In this EdSource Commentary, Grant Boyken, public affairs executive officer for the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), states, “CalSTRS’ dedication to act as fiduciaries on behalf of California’s teachers requires that we correct the record to assure our members...

A small group of advocates for equitable school construction asks why wealthier school districts keep getting the most state building aid. The group has been examining how school districts with small tax bases and low-income families can get a bigger...

CSU is considering requiring a fourth year of high school math of all freshmen applicants. While advocates for this change say that requiring four years of high school math will make more students ready to tackle mandatory college math courses and improve CSU’s graduation rates, critics fear the possible harmful impact on underprepared students in low-income and high schools already struggling to find enough math teachers.

An article about Vallejo, California-based iMod Structures, cites the September 2018 Getting Down to Facts II report, Financing School Facilities in California: A Ten-Year Perspective, that found that, “California school districts need to spend between $3.1 billion and $4.1 billion...

Special education—which serves students with a wide range of issues, from learning disabilities to autism to hyperactivity disorder to blindness—is driving some San Diego-area districts to spend beyond their means. The number of students needing special education services and the...

Since 2015, CORE (California Office to Reform Education) school districts have been doing districtwide surveys to measure students’ social and emotional learning (SEL). This is the first time social and emotional learning has been measured at scale, said Heather Hough...

When Gov. Gavin Newsom recently proposed building a statewide data system to track students from pre-K through college and into the labor market, the empirical researcher in me said: “Finally.” Not because the new system, once established, will link between...

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

Despite progress on state accountability plans, the myriad of plans and the painstaking nature of their rollout make it difficult for those in the education policy world to paint a comprehensive picture of how states and district leaders are—or are...

Policymakers and educators have a vested interest in ensuring that each space at universities be filled by the most capable candidates, as spaces are limited. This is especially true at public institutions. Because the majority of funds come from the...

SAT or not SAT? What’s the best way to assess California 11th graders’ readiness for college? In this EdSource article, journalist John Fensterwald describes the range of opinions on this important issue. Some families feel that the SAT “perpetuate the...

Calling the issue of underpaid teachers a “crisis” with “disastrous consequences,” Sen. Kamala Harris, the California Democrat who is running for president, says she wants to increase the average teacher’s salary in the United States by $13,500.

Use interactive map to see pension costs by school district.

California school districts have seen their per student pension costs double to an average of $1,020 since the Legislature passed a 2012 law to rescue the state’s two pension systems. A year later, districts were ordered to make higher payments...

California school expenses for employee pensions on average doubled to about $1,000 per student over the past four years according to newly released state data. Those increases will continue to rise for two more years. The Legislature mandated the increases...

When Joyce Ponce used to teach Head Start preschool programs in Santa Clara County, she taught in English, though many of the children in her classroom spoke Spanish or Punjabi at home. “I noticed the kids who did not understand...

California lawmakers are feeling pressure to respond to a nationwide cheating scheme that cuts at the heart of higher education’s legitimacy. This pressure was best expressed as California Assembly Member Kevin McCarty asked the question that’s been reverberating since the...

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...

Is the college admissions process about merit? In a recent article from The Conversation, USC researchers Morgan Polikoff, Jerome Lucido, and Julie Renee Posselt, state that “merit” is more complicated than the public thinks. For universities, building a student body...

Many schools—especially those which a large number of students facing stress and trauma—can benefit from increased mental health resources on campus. The topic of mental health in schools has been more pronounced in recent years as school districts—and donors—are moving...

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...

As pension costs continue to soar, they are taking up a bigger share of the new funding that districts receive each year. Meeting their pension obligations and other rising costs limits the ability of districts to fund other academic and student support programs or increase pay...