Heather J. Hough

heather_hough
Heather J. Hough
Senior Policy and Research Fellow,
Policy Analysis for California Education, Stanford University

Heather J. Hough is a senior research and policy fellow and former executive director of Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) at Stanford University. As executive director, she led major statewide initiatives connecting research, policy, and practice. Hough is also an independent consultant and nationally recognized expert in education policy and governance. She works with state and local leaders to strengthen education systems with a focus on strategic planning, policy coherence, system improvement, and collaborative decision making. Her consulting practice helps organizations translate evidence into action by aligning goals, policies, and resources to improve student outcomes and rebuild public trust in education. She is an active volunteer and board member at the local and state levels, where she advances meaningful policy changes that improve people’s lives and strengthen public services delivery. Hough received her PhD 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
Getting Down To Facts II
LCFF Research Collaborative
Organizing Schools to Serve Students with Disabilities
PACE/USC Rossier Voter Poll
Commentary by Heather J. Hough
: Why Aren’t Students Showing Up for School?: Understanding the Complexity Behind Rising Rates of Chronic Absenteeism
: Chronic Absenteeism Post-Pandemic: Let’s Not Make This Our “New Normal”
: California Test Scores Show the Devastating Impact of the Pandemic on Student Learning
: Implementing a Restorative Restart by Planning for the Four Ts: Time, Talent, Training, and Technology/Materials
: COVID-19 and the Educational Equity Crisis: Evidence on Learning Loss From the CORE Data Collaborative
Heather J. Hough in the Media
Santa Barbara’s Enrollment Decline Reflects Wider California Trends
 | Santa Barbara Independent
Covid’s Long Shadow in California: Chronic Absences, Student Depression and the Limits of Money
 | EdSource
Bay Area School Enrollment Plunges as Families Flee High-Cost Region
 | The Mercury News
These High Schoolers Learned About the Value of Money. Should Every California Student?
 | The Sacramento Bee
California Voters May Decide if Financial Literacy Should Be Required in School. Should They?
 | The Sacramento Bee
Publications by Heather J. Hough
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Unpacking California’s Chronic Absence Crisis Through 2023–24
Seven Key Facts
Absenteeism soared in California and nationally in the wake of the pandemic, and addressing this extraordinary increase is crucial to helping students catch up academically. Using data available from the California Department of Education and…
Unpacking California’s Chronic Absence Crisis Through 2022–23: Seven Key Facts
Unpacking California’s Chronic Absence Crisis Through 2022–23
Seven Key Facts
Chronic absenteeism has soared in California and nationally in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and addressing this extraordinary increase is crucial to helping students catch up academically. Using data available from the California Department of…
California Test Scores Show Little Improvement After Pandemic
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?
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…