Quality teachers are pivotal resources in education. Students benefit significantly from being taught by higher-quality teachers, exhibiting improved learning during their time in class and in subsequent years. Such students also have higher graduation rates, attend college more frequently, secure better-paying jobs, and often reside in more prosperous neighborhoods. The variance in teacher quality across schools is a pressing concern. Urban schools, especially, struggle to attract and retain effective teachers. Those serving low-income, low-achieving, or minority students tend to employ less experienced, lower-scoring, and less qualified teachers, perpetuating disparities. In a new study, teacher sorting within and between schools was explored. The research revealed that less experienced teachers are often assigned classes with lower-achieving students, while more experienced and academically accomplished teachers teach higher-achieving classes. This trend persisted across different grade levels, potentially influenced by various teacher and organizational preferences. Such within-school teacher sorting might counteract policies aimed at equalizing teacher quality across schools, posing challenges in effectively matching effective teachers with students who need them most.

Student mobility, the act of changing schools, often leads to academic setbacks, yet determining whether this shift directly causes harm remains challenging. Analyzing data from Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, a recent study examines various school changes' impacts on students' annual growth in reading and math. Despite the reasons for relocation, such as desegregation policy shifts, all types of school changes adversely affect academic progress. Research demonstrates that changing schools is linked to diminished growth in test scores, equivalent to a loss of ten days of instruction, impacting disadvantaged and advantaged students alike. Surprisingly, this academic penalty remains consistent regardless of the move's compulsion or the cause. Disadvantaged students, experiencing more frequent school changes, consistently lag behind their peers, emphasizing the educational system's role in mitigating school shifts' disruptive effects. While school mobility is considered a reform tool, this research underscores its limited efficacy, complicating its potential as a solution for disadvantaged students in struggling schools.

Educational technology has often fallen short of expectations, but the Internet's emergence could revolutionize learning. It enables individualized learning, tailoring pace and style to students. Adaptive software makes learning smarter, offering support and challenges. Moreover, it reshapes the rigid educational hierarchy into an open network. Despite technology's advancement, policy struggles persist. While development continues, California’s educational model remains antiquated. Strategic policies could shift this landscape. Supporting tech applications in key areas like English Language Learning or Special Education promises significant returns. Deregulation, while not wholesale, could unlock potential by allowing online courses statewide, shifting from seat time-based credit, and introducing the California Diploma. Rather than a single virtual school, a network, Learning 2.0.net, offers diverse resources. It divides into information, learning, and credit systems. It illuminates educational pathways, aggregates quality learning materials, and allows test-based credits, challenging conventional classroom constraints. Internet technology's potential upheaval mandates a transformative educational adaptation. While policy can't control technology’s spread, it can guide its integration, fostering a paradigm shift in public education.

In response to overcrowding, LAUSD invested $20 billion in 130+ new schools, effectively easing overcrowding and modernizing infrastructure. Researchers investigate if these new facilities affected student achievement. Elementary students who switched schools experienced increased annual growth in standardized test scores, particularly in language arts and math, regardless of ethnicity or meal assistance. However, this benefit wasn't observed for high schoolers. Those from severely overcrowded schools saw more significant improvements after switching, suggesting relief from overcrowding was the primary factor. Interestingly, nearby students in existing schools also benefited, despite not switching schools, indicating broader positive effects. Surprisingly, construction costs and physical amenities didn't consistently correlate with achievement gains. Moreover, teacher qualifications within new facilities showed minimal influence. The study delves into LAUSD District 6, revealing the intricate changes in student migration and school diversity spurred by this massive construction project.

Elementary teachers often feel time-strapped due to high-stakes testing and curricular demands, leading to reduced focus on social studies. In states mandating social studies assessments, teachers allocate roughly 30 extra minutes weekly to social studies compared to non-testing states. Moreover, teachers perceiving more control over their teaching dedicate up to 6 additional hours to social studies. Surprisingly, factors like teacher credentials and school demographics had minimal impact on social studies teaching time. These findings emphasize the link between mandated tests, teacher autonomy, and social studies instruction. Advocating for social studies inclusion in standardized testing, while prioritizing teacher autonomy, is suggested to balance subject emphasis. Encouraging educators' independence might enhance social studies teaching despite test-centric pressures. A new study urges educational leaders to reshape policies, fostering both teacher autonomy and acknowledgment of social studies' importance within the accountability framework.

In efforts to equalize college access, policymakers pushed for universal algebra in schools. However, recent research suggests unintended consequences. California mandated algebra for graduation, influencing eighth-grade algebra standards and penalizing schools if students didn't take Algebra I exams. Studies revealed problems: more eighth-graders enrolled in algebra, but many struggled and repeated the course. Programs enforcing early algebra showed lowered scores, course failures, and no significant college entrance improvements. These findings raise crucial queries: Are such aggressive algebra policies beneficial for all students? Can they be implemented effectively, considering diverse student needs? Experts propose early preparation, support, emphasizing academic value, diverse pedagogy, and role models as potential solutions. Balancing curricular rigidity against students' diverse skill levels remains a challenge. Decisions on 8th-grade math policies should address these concerns to avoid harming students academically while efficiently utilizing educational resources.

California’s push for universal algebra for 8th graders has led to a rise in students taking algebra but also shows a significant dropout in advanced math courses. Researchers focused on CST results from 2003 to 2011, revealing that while more 8th graders took Algebra I CST, fewer reached higher-level math in grades 9–11. The increase in 8th-grade algebra seemed to double the dropout rate in the pipeline toward higher math courses, especially for students scoring below proficient in 8th-grade algebra. The study found that students who scored proficient in 7th-grade general math had a significantly higher success rate in 9th-grade algebra compared to those below proficient in 8th-grade algebra. It highlighted that preparing students better in Grade 7 Mathematics could be more effective than funneling them into 8th-grade algebra, where more than half struggled to pass. The research calls for a reevaluation of the 8th-grade algebra policy, suggesting the need for alternatives to better support students' future success in math, highlighting the limitations of policy-driven change without effective changes in classroom practices.

The educational landscape in the U.S. features a significant number of English Language Learners (ELLs), yet their funding and educational needs remain understudied. Laws mandate providing resources for ELLs, but research on funding for this group is limited. Costing out studies, used to determine educational costs, lack focus on ELLs, despite their exponential growth. Four primary methodologies assess these costs, but they inconsistently include ELLs. Current research suggests states allocate insufficient funds for K–12 education, and ELLs are not adequately addressed in costing out studies. The literature emphasizes the need for adapted methodologies that account for the complex and diverse needs of ELL students. In California, a hub for ELL education, the discussion around a weighted funding formula prompts consideration of how to incorporate ELL needs. Though there's no definitive funding model for ELLs, existing research offers insights for policymakers, stressing the necessity of considering these students' multifaceted backgrounds and educational requirements. Achieving equity in ELL education necessitates refining costing out methodologies to better understand and cater to their diverse needs. Addressing these complexities is essential to ensure ELLs receive equitable resources for an adequate education.

The challenges faced by California school districts are complex, demanding leaders to navigate diverse educational philosophies and implement explicit equity-oriented policies. A study on an urban California district revealed that, beyond technical issues, ideological differences among leaders, teachers, and principals can compromise the development of ambitious, equity-oriented instructional policies. Embracing political trends, influenced by federal policies like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, may narrow the educational focus to economic goals, emphasizing standardized testing and basic skills. This shift detracts from broader academic objectives, such as fostering community engagement and critical thinking. A new study underscores the significant role of ideology in shaping district instructional policies and highlights the potential consequences of aligning with political trends that perpetuate educational inequities for historically underserved communities. Ultimately, the findings illustrate how societal and institutional trends can intensify existing disparities by promoting policies that prioritize narrow economic purposes of schooling over holistic educational goals.

California voters express widespread concern about the state of their schools, with 42% giving schools a grade of D or F, and 57% believing they have deteriorated in recent years. The inadequacy of school funding is acknowledged, with over 40% rating state efforts poorly on a 10-point scale. Evidence from the PACE/USC Rossier Voter Poll reveals bipartisan skepticism about school funding, with Democrats slightly more optimistic. However, challenges loom for two funding initiatives on the November ballot. Despite recognition of funding issues, voters harbor deep skepticism about the state's ability to use resources efficiently, posing a significant political hurdle. The poll indicates voters' persistent doubt about the state's trustworthiness in spending money wisely, presenting a challenge for advocates of increased educational spending. The divisive debate among supporters of different funding propositions further complicates matters, potentially leading to the failure of both initiatives and significant consequences for the state's education system. Despite concerns about schools and acknowledgment of the need for more funding, voters appear skeptical about the achievability of educational improvement, posing a potential challenge for initiatives in the November elections.

A recent study examines the implementation of standards-based reform, particularly the alignment of state policies with teachers' instructional practices. Drawing on surveys from over 10,000 teachers in mathematics, science, and English language arts, the research identifies key correlations. It finds that teachers exhibit greater instructional alignment in states where standards and assessments align well, where standards cover a broader range of topics, and where there is a higher degree of accountability. The results have implications for California's Common Core implementation, highlighting the importance of improving alignment between assessments and standards. Additionally, the findings suggest that highly focused standards may pose challenges for teachers, necessitating additional support for fundamental changes in instructional content and form. This study underscores the significance of coherent state policies in enhancing instructional alignment and offers insights for improving educational practices in California and beyond.

In Tierney and Hallett's chapter, "Homeless Youth and Educational Policy: A Case Study of Urban Youth in a Metropolitan Area," the authors make a significant contribution to understanding and addressing the educational needs of homeless students. They highlight the broadness of the homeless label, emphasizing the diversity of backgrounds and experiences within this group. The focus on high school-aged homeless youth, a fast-growing yet understudied subgroup, is identified as crucial due to the unique challenges they face, including stigma and detachment from supportive relationships. The authors provide a useful typology for understanding the different subpopulations of homeless students, emphasizing the need for nuanced insights into their situations. The chapter also underscores the critical intersection of policy, student/family conditions, and school design in addressing homelessness. The authors' recommendations for school design, despite potential fiscal and political challenges, are praised for their thoughtfulness and ecological awareness. Notably, Tierney's leadership role in advocating for research and action in support of homeless students, given his influential position, is seen as encouraging and likely to have a positive impact on the broader field of education research.

American community colleges enroll 46% of U.S. undergraduates, with a majority being African American and Hispanic students. Facing budget constraints, California community colleges are vital, and the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, successful in middle and high schools, is explored as a model for supporting underprepared students. A case study examines AVID's initial implementation in a northern California community college, revealing positive impacts on student focus, organization, and motivation. Challenges include faculty resistance and institutional change. The implementation aims to transform college culture to better serve underrepresented students transferring to four-year institutions. With Governor Jerry Brown's funding cut for high school AVID programs, AVID in community colleges gains importance. AVID for Higher Education emphasizes essentials like retention and graduation time. The study offers a framework for leveraging AVID's potential in higher education, supporting underprepared and historically underrepresented students in community colleges.

California has the lowest elementary school counselor-per-student ratio in the U.S., with most schools lacking counselors. A recent study found that states adopting aggressive counseling policies experienced positive changes in student learning and behavior. Mandates for a minimum counselor–student ratio or subsidizing counselor employment reduced teacher-reported instructional issues and lowered problems like fights, cutting class, stealing, or drug use. Greater counselor availability correlated with improved student learning and mental health. The findings suggest substantial benefits from additional elementary school counselors, making them potentially cost-effective interventions. Even in tight fiscal times, mandating a minimum level of mental health services in schools could be wise, leading to better student and teacher welfare. Future research could explore the most effective form of mental health services in schools, considering counselors, social workers, or psychologists in school-based health centers.