Projects

Alternative Teacher Compensation

Guide to the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) for California School Districts.

The Federal guidelines for the $439 million Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grant program have been published, and the deadline for applications is July 6, 2010. Julia E. Koppich has complied the “Guide to the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) for California School Districts.” The guide is intended as a resource for districts that plan to apply or are considering applying for a TIF grant in 2010. Even if you are familiar with TIF regulations from previous years, we encourage you to review this guide as program regulations have changed substantially. Click here to view and download a copy of the guide.

California Diploma Project

The California Diploma Project (CDP) works with states across the country to bring value to the high school diploma by raising the rigor of high school standards, assessments and curriculum and aligning them to the demands of postsecondary education and careers. In California, the CDP brings together the Governor and Superintendent of Public Instruction with the leaders of the state’s four higher education segments and business community representatives to work together to expand the number of young people who enroll and succeed in post-secondary education and training.

Linked Learning

There is widespread agreement that many of California’s high schools are doing a poor job of preparing their students for college and careers. The James Irvine Foundation is sponsoring a major initiative to develop “Multiple Pathways” –– now called the Linked Learning approach –– as a strategy for improving the performance of California high schools. To inform this effort, the James Irvine Foundation asked PACE to gather evidence on the cost of linked learning programs. This report by Ace Parsi, University of California, Berkeley, David N. Plank, Policy Analysis for California Education and David Stern, University of California, Berkeley presents the results.

Middle Grades Math: Why Algebra Matters & How Technology Can Help

Videos and other materials from our recent conference are now available. The conference was held at Stanford on February 2, 2012. It was hosted by Silicon Valley Education Foundation, Policy Analysis for California Education and NewSchools Venture Fund. We thank our sponsor S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation for making this conference possible.

The conference provided an opportunity for educators and policy-makers to learn about digital tools and resources that can help improve teaching and learning in middle grades math, and to consider the policy changes that California must make to take advantage of these new opportunities. Policy leaders and experts in education technology presented their views on what’s becoming possible with the proliferation of digital technologies in California schools. Keynote speakers included Ted Mitchell from NewSchools Venture Fund, Tarkan Maner from Wyse Technology, and Jeremy Roschelle from SRI.

The conference also featured presentations from companies and organizations that have developed specific digital tools and resources for use in middle school mathematics, including Agile Mind, ALEKS, CFY, CK-12 Foundation, Edmodo, Key Curriculum Press, Mathalicious, Motion Math, Monterey Institute for Technology and Education (MITE), and World Wide Workshop.

PACE and USC Rossier Polls
How does the public view California’s schools and education policy effectiveness? Do voters understand the challenges that California faces, and are they prepared to make the tough choices and tradeoffs that potential solutions entail? Recent polling conducted by PACE and the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California seeks to learn more about how Californians perceive and understand the challenges now facing California’s education system, and the challenges that must be addressed to move the system forward.
Standards and Assessment

With the recent release of the Common Core educational standards, California now faces the same decisions as other states across the country. Should the state adopt the standards? If so, how will California incorporate the academic expectations it determined crucial for students to learn? On June 10, in Sacramento, Policy Analysis for California Education held a forum to explore these issues and open discussion with members of the state’s Academic Standards Content Commission, the commission charged with making a recommendation on whether or not to adopt the standards.

As part of its application for federal Race to the Top funding, California passed a law in January stating that the State Board of Education will consider adoption of the Common Core English Language Arts and Math standards. Facing a short timeline, the Commission must offer its recommendations by July 15, and the State Board must vote on adoption by August 2. If the Board votes in favor of adopting the Common Core, this would mean redesigning what is taught in California classrooms, deciding how to assess whether students are meeting those standards, and deciphering the types of professional development teachers need to help students reach those expectations.