Emily GermainLaura E. HernándezSarah KlevanRebecca S. LevineAnna Maier
|
There has been a significant decline in school attendance since the onset of the pandemic. This is concerning since chronically absent students are more likely to fall behind academically, disengage socially, and drop out of school. Community schools are a promising strategy to mitigate chronic absenteeism and its underlying causes.
|
Recognizing the importance of school leaders to teachers and students, California revised its standards guiding induction for administrators. The 2-year model includes coaching, PD, and assessments. An analysis of survey data and case studies provides policy recommendations to strengthen programs, better address administrator needs, and improve accessibility.
Ryan SaundersJulie FitzMichael A. DiNapoli Jr.Tara Kini
|
Teacher residencies offer a strategy to simultaneously improve the quality of preparation and provide a long-term solution to teacher shortages. This examination of the teacher residency model looks to recent efforts in 12 states that shed light on how to fund and grow residencies.
|
In the past 20 years, California policy around instruction, funding, and support of English learners has significantly changed. These shifts—from more rigorous teacher preparation to increased funding and the introduction of transitional kindergarten—have likely impacted students’ academic achievements, English proficiency, and other outcomes over time.
Victoria WangMelanie Leung-GagnéHanna MelnickMarjorie Wechsler
|
California’s ambitious commitment in 2021 to expand universal PreK for all 4-year-olds and income-eligible 3-year-olds by 2025–26 is making progress. Evidence provides insights into implementation related to service delivery models, facilities and transportation, instruction and assessment, supporting student needs, workforce development, and technical assistance needs.
|
Early childhood learning quality depends on educators being fully prepared to meet the needs of diverse young learners—something that can be supported by high-quality coaching. Examples from state and county systems show ways that comprehensive coaching systems can be implemented at scale, types of coaching approaches, and supports offered.
|
Effective educational leaders are important for student and teacher success, yet leaders’ access to professional learning varies across states and communities. States can use federal, state, and local funding sources to build infrastructure to support long-term leadership development and meet the professional learning needs of their educational leaders.
|
In 2019, state legislators re-invested in the discontinued 21st Century California School Leadership Academy (21CSLA) to provide free, high-quality professional learning to PreK–12 educational leaders. Evidence suggests 21CSLA has positively influenced participants' knowledge, skills, and practices, particularly in areas related to evidence-based practices, continuous improvement, and equity.
|
Thoughtful improvements and support of teaching performance assessments has the potential to strengthen preparation statewide and increase the readiness of the state’s teaching candidates as they enter the classroom.
Linda Darling-HammondMatt AlexanderLaura E. Hernández
|
A number of schools have been effective at rejecting the factory model and redesigning their systems to create safe environments with opportunities for exciting and rigorous academic work. Their successes have ideas in common, offering 10 important lessons for other schools.