Briefs

August 28, 2020 | To chart a path forward as the nation grapples with the impact of a global pandemic and systemic racism, federal policymakers can advance research-based policies that have been shown to foster equity and opportunity. This resource describes key policies that can help accelerate efforts to ensure that all young people have equal access to a high-quality, world-class education.

July 17, 2020 | Community schools are an evidence-based approach to advance whole child education by offering integrated student supports, expanded and enriched learning time, family and community engagement, and collaborative leadership and practices. Local government and nonprofit agencies in two California counties—Los Angeles and Alameda—have effectively provided technical assistance to support community school initiatives. Evidence shows that technical assistance from county offices and nonprofit agencies can be a powerful element of successful community schools.

May 15, 2020 | Schools across the United States canceled in-person classes beginning in March 2020 to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. In many states and districts, school buildings are closed for the duration of the school year. Policymakers and school leaders are making plans to reopen schools for the next academic year, and some are preparing to do so sooner. To reopen schools safely, state and district leaders will need to address several important health considerations.

May 14, 2020 | While teacher shortages are an increasingly critical issue in the United States, a lesser known but equally important shortage is also hampering the country’s efforts to provide quality educational opportunities for students — principal shortages. Nearly one in five principals leave their schools each year and the average tenure of a principal is only about four years.

February 18, 2020 | The field of special education has long been plagued by persistent shortages of fully prepared teachers. New LPI research finds that the high turnover of special education teachers is associated with such issues as inadequate preparation, professional development, overwhelming workload, low compensation, and inadequate support. What can policymakers do to address this shortage and help recruit, prepare, support, and retain these teachers?

December 10, 2019 | Three California-based programs offer promising models for recruiting and preparing diverse cohorts of early educators through innovative and affordable pathways. These successful programs provide valuable lessons for policymakers and others interested in ensuring that all children have teachers who meet high standards and reflect the racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity of students and their families.

December 10, 2019 | As California prepares to make major investments in its early childhood education workforce, three programs offer promising models for recruiting and preparing educators through innovative, affordable pathways. These successful programs provide lessons for the state's policymakers about how to ensure all children have teachers who meet high standards and reflect the racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity of children and their families.

October 21, 2019 | Research suggests that deeper learning strategies that support critical thinking and problem-solving can improve student outcomes, but implementing these strategies is not easy. Three networks of schools—Big Picture Learning, Internationals Network for Public Schools, and New Tech Network—have created the systems and structures to scale their equitable deeper learning models in diverse public school settings to serve students in more personalized and productive ways.

September 10, 2019 | Supporting the achievement of all students requires a strong commitment to equity, ensuring a stable high-quality educator workforce, providing access to professional development, and a focus on deeper learning and social and emotional learning. Seven California school districts provide examples of successful approaches to this work.

August 5, 2019 | Equitable and empowering educational opportunities are increasingly important to the survival and success of individuals, economies, and societies, but today, U.S. public schools are the most inequitably funded of any in the industrialized world. Some states, however, have had some success addressing those inequities. Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and North Carolina have substantially improved learning opportunities and there are lessons to be learned from their efforts.