The pandemic has introduced a great deal of hardship into many students’ lives, which may make it difficult for them to learn. Disruptions to students’ mental and emotional health, social systems of support, and learning environments require a new focus on social and emotional well-being. At the same time, pandemic-related school disruptions have put a heightened focus on the need to understand student learning. Measurement now is more critical than ever but requires new methods of assessing students and new approaches for analyzing and acting upon the data.

Even before COVID-19 dramatically changed the context of teaching and learning in California and across the country, there was a growing consensus in education that schools can and should attend to students’ social-emotional development. In this webinar, researchers will share new evidence showing that improvements in students’ social-emotional skills can be an effective strategy for improving academic and behavioral outcomes, and that teachers and schools can play an important role in helping students develop these skills. This research is based on data from the CORE districts.

Improving education equity is one of the most important goals of CA's education system, and undergirds the state's policy structures. How money is allocated to districts and how districts and schools are held accountable for student outcomes. The state's current measurement approach is insufficient for understanding the extent to which our education systems are providing equitable opportunities for CA's students. This webinar presents findings from a landmark report by the National Academies, which provides the architecture for a system to help policy makers address educational equity.

PACE’s annual conference brings together nearly 300 California policymakers, researchers, and education leaders to discuss new research and approaches to improving educational outcomes for California’s students, from early childhood through higher education.