While literacy is often seen as a cornerstone to scholastic achievement, and many parents devote a lot of time and energy into nurturing their small child’s love of reading, studies show that mathematical reasoning ability may be even more crucial...

The pandemic has intensified a multi-year trend of dwindling student enrollment statewide, causing a steep drop this year. More than a third of the decline stemmed from 61,000 missing kindergartners.

USC Rossier Professor of Education Policy discusses strategies for engaging local stakeholders, her experience as a researcher and how COVID-19 will impact funding for education.

As he was campaigning for governor, Gavin Newsom made some enormous promises for the youngest Californians and their families — universal preschool, affordable, high-quality child care, six months of paid family leave. And he’s delivered — on the first few...

In Gavin Newsom, California finally has a governor who gets the need for high quality, accessible early childhood education and care. His budget makes a down payment of nearly $2 billion addressing the early years.  And yet a recent poll...

Despite strong evidence that high-quality early education programs can have a powerful impact on children’s future success in school and the workforce, Californians rank new investments in early childhood services below other educational priorities, according to a recent poll of...

A report on California school policy finds the state lags in student achievement, and prescribes a much bigger investment in preschool.

The most damaging myth in American higher education is that college admissions is about merit, and that merit is about striving for – and earning – academic excellence. This myth is often used as a weapon against policies like affirmative...

After two years of hearings, focus groups, and study, the Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education is releasing its final report. Among the commission’s recommendations are to focus on expanding access to children and families most in need...

Getting Down to Facts II combines 36 studies that explore a broad swath of K–12 policy topics central to school equity. Among some of the report’s findings: Large accountability gaps persist; students are behind before they even enter kindergarten; data...

With a new governor who has proposed making a historic investment in programs to support young children and families, Californians with interest in early childhood policy have a lot to talk about these days. Last Thursday, they had their chance...

When it comes to implementing policies that will shape education, research is a critical starting point, says Heather Hough, executive director of Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), a nonpartisan center led by faculty members at five universities in California...

Brown University professors ors Susanna Loeb, Kenneth Wong, Matthew Kraft and John Papay were named in the 2019 Rick Hess Straight Up Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings. The list ranks the top 200 U.S. university scholars who most influenced “educational practice...

School's In with Dan Schwartz and Denise Pope:
"Improving Education from the Inside with guest Heather Hough"

Policy Analysis for California Education executive director Heather Hough talks about the value of arming local officials with the best information to make...

Gavin Newsom got elected doing something that no California gubernatorial candidate had ever done—putting the needs of youngsters atop his agenda. Concern for equity—reducing the gap between rich and poor by giving kids a smart start - drives the governor's...

Every child in California deserves that same opportunity, and that’s why we are advocating for pre-kindergarten education for all kids. Our children are doing well academically. But too many families don’t have these same opportunities and children who start behind...

Gavin Newsom is officially California’s 40th governor. During his electoral campaign and inaugural speech, he made several promises to provide services and representation to different communities across the state. Advocates for early childhood development, housing policy and the LGBTQ community...

The California Community Colleges Podcast kicks off the new year with a topical discussion on “starting early” – improving the education pipeline by investing thought and resources into early childhood education. In this episode, Samantha Tran, Senior Managing Director of...

EdSource asked several education leaders to comment on what they think Gov. Jerry Brown’s most important contributions to education reforms in California have been, what major education issues remain unaddressed and what they are hoping for from incoming Governor Gavin...

Welcome, readers, to the new year. It’s time for our favorite armchair exercise: predictions for the year in education. There’s a wild card this year: Gavin Newsom. Gov. Jerry Brown, while sometimes mystical, proved to be true to his word...

Early childhood education. A top-tier national ranking for K-12 per-pupil spending. A data system that would track kids from nursery school through state universities. California’s Legislature won’t reconvene until 2019, but the Christmas wish list for public schools  is already...

A big gap in governor-elect Gavin Newsom’s goal of a cradle-to-career education system is the lack of quality preschool for all children, a gap the new governor is eager to fill. On December 10, 2018, EdSource hosted a live webinar...

Governor-elect Newsom has pledged to significantly expand early education in California. But with more than 3 million kids aged 5 and under in the state, what would it take to do that? Leading experts and practitioners discuss the state’s ambitious...