INITIATIVE

COVID-19 Recovery

Covid-19 Recovery

COVID-19 has induced an unprecedented crisis in education in California. Due to the pandemic, a variety of academic, health, and social-emotional needs will emerge among California’s students. Pre-existing achievement gaps in California will likely be exacerbated as a consequence of inequities in learning opportunities across the state. PACE has activated a network of researchers to work with policymakers and education leaders to bring evidence to bear in helping California’s systems become stronger to support students in the aftermath of the crisis. The PACE COVID-19 Recovery Initiative will draw on research to inform a range of topics related to building system capacity for recovery in California schools in the COVID-19 context.

Recent Initiative Publications
Unpacking California’s Chronic Absence Crisis Through 2022–23: Seven Key Facts
Seven Key Facts
Students are considered chronically absent when they miss 10 percent or more of school for any reason. Left unaddressed, chronic absence can translate into students having difficulty learning to read by Grade 3, reaching grade-level standards in…
California Test Scores Show Little Improvement After Pandemic
In October 2023, the California Department of Education released test scores for all students in Grades 3–8 and 11 for the 2022–23 school year. These results represent an opportunity to analyze whether and to what extent student learning has…
What Does It Take to Accelerate the Learning of Every Child?
Early Insights from a CCEE School-Improvement Pilot
Student achievement in California has not rebounded after the precipitous declines of the COVID-19 pandemic, with English language arts (ELA) and math scores remaining well below prepandemic levels. Student attendance has declined dramatically, and…
Assessing Voters’ and Parents’ Perspectives on Current Threats to Public Education
The 2022 PACE/USC Rossier Poll
The 2021–22 academic year was profoundly challenging for California schools. Eight critical issues emerged as serious threats to student learning, the operation of schools, and even  the very institution of public education: (1) gun violence, (…