Leveraging the Opportunity of Adolescence to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism

Commentary authors
Andrew Fuligni
Elise Brumbach
Summary

The nationwide increase in chronic absenteeism, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, persists in California—affecting approximately 25% of students. Marginalized communities face disproportionate challenges. Structural issues like transportation and teacher shortages, alongside student-level factors such as insecurity and disengagement, contribute to absenteeism. Tailored solutions recognizing the unique developmental needs of adolescents are crucial. Adolescents' curiosity and peer interactions necessitate opportunities for exploration and contribution, while supportive relationships with adults are essential. Addressing chronic absenteeism requires collaborative efforts, ensuring equitable access to these opportunities and relationships. Local expertise and insights from developmental science should guide the creation of inclusive school environments that promote consistent attendance and engagement among adolescents.

Advancing Towards a Student-Centered Approach to Education

Commentary author
Roman Stearns
Summary

Across the country, states are moving to education systems that are more student centered, equitable, and competency based. They are doing so because they understand that the legacy model for educating our young people is not working. Although graduation rates have increased, other markers of progress have not. Standardized test scores remain relatively flat. Achievement and opportunity gaps persist despite decades of increased funding and abundant strategies to reduce them. Chronic absenteeism is near an all-time high. The reality is that too many students do not find school to be interesting, engaging, or relevant for their futures. This is particularly true for youth of color and other marginalized student populations. Rather than continuing to tinker around the edges, we can advance real change! Here’s how.

Why California Should Retire the Free or Reduced-Price Meal Measure—and What the State Should Do Next

Commentary authors
Michelle Spiegel
Thurston Domina
Andrew Penner
Summary

In 2013–14, California enacted an ambitious—and essential—reform to improve educational equity by directing state resources to districts and schools that educate large numbers of economically disadvantaged students. The reform is called the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF); it allocates funding to school districts based on student characteristics such as socioeconomic status and provides greater flexibility to use the allocated funds than the previous school funding formula allowed. In addition to the LCFF, which is based on average daily attendance (ADA), districts receive funds based on the proportion of students they serve who are English learners, income eligible for free or reduced-price meals, and foster youth. The equity multiplier, a new policy passed in 2023, is designed to provide even more funding for disadvantaged students.

Why Aren’t Students Showing Up for School?

Understanding the Complexity Behind Rising Rates of Chronic Absenteeism
Commentary authors
Summary

The surge in chronic absenteeism among California students during the 2020–21 and 2021–22 school years was initially attributed, quite reasonably, to the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic. There was optimism that these rates would eventually begin to decline as schools returned to normal. When new chronic absenteeism numbers came out in October—along with California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASSP) data for 2022–23—the findings indicated that rates are down from the soaring absenteeism of 2021–22; 25 percent of K–12 students in California schools were chronically absent in 2022–23, down from 30 percent the year before. However, more than three years after the initial onset of the pandemic, chronic absenteeism among California students is still double the rate of prepandemic levels, and there are no signs of this trend abating.

Chronic Absenteeism Post-Pandemic

Let’s Not Make This Our “New Normal”
Summary

Chronic absenteeism (when a student misses 10 percent or more of instructional days during the school year for any reason) has spiked by an alarming degree, increasing more than twofold statewide, from 14% in 2020–21 to 30% in 2021–22. This increased absenteeism during 2021–22 is, of course, not entirely surprising. When students returned to school after a year of pandemic-induced virtual learning in 2020–21, they were encouraged to stay home if they had any symptoms, and many students had to miss school to quarantine after an exposure to COVID-19. Even though the pandemic is largely behind us at this point, early warning signs show that we now face challenges with attendance that could persist into the long term; although data for the current school year (2022–23) will not be released at the state level until fall 2023, locally released data show that the patterns this year may be as worrisome as last. How do we urgently move the needle on our high rate of chronic absenteeism so that it does not become the new normal in our state?

California Test Scores Show the Devastating Impact of the Pandemic on Student Learning

Commentary authors
Summary

Recent test scores released by the California Department of Education highlight a concerning decline in student learning in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics across multiple grades since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in enrollment and reduced testing numbers in certain grades pose challenges for direct year-over-year comparisons. Notable is a concerning drop in ELA performance for third graders, indicating potential setbacks in early literacy, while eighth graders show a significant decline in math proficiency. These declines were pervasive among various student groups, with economically disadvantaged, Black, and English learner students particularly affected. District-level analyses underscored variations in performance changes, with economically disadvantaged districts experiencing larger declines, though some managed to improve. The impact of COVID-related disruptions on these groups, coupled with pre-existing disparities, intensified learning setbacks. These findings highlight the urgent need for educational transformation, emphasizing equity and addressing persistent disparities in California's education system.

COVID-19 and the Educational Equity Crisis

Evidence on Learning Loss From the CORE Data Collaborative
Commentary authors
Summary

The impact of the pandemic on California students' learning, gauged from 18 school districts in the CORE Data Collaborative, highlights significant learning loss in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math, primarily affecting younger grades. The equity gap is pronounced, notably among low-income students and English language learners (ELLs), experiencing more substantial setbacks than their counterparts. Socioeconomically disadvantaged students faced slower growth, while others accelerated their learning, intensifying existing achievement disparities. Upper-grade ELLs encountered severe setbacks due to challenges in virtual language development. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted support to redress these disparities, emphasizing the gravity of unequal experiences during the pandemic. Yet, data limitations call for deeper investigations into absent student groups to refine learning loss estimates. Addressing this crisis necessitates a student-centric approach, prioritizing social-emotional well-being and systemic educational reforms to accommodate diverse student needs.

A Tiered Approach to Ensuring Students Are Present, Engaged, and Supported in the 2020–21 School Year

Commentary authors
Cecelia Leong
Summary

Educators throughout California are deeply engaged in strategizing to bolster student attendance, whether in remote or in-person learning setups. Addressing absenteeism, they highlight the absence of conducive learning conditions and advocate for increased support, especially for students facing challenges like internet access or COVID-related trauma. Emphasizing a non-punitive stance, this commentary introduces a multi-tiered strategy, categorizing interventions into three tiers based on students' needs. It stresses data-driven decision-making, proactive outreach, tech assistance, expanded learning programs, mentoring, mental health services, and personalized attendance plans as pivotal elements. Tailored interventions for varying levels of absenteeism (Tiers 2 and 3) encompass tech support, expanded learning programs, mentoring, mental health services, and personalized attendance plans. The authors underscore early identification of at-risk students while advocating collaborations with community agencies for extensive support, punctuating the importance of engaging students, families, and communities in crafting solutions amid the pandemic's challenges.

Measuring Daily Attendance and Participation During COVID-19

An Invaluable Tool for Reducing Educational Inequity
Commentary authors
Cecelia Leong
Summary

Monitoring attendance, especially during COVID-19, holds immense importance, reflecting educational disparities. Chronic absence predicts future academic challenges. Student absences signal inadequate learning conditions and require systemic solutions. Senate Bill 98 mandates daily attendance tracking and participation documentation in distance learning, ensuring early interventions for absent students. Measuring attendance in remote settings is complex, but vital. Attendance Works suggests a multi-metric approach, identifying at-risk students and barriers to participation. Different responses address various challenges—connectivity, relationships, or instructional engagement. Tracking absence rates per learning opportunity helps pinpoint support needs. Recommendations include publishing chronic absence data, collecting connectivity statistics, and providing guidance for asynchronous learning data collection. Detailed attendance tracking aids targeted interventions and ensures equitable learning experiences.

COVID-19’s Impact on English Learner Students

Possible Policy Responses
Commentary author
Summary

English learners (ELs) face diverse challenges during the pandemic, with varied educational needs and health concerns. The forthcoming academic year will likely amplify the academic gap between EL and non-EL students due to limited access to distance learning. To address this, several policy recommendations are proposed. Universal basic income, health care, and tech access are vital for EL families, especially for those in low-income or undocumented situations. Distance learning must cater to ELs by providing devices, multilingual content, and non-tech learning options. Improved communication with EL families and leveraging their cultural assets are crucial. Extending learning time for ELs, promoting collaboration among teachers, and hiring bilingual family members as aides or tutors are recommended. Assessing returning students' academic status and monitoring funds allocated for ELs' needs are vital. These policy suggestions aim to address EL education challenges amidst the pandemic, stressing equity, resources, and inclusivity in education.

Understanding, Measuring, and Addressing Student Learning Needs During COVID-19 Recovery

Commentary author
Summary

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, PACE Executive Director Heather Hough offers an approach involving multiple phases, transitioning from immediate action to re-entry and eventual recovery. The closure of schools due to the pandemic is expected to result in substantial learning loss, especially among disadvantaged students, necessitating a comprehensive assessment of their academic and emotional needs upon their return to school. This crisis has highlighted disparities in distance learning and accentuated existing inequalities, making it imperative to address diverse impacts and support students effectively. To address these challenges, proposing a state-level diagnostic assessment using existing resources like SBAC emerges as a unified and cost-effective means to identify learning gaps and guide resource allocation. The upcoming school term brings uncertainty, demanding clear guidelines, adaptability, and adequate resources for schools to embrace novel learning models. Immediate measures include safeguarding education funding, urging federal support, and targeting assistance for vulnerable students. Additionally, there is an opportunity to overhaul California's funding system to better reflect the critical importance of public education. This commentary is modified from testimony delivered to the California Assembly Budget Committee on April 28, 2020.

Moving Forward from COVID-19

Voters’ Opinions on Educational Equity Initiatives in California
Commentary author
Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing school closures are significantly impacting students, particularly in terms of educational equity. Economic challenges are disproportionately affecting lower-income families, impacting students' access to learning resources. Research suggests that funding levels correlate with academic outcomes, signaling potential setbacks due to anticipated budget constraints. Californians have expressed a strong priority to address racial inequality in education, as highlighted in the 2020 PACE/USC Rossier voter poll. This poll demonstrates widespread support for initiatives like increasing teachers of color and implementing ethnic studies in schools, especially when substantiated by research on their positive impact. However, responses vary among different racial and political groups. As we navigate post-pandemic recovery, it's crucial to focus on addressing these disparities using a diverse range of policy approaches outlined in the brief. This will ensure broader support and sustained efforts toward educational equity.

Our Children’s Education Should be a Priority as California Recovers from Coronavirus

Commentary author
Summary

PACE Executive Director Heather Hough cautions that COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted California's education system, highlighting the state's low funding and the substantial financial shortfall necessary to meet educational objectives. Recent research indicates a need for an additional $26.5 billion annually in K–12 education to reach state achievement goals. Decades of underinvestment have left districts financially vulnerable, compounded by the economic challenges triggered by the crisis. The dependence on personal earnings for school funding could result in severe cuts, impacting critical student services and potentially leading to layoffs. School closures have underscored their role beyond education, serving as community hubs crucial for student well-being, safety, and essential services. The pandemic exacerbates existing inequalities in learning opportunities among California students. The urgent call is to recognize schools as central to communities and the state's well-being, emphasizing the necessity for significant post-crisis investments in public education as a priority for California's recovery.

Supporting Online Learning in a Time of Pandemic

Commentary author
Karen Symms Gallagher
Summary

The COVID-19 crisis abruptly shifted education online, prompting a swift transition often labeled as "emergency instructional triage." USC Rossier School of Education, drawing from their extensive online teaching experience, released a report addressing crucial aspects of this new teaching landscape. Tailored for teachers, administrators, and educators, it tackles pressing questions across six key areas, providing practical recommendations for engagement strategies, teaching students without reliable internet access, rethinking grading practices, accommodating special needs students, guiding student teachers, and preparing for potential future online teaching. The resource delves into engaging high school seniors, efficient feedback methods, and offers appendices with supplementary resources, Zoom instruction strategies, and guidelines for creating secure online classrooms. This comprehensive guide, crafted by seasoned faculty with expertise in virtual teaching and educational psychology, aims to support educators facing the challenges of remote instruction during this unprecedented time, emphasizing the need for accessible and engaging learning environments for all students.

Distance Learning Playbook for California School Districts

Commentary author
Sam Olivieri
Summary

The current school closures and potential future remote learning challenges have prompted the creation of the "Learning Apart, Staying Connected: A Distance Learning Playbook" aimed at aiding California school districts in developing effective distance learning plans. Recognizing the absence of a clear roadmap for this unprecedented situation, the playbook emerged as a practical resource at the request of educational leaders seeking actionable guidance amidst a myriad of options. Tailored for small- and medium-sized district administrators, it prioritizes integrating the needs of English Learners into distance learning strategies. Organized around five key questions, it offers diverse sample approaches accommodating different accessibility contexts—digital, print-based, or hybrid. The playbook also provides specific advice on supporting various student groups, including English Learners and students with disabilities, aiding teachers, and engaging with families. Collaboratively crafted by Entangled Solutions, informed by expertise in online learning and insights from California and China's educational landscapes during closures, the resource continually evolves with input from educators and leaders in the field. It aims to serve as a foundation for future preparedness in unforeseen circumstances, aiming to address local needs effectively through adaptable strategies and learnings from ongoing feedback.

Evidence to Inform Recovery

PACE’s Response to COVID-19
Summary

COVID-19's closure of California's educational institutions has profoundly impacted learning, equity, and access. Efforts now concentrate on remote learning support, essential non-instructional services, and aiding students with special needs. PACE seeks to bolster these initiatives, gather best practices, and provide real-time research for informed decision-making. Anticipating challenges upon students' return, especially those facing trauma, PACE plans to focus on data collection, student support, system capacity, and resource allocation. This includes addressing learning loss, supporting vulnerable populations, fostering engagement, integrating services across agencies, and seeking adequate funding amid economic strains. PACE intends to employ diverse approaches—reviewing existing research, collecting new data, testing innovations, and analyzing policy options—to aid educators, policymakers, and the public in navigating this crisis and leveraging education for recovery

Summary of the 2020 PACE/USC Rossier Poll Results Presentation

Commentary author
Dan Silver
Summary

The 2020 PACE Annual Conference unveiled the latest PACE/USC Rossier Poll results, showcasing California voters' views on key education-related issues. Presenters emphasized the poll's value in understanding voter concerns. Key findings revealed growing pessimism about school quality, a preference for across-the-board teacher salary increases, and concerns about college affordability and fairness in admissions. Voters also stressed addressing gun violence in schools. The panel discussed the state budget, highlighting the need for enhanced higher education accessibility, increased teacher salaries, and a more nuanced approach to education funding. They debated the governor's budget's alignment with voter priorities, noting the need for more support in higher education and teacher salaries and a more effective approach to recruiting teachers.

Data and Evaluation

Spotlight on Chronic Absenteeism Toolkit
Commentary author
Summary

PACE research is prominently featured in the repository on chronic absenteeism established by the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE). The collaborative serves as a valuable resource hub, offering toolkits, materials, and various other assets related to chronic absenteeism in educational settings. PACE's contribution to this repository includes two research briefs focusing on chronic absenteeism. The first brief involves PACE's in-depth analysis of student chronic absenteeism data from the CORE Districts, exploring the utilization of chronic absence metrics within a multi-metric accountability system. The second brief delves into the chronic absence performance levels of California's districts, schools, and student groups, utilizing recently released data from California's School Dashboard. This brief also investigates the pivotal role played by chronic absence in determining differentiated assistance, providing insights into the impact on school performance. Together, these research briefs offer valuable perspectives and data-driven insights into addressing and understanding chronic absenteeism in the context of California's educational landscape.

California’s Dashboard Data Will Guide Improvement

Commentary authors
Summary

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) revolutionized school assessment by emphasizing a comprehensive approach over No Child Left Behind's (NCLB) test-focused model. California shifted from NCLB's single-number school ratings to a multi-dimensional dashboard system to better assess school performance. However, ESSA's current draft regulations advocate for a single, summative rating for identifying struggling schools, contradicting the spirit of multiple measures. The approach of condensing diverse measures into one rating would yield misleading outcomes. For instance, PACE found that schools performing poorly on one indicator might fare well on others. Such simplification fails to identify struggling schools accurately, a crucial step for offering necessary support. PACE recommends a tiered approach, considering each indicator separately, rather than amalgamating them into a single score. California's pursuit of a detailed, dashboard-style accountability system aligns with this approach, offering a more nuanced understanding of school performance and supporting tailored improvement strategies. A dashboard not only informs parents better but also enables informed decisions on school choices, focusing on continuous improvement rather than misleading rankings.

Single Score Is a Misleading Way to Judge California’s Schools

Commentary author
Summary

California lawmakers are facing a challenge in how to effectively evaluate schools. Historically, schools have been assessed using a blended approach, combining various factors into a single score, much like blending different ingredients in a soup. However, this method obscures the specific performance details of each school and lacks guidance for improvement. California is moving towards a smarter accountability system resembling how students are evaluated, utilizing a dashboard to showcase eight state priorities. This dashboard provides insights into where schools excel and where they need improvement, considering factors like test score growth, safety, and parental engagement. Despite these efforts, federal regulations are pushing for a single school rating, similar to the outdated blended score method, which recent reports have found to be arbitrary and misleading. Advocates argue for simplicity, but a singular index oversimplifies complex school performance, underestimating parents' ability to comprehend nuanced evaluations. California seeks a more comprehensive and accurate school performance assessment system and urges flexibility from the federal government in designing effective evaluation methods.

Testing the Causal Links Between School Climate, School Violence, and School Academic Performance

Commentary author
Rami Benbenishty
Summary

A new study challenges the prevailing belief that improving school climate and reducing violence directly lead to enhanced academic performance. Analyzing data from California schools over time, it suggests a different causal relationship: improved academic performance appears to drive reduced violence and a better school climate, rather than the reverse. These findings underscore the importance of integrating social-emotional, climate, and violence reduction programs into broader academic reforms rather than treating them as separate entities. The study highlights the necessity of further research in diverse settings using both quantitative and qualitative methods to understand this causal process thoroughly. It emphasizes that schools striving for academic improvement should consider addressing issues of climate and victimization as part of their academic reform efforts, highlighting the potential positive impact on teacher-student relationships. Additionally, the study proposes integrating measures of climate, violence, and academics within state accountability systems, aligning with the Every Student Succeeds Act, to support school improvement initiatives. Such an integrated approach, the study argues, will not only enhance academic outcomes but also ensure student safety, support well-being, and foster positive behaviors.

How Learning About Commonalities Can Improve Student-Teacher Relationships and Boost Achievement at School

Commentary author
Summary

Fostering positive relationships between teachers and students significantly impacts academic success. Researchers conducted an experiment to explore how highlighting shared beliefs and values between teachers and students might improve these connections. Contrary to common assumptions, the study revealed that when individuals learned about their shared commonalities, their relationships strengthened, leading to enhanced academic performance. The findings challenge prevailing norms that view academic improvement as the primary driver of improved teacher-student relationships. Instead, the research demonstrates that emphasizing shared beliefs and values between educators and students positively affects their interactions and academic outcomes. Moreover, the study discovered that these interventions were especially impactful for historically underserved students—black and Latino students showed significant academic improvement when teachers acknowledged their shared commonalities. This effect significantly narrowed the academic achievement gap between historically underserved and well-served students. The implications extend beyond education, suggesting that acknowledging shared values and fostering connections could address societal issues and promote collaboration. The researchers urge educational institutions and leaders to invest in strategies that enhance teacher-student relationships, underscoring their pivotal role in academic success and their potential to ameliorate social and racial disparities in education.

Michael Kirst on New Federal and State Policies

Implications for Researchers and Data Systems
Commentary author
Summary

Michael W. Kirst discusses the new federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the CA overhaul of accountability based on local control of education policy. The federal law requires multiple measures for accountability, including some with state choice. Databases for English learners will change significantly. Federal requirements for teacher evaluation will be deregulated significantly. State assessments are all over the place and will be hard to summarize. California is building an integrated federal/state/local accountability system that includes 23 metrics, primarily for local use in Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAP) that focus on improving budget strategy. Longitudinal data bases from the past will be difficult to integrate with these policy shifts.

Establishing Equitable Policies for English Learners

Commentary author
Joseph P. Robinson-Cimpian
Summary

New research into the substantial population of current and former English learners (ELs), making up 40% of California's public-school attendees, emphasizes the vital need for equitable policies promoting both English proficiency and academic success among ELs. The study explores effective strategies concerning EL reclassification, use of native language, core curriculum access, and assessment. The research sheds light on the average duration for reclassification from EL to fluent English proficiency, highlighting the potential benefits of bilingual education programs over English immersion regarding reclassification rates. Researchers advocate for alignment between reclassification criteria and English proficiency constructs, stressing the importance of coordinated services during the EL and Fluent English Proficient (FEP) stages. Additionally, the study underscores the positive impact of bilingual education and dual immersion programs on EL academic outcomes while emphasizing the necessity for fair assessment accommodations, acknowledging potential biases in standardized tests and the significance of tailored accommodations for EL students. This comprehensive approach aims to guide policymakers and educators toward diverse policies and services for enhancing EL academic achievements.

Head Start at Ages 3 and 4 Versus Head Start Followed by State Pre–K

Which is More Effective?
Commentary author
Jade V. Marcus Jenkins
Summary

Researchers explore the effectiveness of different preschool pathways for low-income children, specifically comparing Head Start and state pre-kindergarten (pre–k) programs. They assess the impact of funding two years of Head Start versus a combination of one year of Head Start followed by one year of pre–k. Analyzing data from an Oklahoma pre–k study, the team investigates the outcomes of children who experienced Head Start at age 3 transitioning to pre–k at age 4 against those who continued Head Start at age 4. Their findings reveal that children attending Head Start at age 3 and moving to pre-k at age 4 exhibit stronger pre-reading skills than those in Head Start at age 4. Notably, the effect of pre–k on early reading skills exceeds that of Head Start by a significant margin. The difference in program design and curriculum experiences at age 4 seems to influence these variations in skill development. The study emphasizes the importance of exploring these preschool pathways further across diverse program settings to comprehend their distinct impacts and the underlying reasons for their effectiveness.