Smart Money examines how successful school districts allocate resources linked to higher student achievement. It suggests integrating student achievement goals into labor negotiations between school management and unions. Currently, talks primarily revolve around wages and employment conditions, overshadowing student success. Advocating a transformative shift in labor law, the book proposes making student achievement a mandatory negotiation topic. This change aims to align budgeting with educational goals, prompting discussions on resource impact. It resists prescribing specific goals but encourages discussions, prompting both sides to consider how funds affect achievement. This approach broadens goals beyond test scores to encompass graduation rates, language proficiency, and authentic assessments. Incorporating student achievement goals in labor contracts could gradually reshape practices without disrupting established structures. The change aims to enhance educational outcomes in bargaining discussions while maintaining negotiation processes.
The release of a teacher ranking based on student test scores by the L.A. Times sparked a national debate on the ethics of evaluating teachers publicly. New York City's decision to follow suit intensifies this trend, raising concerns about the validity of using standardized tests to assess educators. Key questions arise regarding the accuracy of tying student achievement solely to teacher performance, considering the limitations of standardized tests in capturing all learning influences. There is a critical inquiry into whether the emphasis on standardized tests prioritizes scores over a more comprehensive educational approach. Doubts persist about the effectiveness of public rankings in motivating improvement or accurately identifying underperforming teachers. Researchers advocate for more nuanced evaluation methods beyond test scores, seeking a holistic approach that includes various measures of effective teaching without resorting to public exposure. Amidst these discussions, there's a call for thoughtful consideration, urging stakeholders to weigh the impact on teachers and teaching quality before embracing such ranking systems.
For nearly three decades, PACE has facilitated discussions on California's education policies by integrating academic research into key policy challenges. Traditionally, this involved publishing policy briefs, organizing seminars, and producing the annual 'Conditions of Education in California' report, offering comprehensive data and analysis on the state's education system. The launch of "Conditions of Education in California" as a blog marks a shift to engage a wider audience and enable ongoing updates. This platform, authored by PACE-affiliated researchers across California, aims to share new data, compelling research findings, and insights on current legislation and policies. The objective remains fostering informed discussions on education policy challenges in California, now extending the conversation to policymakers, educators, and citizens. This inclusive dialogue is crucial to drive the necessary policy understanding and momentum for improving the state's education system.
Joining a national debate about the Los Angeles Times‘ recent publication of its own evaluations of 6,000 elementary school teachers, UC Berkeley is hosting a Sept. 27 experts forum, “Grading the Teachers: Measures, Media and Policies.” The education school is...
"Getting Down to Facts" is a new research initiative commissioned by Governor Schwarzenegger's Committee on Education Excellence, state Democratic leaders, and Superintendent Jack O'Connell. Led by Susanna Loeb, a Stanford Graduate School of Education Professor and PACE codirector, this project seeks to explore California's school finance and governance systems. Its objective is to provide comprehensive insights essential for assessing the effectiveness of potential reforms. The initiative addresses three key questions: the current state of school finance and governance, optimizing existing resources for improved student outcomes, and evaluating the need for additional resources to meet educational goals. The studies from this project are expected to be available by January 2007.
To help lay the groundwork for reforming California's faltering school system, more than 30 researchers nationwide have launched the largest independent investigation ever of how the state governs and finances education. Stanford Associate Professor of Education Susanna Loeb, an economist...
With more teachers entering the profession as interns, California has reduced the number of under-prepared teachers by half. However, the vast majority of intern teachers are assigned to low achieving schools serving poor and minority students, according to a new...
This annual report provides an update on California’s teacher development and teacher quality policies; discusses trends in the supply of and demand for teachers; examines data on novice, underprepared, out of field teachers; and investigates the local policies and decisions...
Most teachers are ill-prepared to meet the needs of the children struggling to learn English in California's public schools, according to a new study by researchers at the UC Davis. And as the number of English learners increases, they say...
This report is based on a survey of more than 5,000 California teachers that examined their experiences, challenges, and professional development needs in teaching English language learner students. The report presents background on the issues facing teachers of English language...
This report, produced by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd, provides the latest available data and analysis of California’s teaching workforce and examines the preparation, induction, and professional development of teachers. The report also examines...
An extensive study has found an urgent need for more licensed child care throughout Los Angeles County--and revealed that only a handful of in-home programs and day-care centers are accredited, suggesting some children may not be receiving the brain-stimulating experiences...
Teachers might be willing to have more say in how the schools are run in exchange for little or no salary increase. The Los Angeles district tried such a technique soon after Anton and Bernstein took over their respective organizations...
None of the three major candidates has come up so far with a detailed, comprehensive approach to fixing the state’s struggling system of public schools. Nor has any of them added much to their initial offerings. Yet just their interest...
California schools are suffering from a severe shortage of bilingual teachers, leaving many districts unable to find enough qualified teachers to keep up with the sharply rising number of pupils who know little or no English. Educators and state officials...
A recent report by USC education professors Allan Odden and David D. Marsh for Policy Analysis for California Education indicates that when schools put together all the critical reforms, they show improvement. All our estimates indicate that about 30% of...
A recent report by the Policy Analysis for California Education, an education think tank, predicts that an increase of students and retirements in an aging teaching force will create a need for between 85,000 and 135,000 new teachers in California...
Five years after Proposition 13 took away money from California schools, Senate Bill 813 brought it back—but with strings attached. The bill, hailed as the largest educational reform measure in California's history, was passed in 1983. Its provisions were backed...
California "simply rubber-stamps" graduates of education schools before sending them into the classrooms, says a new report critical of state teaching standards. But two San Diego city school district officials say more money and higher public esteem would be necessary...