Dion BurnsDaniel EspinozaJulie AdamsNaomi Ondrasek
|
The school conditions and educational outcomes California students in foster care experience may be impacted by a range of challenges associated with multiple school moves and barriers to important supports at the school and state levels. Effective processes and policies that span the state’s education system and the foster care system can help create a coordinated web of supports to enhance student outcomes.
Kia Darling-HammondLinda Darling-HammondEliza Byard
|
Young people today must learn to think critically, solve complex problems, communicate effectively, work collaboratively, and embrace lifelong learning. There is still a long road to travel to ensure all students have access to this type of “deeper learning”; however, policies that promote healthy environments, supportive learning conditions, well-resourced and inclusive schools, skillful teaching, and high-quality curriculum can help pave the path forward.
|
In 2021, California committed to making transitional kindergarten (TK)—a school-based preschool program—available for all 4-year-olds by 2025–26. As TK becomes universal, California will need to expand the early learning workforce by recruiting educators and candidates and supporting them through various pathways into the profession. State policymakers can take six recommended actions to help stabilize, support, and expand the entire early childhood workforce.
|
Community schools have proved to be a successful approach to educate and support the whole child through family and community engagement, enriched and expanded learning, and integrated student supports. An important element for states to consider when investing in community schools is the provision of technical assistance, which can play a key role in supporting high-quality implementation.
|
An additional 12,000 to 15,000 credentialed teachers are needed to support California’s expanded transitional kindergarten (TK). High-quality early childhood–focused residencies, such as Fresno’s Teacher Residency Program and UCLA’s IMPACT Program, can help districts strategically build TK teacher capacity. These programs encompass coursework, university–district partnerships, clinical experiences, and resident and mentor supports and can lead to a more fully prepared and diverse teacher workforce.
Lorea MartínezLaura E. HernándezMarisa SaundersLisa Flook
|
Social Justice Humanitas Academy is a teacher-led community school that advances student learning and development through its mission to support students on their journeys toward self-actualization, social justice, and postsecondary success. It maintains a supportive and inclusive learning environment, engages students in social and emotional development and student-centered pedagogical strategies, and provides access to integrated systems of supports.
|
Wage indicators for public school teachers—such as average annual starting salary, average annual starting salary adjusted for cost-of-living, and average weekly wage competitiveness—can help contextualize how compensation aids efforts to attract and retain a strong and diverse teacher workforce across a state. In this brief, maps and tables show these three teacher wage indicators for each state and how they compare to national averages.
Linda Darling-HammondKevin C. BastianBarnett BerryDesiree Carver-ThomasTara KiniStephanie LevinG. Williamson McDiarmid
|
In Leandro v. the State of North Carolina, the Supreme Court of North Carolina found that children have a right to high-quality educators. However, access to a supply of qualified teachers and administrators is increasingly limited and inequitably distributed across the state. Expanding high-quality teacher pipelines and training, updating preparation and professional development, and other strategies could help strengthen North Carolina’s teacher and principal workforce.
|
The science of learning shows that addressing student behavior with restorative practices rather than zero-tolerance discipline is essential for students’ healthy development and academic success. Using examples from districts across the country, LPI researchers discuss key lessons on what is needed to successfully implement restorative approaches to create safe, inclusive schools that promote well-being and connectedness.
|
A historic $3 billion investment in the California Community Schools Partnership Program provides an opportunity to transform schools into community hubs that deliver whole child education. Examining key elements of the new law, LPI and Opportunity Institute researchers lay out evidence-based principles of high-quality community schools implementation that are aligned with the science of learning and development and discuss the need for technical assistance.