Boston, Hartford, and Omaha.

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. Although integrated education is not a panacea, diverse learning environments benefit all students and the federal government plays a critical role in fostering school diversity.

Teacher leaders in California are collaborating to lead sustainable professional development for implementation of new student standards within their districts. This statewide effort, the Instructional Leadership Corps, has been in place for the last 4 years and participant feedback has been overwhelmingly positive about the experience. This study describes how teacher-led learning can motivate shifts in practice, enhance teachers’ professionalism and efficacy, and create supportive systems and strategic relationships that can sustain change.

Four years into a project to support teacher instruction for deeper learning, research shows that an innovative professional development program is a decided success. Based on a model of teachers teaching teachers, California's Instructional Leadership Corps prepares teacher leaders to provide sustainable professional development aligned with new state standards. Participant feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and demonstrates how teacher-led learning can motivate shifts in practice, enhance teachers’ efficacy, and sustain change.

In 2013, California adopted its Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which has shifted billions of dollars to districts serving high-need students, created a multiple-measure accountability system, and provided all districts with broad flexibility to develop spending plans aligned to local priorities and needs. This report examines LCFF and related reforms—the decade-plus effort leading to their passage and the impact on culture, practice, opportunities, and outcomes—and explores next steps to sustain and deepen improvement. Read the report or brief >

California students, families, educators, and policymakers are at the center of one of the most ambitious, equity-focused education reforms in the country. Changes include a bold, new approach to equitable funding, a more holistic vision of student and school success, and community engagement in decision making. This study analyzes the impact of the reforms on opportunities and outcomes, and identifies the challenges ahead for California.

Research on early learning programs in the 1960s and 1970s revealed longlasting benefits, sparking investment in preschool programs. However, recent evaluations of two large preschool programs found mixed results, creating confusion about whether preschool programs can support student success. This report reviews these two studies and others in depth, and finds that when participants are compared to very similar students who did not attend preschool, the benefits of participation are typically found to be substantial.