Benjamin W. Cottingham

Benjamin Cottingham Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE)
Benjamin W. Cottingham
Associate Director, Strategic Partnerships,
Policy Analysis for California Education, Stanford University

Benjamin W. Cottingham is the associate director of strategic partnerships at Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). His work focuses on improving educational systems to better support effective teaching and learning, with a particular emphasis on how each level of California’s educational system can strengthen their support for schools and teachers. His current research explores strategies to increase A–G eligibility for college, enhance coherence from pre–K through third grade, and integrate AI tools into education safely and responsibly. Cottingham earned his MA in education policy from Stanford University.

updated 2025

Contributing topics
Access, quality & alignment in early childhood education
College access & postsecondary success
Continuous school improvement & support
Education finance
Educational governance & policy
Educator workforce & effectiveness
Supporting students’ social-emotional, mental & physical health
Understanding, measuring & improving student outcomes
Contributing initiatives
Continuous Improvement and Support Systems in California
CORE-PACE Research Partnership
COVID-19 Recovery
Organizing Schools to Serve Students with Disabilities
Commentary by Benjamin W. Cottingham
: The Urgent Need to Update District Policies on Student Use of Artificial Intelligence in Education
Benjamin W. Cottingham in the Media
: Demand for Virtual Education Is Changing. Here’s What That Means for Education Companies
: Promising Practices for Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten
: Beyond Crayons and Circle Time: What California Transitional Kindergarten Needs to Succeed
: How School Districts Are Responding to AI
: Virtual Instruction Is Here to Stay. Here Are 7 Tips for Doing It Well
Publications by Benjamin W. Cottingham
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Evaluation of the Breakthrough Success Community
2019–20 Through 2022–23
This report examines the CORE Districts’ Breakthrough Success Community (BTSC), which focused on improving ninth-grade on-track rates through evidence-based changes in daily practice. Some schools effectively adapted BTSC strategies, fostering…
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Taking Reform to Scale
Learning from California Education Partners’ Collaborations
This brief introduces a three-part series describing California Education Partners’ multistage approach to supporting school districts with improving their students’ outcomes in literacy and mathematics. The approach addresses persistent barriers to…
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Scalable Systems for Adult Capacity Building
Translating Sierra House Elementary School’s Pilot Practices Across Lake Tahoe Unified School District
This case study explores how Lake Tahoe Unified School District worked to improve math instruction, starting a pilot at Sierra House Elementary School. Partnering with California Education Partners, LTUSD addressed stagnant test scores by developing…
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Building Momentum One Step at a Time
Grass Valley School District’s Progress Towards P–3 Coherence in Literacy
Grass Valley School District (GVSD) partnered with California Education Partners through an initiative to improve literacy instruction. Over three years, GVSD implemented new literacy assessments and phonics practices, emphasizing teacher leadership…