|
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.
|
Racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse classrooms are beneficial for young students, yet early childhood programs can be more segregated than elementary and high schools. Research offers five policy strategies to promote diverse early learning settings.
|
In 2022–23, Arizona began implementing a “universal voucher” program for all students that can be used to underwrite private or homeschool education. To better understand this program’s impact on Arizona public schools, researchers conducted a financial review.
Emma GarcíaWesley WeiSusan Kemper PatrickMelanie Leung-GagnéMichael A. DiNapoli Jr.
|
With low salaries and high levels of student loan debt, many teachers are feeling the pinch of financial strain and job-related stress, making it more difficult to diversify, prepare, and retain teachers, and potentially exacerbating nationwide teacher shortages.
|
The Relationship Centered Schools (RCS) campaign seeks to transform schools by creating opportunities for relationship-building, valuing student voice, and investing in staff. The experiences of two RCS sites in California shed light on factors that enable or hinder relationship-centered practices as well as implications for practice and policy.
