Morgan Polikoff

Morgan Polikoff
Morgan Polikoff
Professor of Education, Rossier School of Education,
University of Southern California

Morgan Polikoff is professor of education in the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. His research focuses on K–12 education policy, curriculum, standards, accountability, and assessment policy. His recent work examines curriculum material adoption and use, voter education policy preferences, and the impact of COVID-19 on families’ educational experiences. He previously served as co-editor of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis and associate editor of the American Educational Research Journal, and he is on the editorial boards of Educational Researcher and AERA Open. Polikoff is the author of Beyond Standards: The Fragmentation of Education Governance and the Promise of Curriculum Reform and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals. He earned his BA in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and PhD in education policy from the University of Pennsylvania.

updated 2024

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
PACE/USC Rossier Voter Poll
Commentary by Morgan Polikoff
: For Aligned Instruction, State Must Have Aligned Standards, Assessments
Morgan Polikoff in the Media
: Can Curriculum Reform Succeed Where the Rest of Standards-Based Reform Failed?
: Support for California Schools and Teachers Grows in Pandemic Year
: Poll: California Voters Worried About Pandemic’s Impact on K–12 Students
: California Voters Give Schools and Teachers Top Grades in Year-End Poll: Survey Finds Agreement That Political and Racial Tensions Have Risen
: What’s the Best Use for American Rescue Plan Education Funds?
Publications by Morgan Polikoff
How Californians View Education Standards, Testing and Accountability
Results from the Third PACE/USC Rossier Poll
A PACE/USC Rossier poll in August 2013 surveyed California voters' views on the state's education system and recent changes, including the implementation of the CCSS, new assessments, funding increases, and the Local Control Funding Formula. The…
Fixing the Academic Performance Index
The California Academic Performance Index (API) is limited by demographics, instability, and narrow focus on test scores. Experts recommend tracking individual students' progress, measuring achievement growth over multiple years, and using…