For most California students in schools and colleges, the fall term will look like the middle of spring: online with little to no in-person instruction. But if students and parents accepted the rapid switch to online in March and April...
On this edition of Your Call, we'll find out how families and educators are preparing for another semester of remote learning. Here in California, as cases continue to rise, 90 percent of K-12 schools will operate remotely.
Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced that all K–12 schools in California counties with rising COVID-19 infections should close for in-person instruction. As a result, 90% of California’s more than 6 million students could start the school year with distance learning...
Nearly 200 education researchers, including some who disagree fiercely on policy issues, have united around a set of recommendations for helping America’s schools navigate the current crisis.
When California’s schools reopen for the 2020–21 school year, they will look dramatically different than before the pandemic. Whether in person, online, or some combination of the two, it will be critical that each student receives rigorous instruction and the...
Decisions to reopen schools or keep them closed are being met with lawsuits on both ends. Additional lawsuits may be filed to require safer environments and compensation for inadequate services, legal and policy experts say. There will be negligence claims by...
A study of college students by the California Student Aid Commission and UC Davis found that students have great concern about what the future holds, uncertainty about where they will attend, and how they will afford college and other basic...
As thousands of school districts figure out how and to what degree they will reopen this fall, President Donald Trump railed against the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The administration has tightly linked reopening schools to...
As schools weigh daunting changes to physically reopen, they also are under pressure to improve the quality and access to distance learning — which this spring meant frequent engagement opportunities for some students, and less so for several others.
In a rare move by a presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden detailed his plans this month calling for full federal funding of special education—something that hasn’t happened since Congress first passed sweeping legislation for students with disabilities 45...
In preparing for the next school year, California state policymakers must set clear statewide expectations for teaching, learning, and student support, regardless of whether instruction is online or in person. This spring, local school districts scrambled to adapt to COVID-19 with a wide range of responses largely focused on securing delivery of online resources. Now is the time to shift the conversation back to the core purpose of school: learning. The state should establish a minimum amount of instructional time; create an instrument of diagnostic assessment and require its use; adopt instructional continuity plans; and advocate for and secure additional funding.
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.
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.
With Gov. Gavin Newsom’s guidance for reopening schools in the wings, superintendents are laboring to figure out how schools can adapt to a new regimen with masks, social distancing, temperature checks and hybrid schedules of school one day, distance learning...
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.
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
There are 725,000 K-12 students in California who receive special education services -- and a new report says that the state has a long way to go to adequately meet the needs of these kids. With us to break down...
Special education in California should be overhauled to focus on the individual needs of students, with better training for teachers, more streamlined services and improved screening for the youngest children, according to a compilation of reports released today. Those were...
Special education in California should be overhauled to focus on the individual needs of students, with better training for teachers, more streamlined services and improved screening for the youngest children, according to a compilation of reports released today.
This brief identifies the steps necessary to realize an integrated system of care, reviews two current approaches, and makes recommendations—including specifying policy reforms that would promote interagency collaboration, integration, service delivery, and improved outcomes for California’s children, both with and...
Distinguished Professor George Farkas presented his latest research findings at the Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) group in Sacramento on August 13. The meeting title was PACE Policy Research Panel on Special Education: Organizing Schools to Serve Students with...
One in 4 California school districts received notice that they must work with county offices of education or with a new state agency to improve the education of at least one of their student groups that were ranked among the...
Research published in the journal Social Problems investigates the impact of residential segregation on educational outcomes among over 2500 youths aged 14 to 26. Findings reveal that higher segregation significantly reduces high school graduation rates for poor and black students, contrasting with no discernible impact on white or affluent youths. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds in less segregated areas showed improved graduation rates. Conversely, segregation didn't affect educational success for privileged students. The study suggests that desegregation could enhance outcomes for disadvantaged groups without impeding the privileged, emphasizing how integrated areas generally achieve higher educational attainment overall. This research highlights the potential of residential integration to uplift disadvantaged students without hampering the success of their more advantaged counterparts.