California high school students may have an additional course added to the eight that are needed to graduate. These courses, such as the ethnic studies requirement passed in 2021, all entered the school curriculum at the direction of the State...
Technology transforms nearly every aspect of our lives: the economy, the environment, health care, and our social lives. Today, 92 percent of jobs across most industries require some form of digital skills, underscoring the importance of computer science (CS) for career and college preparation. But it’s not just about jobs—it’s about equipping students with critical thinking skills to examine the biased algorithms and the data sets they draw from, which could influence the way students think and make decisions about voting and social justice, as well as their own relationships and well-being. Cultivating these critical skills with technology begins with K–12 education. While there is an urgency to meet this technological moment, it’s essential that we build the systems necessary to sustain CS education that is equitable, accessible, and culturally relevant so that it will engage our most underrepresented students.
Chronic absenteeism skyrocketed during the pandemic, creating headaches for teachers and school administrators eager to bring students back to regular classroom routines. But for many schools, chronic absenteeism is a source of financial strain as well. For schools in six...
Christopher Edley Jr., a civil rights expert and policy adviser who worked closely with three Democratic presidents and six presidential campaigns and served as an innovative dean of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, died on Friday in...
All of us at Policy Analysis for California Education have been deeply saddened by the death of former PACE Faculty Director Christopher Edley, Jr. Professor Edley was an active member of the PACE faculty director team from 2018 to 2024.
State educational agencies are increasingly focused on how to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of AI in their state education settings. To inform state—and district—leaders of key things to consider as they make decisions around AI, OET invited...
A conversation with Michelle D. Young, Dean of the Berkeley School of Education. Dean Young discusses the significance of leadership development and effective learning experiences for school leaders, particularly emphasizing the need for equity-oriented and culturally responsive leadership. Highlighting the...
Almost 63 percent of California high school seniors felt prepared to begin college and two-thirds were satisfied with the advising they received regarding higher education, Policy Analysis for California Education’s (PACE) brief “The Transition to College: Voices From the Class...
Dublin Unified’s new grading policy will go into effect for all 6th through 12th grade classes next year and is part of a national shift toward “equity grading”—a controversial concept that moves away from traditional grading to better measure how...
As California’s major expansion of public education—the addition of TK, a new grade level for 4-year-olds—wraps up its second year, tens of thousands of parents statewide are struggling with their own versions of Hagooli’s question. Their individual decisions may determine...
An underused, little-known public school choice program allowing students to enroll in other districts that open their borders has been reauthorized six times in the past 30 years. Under a bill winding its way through the Legislature, it would become...
While TK is a historic, once in a generation, opportunity, it has been challenging for many across the state to implement effectively. Our research partners at PACE recently published an article which highlights the work of the Ed Partners P3CC...
Statewide, nearly a quarter of K-12 students remained chronically absent during the 2022-23 school year—a decline of about 5 percentage points from the previous school year, but a sign of the lingering effects of the pandemic that led to sharp...
It’s a debate districts are having across the Bay Area and the country, given increasing concerns over grade inflation, racial inequities on report cards and at the most basic level, whether an A means students actually mastered the subject matter...
I’ve been screaming from the rooftops about chronic absenteeism for over a year now. The phrase refers to when a student misses at least 10 percent of days in a school year and can lead to all sorts of negative...
Teaching in a school like mine, you get insulted a lot. Not by the students, who are (mostly) wonderful, but by conservative critics who judge and misjudge the performance of schools and districts that serve low-income, minority, and immigrant communities...
A decade after California revolutionized the way it funds schools, nearly everyone agrees the initiative has done what it was meant to do: improved math and reading scores and brought more resources to students who struggle the most. And nearly...
Last month UC notified California high schools that three of the most popular data science courses no longer count toward the advanced math requirement because the classes fail to teach the upper level algebra content all incoming students must know...
No one wants to close schools. Not the communities that cherish their local school. Not the school boards that want to serve the needs of all their students. Not administrators and school district personnel who have to wade through the...
California mandates one adult for every 12 students in what it calls “transitional kindergarten." It’s the second year of an uneven four-year rollout of universal transitional kindergarten, an ambitious, multi-billion dollar initiative to make high-quality education available to each of...
The nationwide increase in chronic absenteeism, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, persists in California—affecting approximately 25% of students. Marginalized communities face disproportionate challenges. Structural issues like transportation and teacher shortages, alongside student-level factors such as insecurity and disengagement, contribute to absenteeism. Tailored solutions recognizing the unique developmental needs of adolescents are crucial. Adolescents' curiosity and peer interactions necessitate opportunities for exploration and contribution, while supportive relationships with adults are essential. Addressing chronic absenteeism requires collaborative efforts, ensuring equitable access to these opportunities and relationships. Local expertise and insights from developmental science should guide the creation of inclusive school environments that promote consistent attendance and engagement among adolescents.
California is synonymous with innovation. Over decades and across sectors, California has been a leader—from tech start-ups to agricultural advances and environmental solutions. In the private sector, companies race to market with their ideas in order to capitalize on ingenuity.California...
California’s public schools live—or die—by the numbers. They are utterly dependent on how much money the state budget allocates each year under Proposition 98, a formula adopted by voters in 1988 that only a few wonks in and around the...
Across the country, states are moving to education systems that are more student centered, equitable, and competency based. They are doing so because they understand that the legacy model for educating our young people is not working. Although graduation rates have increased, other markers of progress have not. Standardized test scores remain relatively flat. Achievement and opportunity gaps persist despite decades of increased funding and abundant strategies to reduce them. Chronic absenteeism is near an all-time high. The reality is that too many students do not find school to be interesting, engaging, or relevant for their futures. This is particularly true for youth of color and other marginalized student populations. Rather than continuing to tinker around the edges, we can advance real change! Here’s how.
A recent issue brief by UCLA researchers found that community college bachelor’s degree programs may positively affect the Latino community. The California state legislature passed a law in 2014 titled Senate Bill 850 that permitted community colleges to initiate baccalaureate...
