Welcome to Conditions of Education in California

For nearly 30 years PACE has worked to sponsor a productive conversation about the education policy choices facing California, by bringing academic research to bear on the key policy questions and challenges facing our state. We have done this in traditional ways, by publishing policy briefs and convening seminars and conferences in Sacramento and throughout California. For years PACE’s signature publication was Conditions of Education in California, which provided an annual compendium of data and analysis on the current state of California’s education system.

The launch of Conditions of Education in California presents an opportunity to move beyond these traditional media and engage a broader audience in a timely discussion and debate about what it will take to improve the performance of California schools and students. The blog offers two advantages over our traditional print format: access to a broader audience and an opportunity for continuous updating in response to changing circumstances. Conditions of Education in California will present the best thinking of the community of PACE-affiliated researchers at universities around California. Their posts may include new data, provocative research findings, and commentary on current legislation and policy initiatives.

Our goal, as always, is to support an informed discussion of the education policy challenges facing California. With Conditions of Education in California, though, we seek to broaden the conversation to include policymakers, local educators, and engaged citizens. Only through this kind of informed discussion can California begin to generate the level of policy understanding and political momentum that will be necessary to reverse the woeful trajectory of our state’s education system.