Benjamin W. Cottingham

Benjamin Cottingham Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE)
Benjamin W. Cottingham
District Improvement Specialist,
California Education Partners

Benjamin W. Cottingham is a district improvement specialist at Education Partners. His work involves collaborating with district teams to design and implement systems that strengthen preK–3rd grade mathematics and to build coherence between the 8th and 9th grades. He previously was associate director of strategic partnerships at PACE; worked on state policy with the Oklahoma Department of Education; served in nonprofit leadership while providing high-dosage tutoring in Boston; and taught with Teach for America. His work has focused on improving educational systems to better support high-quality teaching and learning. Cottingham received 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
 | EdWeek Market Brief
Promising Practices for Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten
 | California Education Partners
Beyond Crayons and Circle Time: What California Transitional Kindergarten Needs to Succeed
 | CalMatters
How School Districts Are Responding to AI
 | The Hechinger Report
Virtual Instruction Is Here to Stay. Here Are 7 Tips for Doing It Well
 | Education Week
Publications by Benjamin W. Cottingham
A Student-Centered Culture of Improvement
The Case of Garden Grove Unified School District
This case study explores the Garden Grove Unified School District's culture of improvement through four key structures and processes, including consistent goals, data-driven reform, vertical and horizontal structures, and prioritization of people.…
Learning and Practicing Continuous Improvement
Lessons from the CORE Districts
This report examines how California's education sector is embracing continuous improvement over standards-based reform. The study presents six lessons learned from PACE and CORE Districts' collaboration on the topic, including the complexity of…