In recent years, particularly since the pandemic, countless news articles have bemoaned a crisis in math learning. Whether defined by introductory courses at Harvard University, math placement in the University of California or community college remedial courses, a consistent refrain...

The dominant narrative about American schools is one of decline: Math and reading achievement at historic lows, the nation caught in a long-term “learning recession.” But that’s a narrative based on standardized test scores. Assessing the effectiveness of American schools...

With the Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives Grant Program, which aims to address persistent inequities in higher education and workforce participation through the development of regional intersegmental partnerships statewide, reaching its end, a new report from Policy Analysis for California Education...

It’s not often you see over 900 diverse organizations across California all agree on something. But when a problem affecting our kids’ education has existed for over a century with little progress towards fixing it, it brings people together to...

University of Wisconsin‑Madison Assistant Professor Christopher Saldaña speaks with Susanna Loeb about the the recent release of Getting Down to Facts 3, a Stanford SCALE Initiative project that brings together more than 100 researchers to give California policymakers, educators...

With one contentious exception, school districts can check off most items on their wish list for 2026-27 with the release on Thursday of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised state budget.  Newsom is proposing to target unexpected billions of dollars from surging...

For Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Professor Susanna Loeb, the work of bringing an incoming governor up to speed on the state’s education system begins with a listening tour.  “There are a billion different things you could look at...

State leaders’ recent attention to early literacy has led to funding and new programs to help close the literacy achievement gap.  But math? The state hasn’t focused on it. And that neglect shows. State and national scores reflect many of...

Stanford University on Thursday released a sweeping research project that takes a 360-degree, immersive look at all aspects and operations of public education in California, from preschool through high school, from special education to teacher certification, enrollment decline to high...

California K-12 schools have come a long way over the past 20 years, but according to an exhaustive overview of the state’s school system, further progress may require tinkering with a long-entrenched form of school governance: local control.  That’s among...

A local educational agency’s structures and processes are key components in effectively uplifting and scaling instructional changes in schools, according to Policy Analysis for California Education’s (PACE) practice brief “How Districts Scale Instructional Improvement That Lasts.”  “District leaders play a...

More than 30 percent of California’s approximately 30,000 school-aged youth in foster care regularly experience some of the highest rates of chronic absence and exclusionary discipline.  A new brief from Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) details how changes in...

A bill moving through the state legislature would require independent evaluations of any new education initiative that costs at least $500 million a year or $1 billion in one-time spending.  The proposed requirement is part of a larger bill that...

Education is not a central issue in California’s crowded governor’s race, but the candidates addressing it offer sharply different visions, from expanding school funding and free college, to stricter teacher accountability and restrictions on transgender students in sports. Lupita Cortez...

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to shift control of the Department of Education from the state superintendent of public instruction to a new education commissioner under future governors’ authority passed its first test in the Legislature last week — but probably...

A new research paper released by the Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE) at the University of California, Berkeley, reveals that the common narrative of American educational stagnancy is misleading. The study, titled "Broadening Our Perspective Concerning America's Education...

KVPR will broadcast a live forum featuring California gubernatorial candidates Thursday evening April 30th at 5:30 p.m. It will air live on KVPR 89.3, 89.1 and on KVPR.org.  Hosted by the California State PTA (CAPTA), Policy Analysis for California Education...

School closures are an incendiary issue in nearly every corner of California, as enrollment declines and expenses climb. The topic has sparked parent revolts, teacher strikes and school boards’ desperate attempts to keep districts financially afloat. And then there’s Orick...

School closures are an incendiary issue in nearly every corner of California, as enrollment declines and expenses climb. The topic has sparked parent revolts, teacher strikes and school boards’ desperate attempts to keep districts financially afloat. And then there’s Orick...

This has been a disruptive year for education research. Last February, roughly $1 billion in federal funding was canceled. Amid efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, most staff at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), which supports education...

UC Davis has been an integral leader in shaping the region’s education system across Northern California, with UC Davis Inclusive Excellence playing a central role in coordinating efforts across three regional K–16 collaboratives, according to a recent report from the...

Jeannie Myung, a researcher with Policy Analysis for California Education, presented findings suggesting California’s governance system is misaligned with its policy goals.   She said strong education policies often fall short during implementation.  “Even when the state adopted bold student-centered...

Gavin Newsom ought to be pleased that the Legislative Analyst’s Office has given its seal of approval to the governor’s plan to streamline the state’s education bureaucracy to improve accountability of K-12 test scores. The Newsom plan is indeed sensible...