Briefs

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  Brief

  Teacher Turnover: Why It Matters and What We Can Do About It

  Desiree Carver-Thomas,

  Linda Darling-Hammond

  Aug 16 2017

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  Without changes in current policies, U.S. teacher shortages are projected to grow in the coming years. Teacher turnover is an important source of these shortages. About 8% of teachers leave the profession each year, two-thirds of them for reasons other than retirement. Another 8% shift to different schools each year. In addition to aggravating teacher shortages, high turnover rates lower student achievement and are costly for schools. This brief examines turnover trends and causes and concludes that policies to stem teacher turnover should target compensation, teacher preparation and support, and teaching conditions.

  Topics Educator Quality: Recruitment & Retention​, Educator Quality, Equitable Resources​ and Access
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  Brief

  Identifying Schools for Support and Intervention: Using Decision Rules to Support Accountability and Improvement Under ESSA

  Linda Darling-Hammond,

  Jessica Cardichon,

  Hanna Melnick

  Jun 13 2017

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  Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, states are using a new approach to accountability based on multiple indicators of educational opportunity and performance and can decide how to use these measures to identify schools for intervention and support and to encourage systems of continuous improvement. The decision rule approach can encourage greater attention to each of the measures, offer more transparency about how school performance factors into identification, and support more strategic interventions than those informed only by a single rating, ranking, or grade. This brief describes five options for using decision rules that are designed to meet ESSA’s requirements and support states' use of systems that encourage continuous improvement across all schools.

  Topics The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Accountability and Improvement
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  Brief

  Investing in Effective School Leadership: How States Are Taking Advantage of Opportunities Under ESSA

  Danny Espinoza,

  Jessica Cardichon

  Jun 13 2017

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  Principals are essential to improving student achievement and narrowing persistent achievement gaps. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides opportunities for states to use federal funds to invest in developing and supporting effective school leaders, such as supporting their recruitment, preparation, and training using the optional state set-aside under Title II. This brief summarizes the evidence about the importance of principals, describes research-based practices in leadership development, and outlines promising, evidence-based investments from submitted and draft ESSA state plans.

  Topics The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Educator Quality, Educator Quality: Professional Learning
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  Brief

  Effective Teacher Professional Development

  Linda Darling-Hammond,

  Maria E. Hyler,

  Madelyn Gardner

  Jun 05 2017

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  Well-designed and implemented professional development is an essential component of a comprehensive system of teaching and learning that supports students to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies they need to thrive in the 21st century. This brief outlines key components of effective professional development and offers rich descriptions of model programs to inform education leaders and policymakers seeking to leverage professional development to improve student learning.

  Topics Educator Quality, Educator Quality: Professional Learning, Deeper Learning
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  Brief

  Community Schools: An Evidence-Based Strategy for Equitable School Improvement

  Jeannie Oakes,

  Anna Maier,

  Julia Daniel

  Jun 05 2017

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  Community schools, which feature integrated student supports, expanded learning time, family and community engagement, and collaborative leadership, can be a successful strategy for improving schools under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). That’s the conclusion of this research review, based on an analysis of over 100 studies. This brief, published jointly by the Learning Policy Institute and the National Education Policy Center, discusses the four key features of community schools and offers guidance to support school, district, and state leaders as they consider or implement a community school intervention strategy in schools targeted for comprehensive support.

  Topics Deeper Learning: School Organization & Design, The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Equitable Resources​ and Access, Accountability and Improvement, Deeper Learning
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  Brief

  Encouraging Social and Emotional Learning In the Context of New Accountability

  Hanna Melnick,

  Channa Cook-Harvey,

  Linda Darling-Hammond

  Apr 18 2017

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  The Every Student Succeeds Act provides an important opportunity for states to broaden the definition of student success to include measures of students’ social-emotional, as well as academic, development. This brief describes how states might measure and promote social and emotional learning (SEL) in their accountability and continuous improvement plans.

  Topics The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Accountability and Improvement, Deeper Learning
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  Brief

  The Role of Principals in Addressing Teacher Shortages

  Feb 27 2017

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  Turnover accounts for 90% of the demand for new teachers, exacerbating shortages and undermining academic progress. This brief summarizes research on the important role that principals can play in reducing the steady churn of teachers and highlights actions states and districts can take to strengthen school leadership.

  Topics Educator Quality, Educator Quality: Professional Learning, Educator Quality: Recruitment & Retention​, Equitable Resources​ and Access
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  Brief

  California Special Education Teacher Shortages Grow More Severe

  Desiree Carver-Thomas,

  Linda Darling-Hammond

  Feb 08 2017

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  California schools have long struggled to find enough fully prepared special education teachers, but since the 2013-14 school year these shortages have skyrocketed. This research brief examines recent data on special education credentials and authorizations and documents an alarming rise in the number of underprepared teachers entering special education classrooms.

  Topics Educator Quality, Educator Quality: Recruitment & Retention​, Educator Quality: Professional Learning, Educator Quality: ​Evaluation & Career Development​, Equitable Resources​ and Access
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  Brief

  California Teacher Workforce Trends Signal Worsening Shortages

  Feb 08 2017

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  In the past year, California’s teacher shortage has worsened as demand continues to grow and the supply of new teachers remains stagnant. This brief summarizes the findings of LPI’s 2017 update on the California teacher shortage and includes recommendations for state-level policies that would provide near-term solutions for strengthening the teacher pipeline.

  Topics Educator Quality, Educator Quality: Recruitment & Retention​, Educator Quality: Professional Learning, Educator Quality: ​Evaluation & Career Development​, Equitable Resources​ and Access
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  Brief

  California Teacher Shortages: A Persistent Problem

  Anne Podolsky,

  Leib Sutcher

  Nov 30 2016

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  Seventy-five percent of districts responding to a Fall 2016 survey reported teacher shortages, with 81% saying the problem is getting worse. This brief details the results of the survey, conducted by the Learning Policy Institute and the California School Boards Association, including information about how districts are responding to shortages.

  Topics Educator Quality, Equitable Resources​ and Access

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