Conditions of Education in California

Recent research finds that occupational courses as supplements to a traditional academic curriculum do not distinctively contribute to math learning, raising questions about reforms that focus on the design of occupation-specific courses.

The impending adoption of new assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards offers an opportunity to rethink not only how we measure student achievement, but the full range of information that can be collected to inform the decisions of families, educators, and policymakers. An expanded set of measures might allow stakeholders to draw more valid inferences regarding school performance that better reflect the multiple goals of schooling, and could create incentives for educators to focus on processes or outcomes that have been underemphasized in the past.

Since the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, public discourse on “failing schools” as measured by high-stakes standardized tests has disproportionately affected students from minoritized communities (such as language, race, class, dis/ability). The authors examine how the areas of arts education/diversity education and research with majoritized/ minoritized communities intersect in new visions for preK-12 teacher preparation, curriculum design, and education policy.

Allowing class sizes to increase can be an easy way to absorb budget cuts but is generally unpopular with parents. A review of the literature suggests that increasing class size may be a budget-cutting strategy that minimizes harm to students.

The study by López, et al, is consistent with a wider literature showing specialists are more effective in supporting achievement of English Learners.

Research shows that Latino English Learners have higher achievement in states where teachers are required to hold bilingual or English Learner certification, but achievement is even higher in states with both specialist certification and training for all teachers.

Increased interest in early childhood education (ECE) has given new urgency to questions about the effectiveness of ECE programs. Policymakers may be confused by the many studies that provide differing results. A recent review of the literature finds that research design can help explain some of those differences.

California’s efforts to raise the high school graduation rate appear to be paying off but can the improvement continue?

Elementary teachers report feeling less qualified to teach science than other academic subjects, in terms of both content and subject-specific pedagogy. New research shows that targeted teacher professional development has the potential to build teachers’ knowledge and skills in science, which can lead to improvements in teaching practices.

Most education officials charged with making curriculum adoption decisions are making these decisions without any direct evidence about efficacy. But with the right data, it is possible to link student achievement outcomes with curriculum alternatives and evaluate which materials are most effective.