Statement of John Affeldt, Public Advocates Managing Attorney & Education Program Director on Publication of Getting Down to Facts II Studies regarding California Public Schools. We welcome this new research and the contributions it can make to productive policymaking in...
en years ago California’s K-12 education system had the equivalent of a physical exam. Education experts from 32 universities and research organizations across the country studied its inner workings and effectiveness. They examined the state’s school finance and governance systems...
A decade ago, an academic research team produced a massive report on the shortcomings in how California’s K-12 schools educate about 6 million children and adolescents. The “Getting Down to Facts” report was issued just as a very severe recession...
Teachers are responsible for educating and cultivating today’s students—the future of the U.S. democracy and workforce. By 2020, 65 percent of all jobs in the United States will require postsecondary education or training. To be prepared for democratic participation and...
Lashing out against low pay and what they see as paltry state spending on education, teachers in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma — and recently Arizona and Colorado — have made national headlines by walking off the job in unprecedented displays...
PACE’s inaugural conference is the premier event for policymakers, researchers, advocates and other leaders working to define and sustain a long-term strategy for comprehensive policy reform and continuous improvement of California’s education system. Our 2017 full-day conference will engage with...
In low-performing, high-poverty schools with high teacher turnover, the focus often shifts from replacing ineffective teachers to retaining the most effective ones. Tennessee initiated a $5,000 retention bonus for top-rated teachers in the lowest-performing schools. Analyzing its impact, the program significantly increased retention of high-performing instructors in tested subjects, up by about 20%. These retained teachers outshined potential replacements, exhibiting a 1.64 standard deviation increase in effectiveness compared to likely new hires. Yet, this bonus had no significant effect on untested subject teachers, suggesting that one-time incentives might not offset systemic issues in the teacher evaluation system. Schools with disadvantaged students face a crucial need to retain effective teachers, as teacher concentrations in such settings often negatively affect working conditions. While retention bonuses show promise, other factors beyond monetary rewards influence teacher retention, calling for further exploration of working conditions, policy incentives, and compensation interactions. However, these targeted bonuses prove cost-effective and advantageous compared to turnover-related expenses, potentially offering significant benefits to students by retaining highly effective teachers.
School districts across California have begun working to implement the Common Core State Standards and to prepare for California’s new assessments. Policy Analysis for California Education (http://edpolicyinca.org) and California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (http://ccsesa.org) are pleased to sponsor six...
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.
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...