Reflecting on a Year of Research, Partnership, and Policy Impact PDF

Reflecting on a Year of Research, Partnership, and Policy Impact

Lupita Cortez Alcalá
Commentary

In a reflection on her first year as PACE's Executive Director, Lupita Cortez Alcalá highlights the organization’s role in connecting rigorous research with California education policy. PACE's work helped inform two major legislative changes: AB 181, restructuring state education governance, and AB 2555, establishing more consistent and equitable English learner reclassification practices. Through its partnership with Stanford’s SCALE Initiative on Getting Down to Facts III, PACE also helped disseminate 55 technical reports and 22 policy briefs examining critical challenges facing California schools. Alongside research on literacy, mathematics, special education, and other priorities, PACE expanded opportunities for dialogue among researchers, policymakers, educators, and communities. Looking ahead to major leadership transitions and further governance reforms in 2027, Alcalá emphasizes PACE’s commitment to independent, nonpartisan research and collaborative, evidence-informed policymaking for improving opportunities and outcomes for California students.

Improving Services for Students with Disabilities PDF

Improving Services for Students with Disabilities

The Opportunity and the Risk of Inaction
Elizabeth Bailey Kozleski
Commentary

Students with disabilities faced immense challenges during the pandemic, encountering disruptions in specialized services, heightened anxiety, and remote learning difficulties. These issues have raised concerns about potential legal actions as parents seek additional support to compensate for lost learning opportunities. California's special education system is contending with the aftermath, reporting disruptions in crucial services like speech therapy and struggles in delivering effective online education for students with disabilities. The potential influx of legal cases demanding compensation for missed services could overwhelm already strained systems. To address these concerns, proactive engagement with families, early intervention, and bolstered dispute resolution processes are essential. Legislation such as AB 967 proposes to strengthen these systems, aiming for equity and providing families with avenues for recourse, offering a path towards a more robust and responsive special education system in California post-pandemic.

Realizing One Integrated System of Care for Children
February 1, 2020 | Better Care Network

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...