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
: California’s Dashboard Data Will Guide Improvement
Heather J. Hough in the Media
PACE Executive Director Heather Hough on Cultivating a Sense of Belonging to Spark Students’ Enthusiasm for Learning in EdSource Podcast
 | EdSource
Boosting Student Success After COVID Is a Team Effort
 | EdSource
Reenergizing Learning: PACE Executive Director Heather Hough Discusses Strategies for Getting Beyond Stagnant Test Scores with EdSource Panel
 | EdSource
PACE Executive Director Heather Hough Speaks on Education Policy, Teacher Shortage, and Other Challenges in Capitol Weekly Conference
 | Capitol Weekly
Have Bay Area Students Recovered from Pandemic Learning Losses? Here’s What State Test Scores Show
 | The Mercury News
Publications by Heather J. Hough
Building Systems Knowledge for Continuous Improvement
Early lessons from the CORE Districts
California policy shifts gave school districts more control, but many lack expertise and capacity for improvement. The CORE districts applied continuous improvement in a Networked Improvement Community to close the math achievement gap for African…
Learning From Early Adopters in the New Accountability Era: Insights From California’s CORE Waiver DIstricts
Learning From Early Adopters in the New Accountability Era
Insights From California’s CORE Waiver Districts
California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) aims to improve educational equity by providing additional funds to districts with disadvantaged students. Districts are required to engage with their communities and develop Local Control…
SEL CC Report
Using Surveys of Students' Social-Emotional Skills and School Climate for Accountability and Continuous Improvement
The use of social-emotional learning (SEL) and school culture/climate (CC) measures is a promising way to understand school performance. SEL and CC measures are reliable, distinguish between schools, and relate to academic and non-academic measures…
At the Forefront of the New Accountability Era: Early Implementation Findings from the CORE Waiver Districts
At the Forefront of the New Accountability Era
Early Implementation Findings from the CORE Waiver Districts
The Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) in California and the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) encourage local control in school accountability. The CORE waiver districts have implemented an innovative measurement system and…