TOPIC

Understanding, measuring & improving student outcomes

Student Outcomes

Measuring student and school performance is critical for understanding and improving outcomes and achieving higher levels of equity in our systems. However, it is equally important to bring evidence to bear in solving problems of practice when they are revealed by data. To this end, PACE research in this topic area is focused on developing evidence to support understanding, measuring and improving student outcomes. 

Central to our vision in this area is the development of data systems that support educational improvement all all levels of the system. Our research has emphasized the importance of a comprehensive, longitudinal data system that can be used to support research, accountability, and continuous improvement

We use existing data to show how students are performing on multiple indicators, and to reveal variation across regions, student demographic groups, and schools/districts. We research how indicators of school performance can be improved over time, or better used to support accountability and improvement. Finally, PACE research products document best-practices from the literature and from leaders across the state with the goal of improving student outcomes for all California students.

Recent Topic Publications
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Evidence from the CORE Districts
Since spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has been abruptly interrupting regular instruction in almost all schools in the U.S. One year later, policymakers, district administrators, and educators are still balancing the benefits and risks of…
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The Path Towards Reimagining and Rebuilding Schools
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all students; however, its impact has been particularly devastating for students of color, students from low-income families, English learners, and other marginalized children and youth. As transmission rates…
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We use data from oral reading fluency (ORF) assessments to examine COVID-19’s effects on children’s ORF in over 100 U.S. school districts. Students’ development of ORF largely stopped in spring 2020 following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In…
EdResearch for Recovery Brief
This brief is one in a series aimed at providing K–12 education decision makers and advocates with an evidence base to ground discussions about how to best serve students during and following the novel coronavirus pandemic. Learn more about the…