David Stern

David Stern
David Stern
Professor Emeritus of Education, School of Education,
University of California, Berkeley

David Stern is a professor emeritus of education in the School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, where he joined the faculty in 1976. His research has focused on the relationship between education and work, as well as resource allocation in schools. Stern's interests include strengthening career academies, improving access to higher education, developing social enterprises for learning, and expanding educational options for teenagers. He served as principal investigator for the Career Academy Support Network (CASN), providing support and resources to career academies nationwide. He was director of the National Center for Research in Vocational Education at UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Education and principal administrator in the Center for Educational Research and Innovation at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris. Stern has published extensively, authoring or co-authoring numerous papers and reports, as well as nine books, including School to Work: Research on Programs in the United States and International Perspectives on the School-to-Work Transition. He earned his PhD in economics and urban studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

updated 2025

Publications by David Stern
How High Schools Can Be Held Accountable for Developing Students' Career Readiness
Preparing every high school graduate for postsecondary education and fulfilling work is the goal of common core standards. Career readiness and college readiness share many of the same skills, knowledge, and dispositions. Being ready for…
The James Irvine Foundation sponsors the Linked Learning approach as a strategy for improving California high schools' performance. PACE was asked to gather evidence on the cost of linked learning programs. The report explores how traditional high…
Options for California
This policy brief examines accountability in California's education system, calling for a comprehensive approach that measures student outcomes and addresses systemic factors. The authors emphasize stakeholder engagement and local capacity building…
Options for California
This policy brief advocates for the expansion of career-technical education (CTE) in California's high schools through a CTE/multiple pathways approach. The authors argue that this approach integrates academic and occupational content, is more…