Reports

April 18, 2017 | How can schools be encouraged to help students develop socially and emotionally and to foster positive school environments in the context of new accountability under the Every Student Succeeds Act? This report provides a framework for considering how measures of social and emotional learning (SEL) and school climate may be incorporated into an accountability and continuous improvement system.

March 17, 2017 | Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), state assessment systems must be designed to measure higher-order thinking skills and understanding. This report, published in partnership with the Council of Chief State Schools Officers (CCSSO), details how states can use performance assessments—including portfolios, projects, and extended-performance tasks—to assess what students know and are able to do.

February 27, 2017 | Principals play a central role in creating schools in which students thrive academically and the teaching staff is strong, stable, and supported. This report analyzes the research on quality preparation and professional development programs for principals, highlighting examples of effective programs and providing guidance for policymakers.

February 23, 2017 | Strategic selection and use of performance indicators can illuminate disparities in our schools and focus attention and resources on rectifying long-standing inequities. This report explores how states can use a multiple-measure accountability system to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for underserved youth and begin to dismantle the school-to-prison-pipeline.

February 23, 2017 | What will it take for states to move from compliance-focused accountability systems to systems that enable a culture of continuous learning and improvement? In this report, the authors lay out a vision for next generation accountability systems designed to support the goal of college and career readiness for all students.

February 8, 2017 | California’s teacher shortage is worsening as demand continues to outpace the supply of new teachers. The shortage of special education, mathematics, and science teachers is especially severe, prompting an increase in the number of underprepared teachers. Low-income and minority students are disproportionately impacted by shortages, which threaten to undermine academic progress. This report details findings from LPI’s 2017 Update on California’s teacher shortage and offers policy recommendations to address this pressing problem.

December 7, 2016 | The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) represents an opportunity for states, districts, and schools to equitably design education systems to ensure that historically underserved students are prepared for the demands of the 21st century. This report details the equity implications of ESSA and provides recommendations for ways in which states, districts, and schools can leverage the new law to enhance equitable educational opportunities and close persistent achievement gaps.

September 15, 2016 | High rates of teacher turnover contribute to shortages and undermine academic progress. This report reviews an extensive body of research on teacher recruitment and retention, identifies key factors that influence decisions to enter, stay in, or leave the profession, and offers evidence-based recommendations for local, state, and federal policymakers.

September 15, 2016 | Widespread media reports of local teacher shortages have become a hot topic in education since the summer of 2015. After years of teacher layoffs, districts began hiring again as the economy recovered from the Great Recession. This report analyzes evidence of teacher shortages, looks at national and regional trends in teacher supply and demand, and investigates policy strategies that might mitigate these effects based on research about effective approaches to recruitment and retention.

September 15, 2016 | The teacher residency model holds much promise to address the issues of recruitment and retention in high-need districts and subject area shortages. This model also has the potential to support systemic change and building of the teaching profession, especially in the most challenging districts. Initial research is promising as to the impact residencies can have on increasing the diversity of the teaching force, improving retention of new teachers, and promoting gains in student learning.