Past Events

Aug
4
2026
A Live Event Co-Moderated by PACE Executive Director Lupita Cortez Alcalá
Topic

We are pleased to invite you to the Getting Down to Facts III Central Valley Convening, a gathering of educators, school board members, families, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders committed to strengthening educational opportunities for students across California's Central Valley. Hosted by Stanford University's SCALE Initiative in partnership with the University of California, Merced, the Central Valley Multilingual Consortium, Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) and Californians Together this regional convening will

Jul
29
2026
An EdSource Roundtable Featuring PACE Faculty Director Cecilia Rios-Aguilar
Topic

California students who can’t easily access a four-year university but want to earn a bachelor’s degree now have the option to get one at community college. Across the state, dozens of community colleges offer four-year degrees that train students to fill workforce needs in fields such as biomanufacturing, cyberdefense and respiratory care. However, those campuses are limited in they can offer. State law prohibits them from creating degrees that duplicate what’s offered at the University of California and California State University systems. Two bills currently being considered by the state

Jul
28
2026
A Live Event Featuring PACE Faculty Director Michal Kurlaender
Topic

We are pleased to invite you to the Getting Down to Facts III Bay Area Convening, a gathering of education leaders committed to strengthening educational opportunities and outcomes for California's students. Hosted by Stanford University's SCALE Initiative, EdTrust—West, and Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), this convening will bring together educators, policymakers, researchers, advocates, and community leaders from across the Bay Area to explore what the latest findings from Getting Down to Facts III mean for our schools, communities, and the future of public education. Event

May
11
2026
Aligning Governance, Policy, and Capacity to Support Student Success
Topic

Event update: Registration for the Getting Down to Facts III 2026 Conference is presently at capacity. Thank you for your interest. About the Conference Co-hosted by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) and Stanford University’s SCALE Initiative, the Getting Down to Facts III 2026 Conference: Aligning Governance, Policy, and Capacity to Support Student Success Conference will bring together 250 state leaders, educators, researchers, and advocates to engage with new, policy-relevant research at a pivotal moment for California’s education system. What to Expect Building on the legacy

May
7
2026
Topic
Join Susanna Loeb, Professor and Faculty Director of the SCALE Initiative at Stanford University, and a team of leading researchers for the official release of Getting Down to Facts III—a landmark, independent study on California’s education system. This webinar will unpack important findings from the research, highlight the challenges facing students and schools today, and outline a forward-looking vision for building a more effective and equitable system for the future. What You’ll Gain: A clear synthesis of key findings across the full research portfolio Practical insights on designing
Apr
30
2026
A Youth-Led Gubernatorial Forum
Topic

Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), California State PTA (CAPTA), and Youth Leadership Institute (yli) will co-host a youth-led gubernatorial forum on April 30, 2026 at the Fresno Convention Center. The evening will begin with a Civic Engagement Festival (4:00–5:30 pm) followed by the youth-led gubernatorial forum (5:30–7:00 pm). Together, these components will create a dynamic, youth-centered civic experience that elevates youth voice while directly connecting participants to pathways for ongoing democratic participation. Gubernatorial candidate and California Superintendent of

Jan
25
2024
Revitalizing Public Education in California: Navigating Challenges, Seizing Opportunities
Topic
The PACE Annual Conference in January 2024 will bring together California policymakers, researchers, and education leaders to address critical questions about the state's public education system and explore transformative actions for improvement at all levels, from early childhood through higher education.
Feb
7
2020
Evidence to Advance Equity and Excellence in California’s Cradle-to-Career Vision
Topic

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.

Apr
24
2009
Topic

In this seminar, Sean Reardon and Michal Kurlaender will present student-level data from four large California school districts was used to examine the impact of the California High School Exit Examination exam on student achievement and graduation rates. In particular, they focus of the effects of failing vs. passing the CAHSEE in 10th grade on the subsequent achievement and graduation rate of students with relatively low math and ELA skills.