The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) revolutionized school assessment by emphasizing a comprehensive approach over No Child Left Behind's (NCLB) test-focused model. California shifted from NCLB's single-number school ratings to a multi-dimensional dashboard system to better assess school performance. However, ESSA's current draft regulations advocate for a single, summative rating for identifying struggling schools, contradicting the spirit of multiple measures. The approach of condensing diverse measures into one rating would yield misleading outcomes. For instance, PACE found that schools performing poorly on one indicator might fare well on others. Such simplification fails to identify struggling schools accurately, a crucial step for offering necessary support. PACE recommends a tiered approach, considering each indicator separately, rather than amalgamating them into a single score. California's pursuit of a detailed, dashboard-style accountability system aligns with this approach, offering a more nuanced understanding of school performance and supporting tailored improvement strategies. A dashboard not only informs parents better but also enables informed decisions on school choices, focusing on continuous improvement rather than misleading rankings.

Michael W. Kirst discusses the new federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the CA overhaul of accountability based on local control of education policy. The federal law requires multiple measures for accountability, including some with state choice. Databases for English learners will change significantly. Federal requirements for teacher evaluation will be deregulated significantly. State assessments are all over the place and will be hard to summarize. California is building an integrated federal/state/local accountability system that includes 23 metrics, primarily for local use in Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAP) that focus on improving budget strategy. Longitudinal data bases from the past will be difficult to integrate with these policy shifts.

For more than a decade, LGBTQ students have faced significant challenges in schools, enduring bullying and feeling unsafe, affecting their academic and mental well-being. California's groundbreaking law, AB-537, passed over 15 years ago, marked a pivotal moment, establishing comprehensive protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) in education. In response, schools implemented inclusive measures such as teacher training, diverse curriculum, and support groups like gay-straight alliances (GSAs). While earlier studies focused on student perspectives, a recent study analyzes statewide data from over 3,700 teachers and nearly 100 principals in California. The findings reveal that schools emphasizing SOGI-inclusive policies experience reduced bullying, particularly in environments perceived as less safe by teachers, highlighting the significance of these policies in creating safer school climates. This research underscores the importance of combining and accessing varied data sources to gain a comprehensive understanding of school environments, ultimately shifting the focus from individual students to systemic approaches for creating inclusive and safe school environments for all students.

Researchers conducted an experiment to determine if incentives could improve low-income students' attendance in tutoring programs provided through Supplemental Education Services (SEdS). Three groups of 5th-8th graders were formed: one offered a $100 reward for regular attendance, another receiving certificates of recognition, and a control group without incentives. Surprisingly, the monetary reward didn't increase attendance, while the certificate group attended 40% more sessions than the control. This contrasts with past studies showing monetary incentives for improved test scores as ineffective, suggesting that mere rewards may not enhance skills without additional support. The certificate approach proved cost-effective, costing $9 per student versus $100 for the monetary incentive. However, wider implementation's effectiveness might diminish due to students' varied perceptions of recognition's value, related to existing academic achievements or repeated rewards. The study's success suggests non-monetary incentives are effective and inexpensive. Policymakers and educators seeking to boost student participation in underutilized programs should consider these findings, emphasizing nuanced research into varying incentives' effectiveness and cost-efficiency to motivate student engagement. Despite these promising results, a comprehensive solution requires a deeper understanding of how different incentives affect diverse student populations and their sustained impact over time.

A meta-analysis of 53 cases from 34 publications aimed to understand the impact of school suspensions on student outcomes. It found a consistent negative link between suspensions, particularly out-of-school ones, and academic achievement. Additionally, though data was limited, out-of-school suspension showed a positive association with dropout rates. Factors like gender, race, and socio-economic status influenced these relationships, indicating varied impacts on different groups. The study refrains from making causal conclusions, but it suggests that suspensions might contribute to lower achievement due to reduced learning opportunities and disengagement from school. Disproportionate suspension rates among low-income, urban, and minority students raise equity concerns. Encouragingly, California's limitations on suspension for minor disruptions might be a progressive step. The study advocates for evidence-based strategies focusing on behavior improvement, alternatives to suspension, better educator training, and consistent review of disciplinary data for informed decision-making to reduce suspension rates and their negative impacts on students.

School districts have adopted the four-day school week to curb budget deficits, particularly in rural regions like Colorado and Wyoming, with around 10 districts in California following suit by 2011. This schedule change raises questions about its impact on academic performance. Longer class periods allow varied teaching methods and teacher planning, possibly improving student morale and behavior. Yet, concerns arise about teacher stress, student retention, and increased fatigue, especially for younger students. Evaluating this shift rigorously is vital, but few studies exist. Using a difference-in-differences regression and data from Colorado’s CSAP, researchers analyzed 4th-grade reading and 5th-grade math scores in districts that switched to a four-day week against those on standard schedules. Over a third of Colorado districts adopted this schedule. The results showed a significant increase in math scores post-switch, and while reading scores also rose, the change wasn’t statistically significant. The findings suggest no harm to student performance and even hint at improved attendance rates, though they apply primarily to smaller, rural districts, warranting caution in applying these findings more broadly.

A current study is exploring the impact of additional literacy classes on average-performing middle school students, aiming to enhance their high school performance and college readiness. In a suburban district with diverse demographics, students were offered extra literacy courses if they scored below the 60th percentile in 5th-grade literacy. While the initial analysis suggested no significant impact, further investigation revealed contrasting effects based on race. Black students experienced notably negative effects, especially in predominantly white schools, seen across both state tests and national measures. Conversely, white, Latino, and Asian students showed uncertain but potentially positive impacts. These findings stress the need for tailored approaches in educational programs, indicating potential harm for initially average-literacy students. The study highlights the complexity of policy outcomes when implemented at school levels, urging policymakers to consider diverse student populations in policy design and implementation. It also underscores the importance of clear communication about policy intent and the unintended consequences of categorizing students based on criteria like cutoff scores.

Educational institutions are increasingly revamping teacher evaluations, integrating student performance measures and classroom observations. LAUSD’s shift in evaluation systems and Vergara v. California’s ruling against certain teacher employment statutes spotlight this transformation. However, research across six urban districts reveals shifts in the role of value-added measures in decision making. Principals find value-added data problematic due to its infrequency, complexity, and limited applicability to teachers in untested subjects. Instead, they value the transparency, timeliness, and specificity of teacher observation systems, which provide comprehensive insights into teaching practices for all educators. While acknowledging differences between value-added and observation systems, research also emphasizes the advantages of teacher observation systems in informing timely and specific decisions. Despite concerns about observation systems’ time-intensive nature and the recent legal implications, these frameworks offer enhanced transparency and actionable feedback, potentially compensating for the limitations of value-added measures. Overall, the rise of observation systems signifies a positive step in leveraging data for informed human capital decisions in education.

The change in California's kindergarten entry age, moving the cutoff date from December 2 to September 1, brought about transitional kindergarten for affected children born in the transitional period. This impacted both those who delayed entry and those who didn't. Older entrants might show better readiness and learning skills compared to younger peers, a reason why parents often choose to delay their child's entry ("redshirting"). However, the benefits of this additional year might vary based on available activities. The shift also influences non-delayed children due to grade age averages affecting peer dynamics and learning. In a study assessing this change's impact on crime, incarceration rates dropped by 10-13% among those directly and indirectly affected by the entry age policy. While both groups benefitted, the reduction in crime was smaller for those delaying entry, hinting at potential harms from late entry, perhaps due to less learning during the "redshirt" year or lower educational attainment. This emphasizes early education's long-term benefits, supporting transitional kindergarten's role. Yet, caution is needed in generalizing these findings, considering the availability of alternative pre-kindergarten programs today, absent in earlier decades, possibly lessening the negative impacts of delayed entry.

Enrichment programs, such as arts education, often face cuts in K–12 schools where language arts and math take precedence due to standardized testing. Despite this, evidence supports the long-term benefits of the arts on college access, academics, and civic engagement. Integrating arts into school curricula is seen as a solution, yet there is limited research on its widespread implementation. Inner-City Arts collaborates with LAUSD through Learning and Achieving Through the Arts (LATA), where teachers learn various art forms alongside students, supported by professional development linking arts experiences with literacy. LATA aims to enhance English language skills, especially for marginalized groups like English Language Learners (ELLs), by promoting arts-based learning, teacher training, and teacher-artist collaborations for innovative lesson plans. A study comparing LATA-integrated schools with standalone arts instruction revealed significant gains in standardized English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency, particularly among ELL students, emphasizing the vital role of arts integration in academic achievement. Policymakers and investors interested in educational reform should prioritize integrated arts models and teacher development, as demonstrated by the LATA approach, which offers a holistic pathway to improve academics applicable in diverse urban districts.