California’s K-12 students are emerging from the pandemic malaise, posting the most significant academic improvements in years, according to state test scores released today. The Smarter Balanced standardized test results show increases for almost every student group and every grade...

California’s school funding system, overhauled in 2013 to make it more equitable, is contributing to more inequality, a situation felt most sharply in counties that have a combination of rich and poor districts, according to a new study released Monday...

There’s more to being a diligent school board member than attending a couple of meetings a month. Those meetings require preparation, research and one-on-one conversations with school leadership. There are school site visits. Many districts require regular board training. Sometimes...

Partisan politics, shifting school policies, changing technology and uncertain school funding are making being a school board member more difficult than ever. “Navigating Democracy in Divided Times,” a study released Tuesday by the USC EdPolicy Hub, analyzed the experiences of...

Back in 2017, Santa Barbara Junior High had 759 students. This year, it has 502. The coming gain is hopeful, but still far from recovery. In most California districts, enrollment decline means a direct hit to budgets because schools receive...

UCLA Professor of Education Cecilia Rios-Aguilar has been reappointed chair of the UCLA Department of Education at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies, effective July 1. She has been serving as chair since 2022. Rios-Aguilar has formerly served...

K–12 enrollment is on the decline between a combination of dropping birth rates and more school choice options, putting schools in a tight bind. The public school system is expected to see a drop of millions of students over the...

With California struggling to lower student absences since the pandemic, state educational leaders have pledged to reduce chronic absenteeism by 50% over the next five years. California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, along with officials from across the...

As California wrestles with a statewide literacy crisis, a bill poised to hit Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk could fundamentally change the way students learn to read in California. The bill, AB 1454, would move the state one step closer to...

A school superintendent’s job has always been one of the most difficult in education because it requires not only pedagogical, but political, skills to navigate the multiple interests in a district. Now, political skills may be even more important in...

Funding cuts. Raids near campuses. Exclusion from programs like Head Start and career training. For months, the Trump administration has been chipping away at the rights of students without legal status in public schools. Could the administration take away those...

Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), an independent education research center supported by five California universities, has hired Lupita Cortez Alcalá as its new executive director. Lupita Cortez Alcaláhas been a prominent leader and administrator in education from early education...

Alcalá offers extensive expertise, a steadfast dedication to educational equity and a strong track record of connecting education research, policy and practice. Julie Marsh, USC Rossier professor of education policy, USC Sol Price and faculty director of Policy Analysis for...

Lupita Cortez Alcalá has been appointed as the new executive director of Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), an independent, non-partisan research center led by faculty directors at the University of California Los Angeles, the University of California Davis, Stanford...

As California intensifies its fight with the Trump Administration, the race for the state’s top schools job is becoming ever more crowded. Today, former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon formally entered the race to succeed Tony Thurmond as State Superintendent of...

AB 84 proposes broad changes to how charter schools operate and are overseen in the state. It would place stricter audit requirements on charter schools, particularly nonclassroom-based schools, and calls for creating a new Office of the Education Inspector General...

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vital role school systems play in daily life, from learning and socialization to nutrition programs, transportation, and mental health. In the absence of in-person instruction, countless new stressors impacted families, teachers, and administrators who were...

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Master Plan for Career Education offers a critical and timely opportunity to reshape education and workforce preparation to be more efficient, effective and accessible, especially for students. As the Legislature considers the proposal, there is plenty here...

Since 2009, nearly every U.S. state has adopted specific standards and teaching frameworks for literacy and math. Yet, despite these efforts, the implementation of these standards in classrooms has often fallen short. As I reflect on my six decades in...

California’s system of financial oversight of school districts has mostly worked, having kept all but nine of them from seeking a state bailout loan to avert insolvency. The key to keeping school districts from financial disaster has been close oversight...

Some of the biggest names in education research—who often oppose each other in scholarly and policy debates — are now united in their desire to fight the cuts to data and scientific studies at the U.S. Department of Education. The...

The school year is nearing to a close, but many parents are already looking forward to next year’s enrollment. California has a lot of options for schools, from public, to charter, to private. You can choose to stay in your...