The PACE Directors extend our thanks and best wishes to Bruce Fuller, who resigned as a Director of PACE at the end of 2014. Bruce joined PACE in 1996, and guided us through a pivotal decade. Under his leadership PACE’s work on school choice, pre-K education, and other topics had a profound impact on education policy debates in California and beyond. Bruce will continue as Professor of Education and Public Policy at UC-Berkeley, and as a vital contributor to the public conversation on education and other policy issues.

Research suggests that the school environment significantly influences teachers' career choices, effectiveness, and student outcomes. A study, using data from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools over ten years, explores how the school context impacts teachers' improvement over time. It finds that teachers in more supportive environments exhibit greater growth in effectiveness compared to those in less supportive schools, revealing considerable variation among teachers' improvement rates. The research identifies differences between schools in the average rate of teacher enhancement over a decade. By examining the impact of the professional environment, as indicated by teacher survey responses on dimensions like order, collaboration, leadership, development, trust, and evaluation, the study concludes that teachers in schools rated higher in these aspects display a 38% higher improvement after ten years compared to those in lower-rated schools, a substantial portion of the typical ten-year growth. These findings challenge conventional beliefs about teacher effectiveness and highlight the pivotal role of the organizational context in fostering or limiting teacher development, advocating for nurturing supportive school cultures and ongoing teacher learning to elevate the overall quality of the U.S. teaching force.

The high school dropout issue carries significant societal and personal costs, impacting unemployment, lower income, mental health, and crime rates among dropouts. Despite its gravity, there's a lack of comprehensive data on effective interventions or policies addressing this problem. Existing research primarily identifies risk factors and describes interventions, but lacks strong experimental evidence. A systematic review examined characteristics of dropout interventions and effective policy/practice components. It highlighted a mismatch between known risk factors and intervention focus, often centered on individual student-level efforts. The review suggested that many dropouts disengage from school over time, urging interventions tailored to diverse subgroups. However, current studies lack subgroup-specific intervention analyses. Researchers propose a tiered prevention approach, yet empirical evidence supporting this method remains scarce. While experts advocate school-level interventions, empirical research doesn't offer clear guidance on matching interventions to specific risk factors or subgroups. This gap challenges the integration of dropout interventions into comprehensive frameworks, hindering effective and efficient solutions.

The influx of mid-career entrants into teaching has drawn attention due to its potential to address teacher shortages and diversify the workforce. However, recent research reveals that while mid-career entrants constitute a significant portion of new teachers, their impact on filling vacancies in subjects like secondary math and science remains limited. These entrants tend to join elementary rather than secondary classrooms, challenging assumptions about their subject preferences. Although they increase gender and racial diversity, they have not significantly altered the overall demographic makeup of the teacher workforce. Recruiting more mid-career entrants alone won't substantially diversify teaching; specific efforts targeting men and minority groups are necessary. Schools must adapt induction programs to support these entrants effectively, acknowledging their prior expertise but possibly requiring additional assistance with teaching practicalities, especially if they've entered through fast-track programs with limited classroom experience. Leveraging the professional skills of mid-career entrants, such as technological expertise or community networking, could benefit schools and encourage these entrants to remain in teaching longer-term.

The process of applying and enrolling in college is increasingly expensive and time-consuming, yet students often make less-than-ideal decisions during this crucial phase. Recent studies have shown that students tend to apply to too few colleges, and high-achieving, low-income students often miss out on better-suited options. A new research paper, "Screening Mechanisms and Student Responses in the College Market," explores how seemingly minor factors—such as college application essays and fees—impact student behavior. Analyzing data from 885 four-year colleges between 2003 and 2011, a new study reveals that the requirement of application essays increased to around 57%, while approximately half of colleges raised their application fees by an average of 30% (around $10). The research shows that colleges introducing essays experienced a 6.5% decrease in applications, while a 10% fee increase correlated with a 1% reduction in applications. This highlights that even small changes significantly influence student decisions in the college application process, emphasizing the importance of these procedures for students, colleges, and policymakers.

Researchers explore the journey of Latino English learner (EL) students toward reclassification, a significant milestone shifting them from specialized language services to mainstream classes. Data from a 12-year period in a major urban district examined progress toward reclassification among different language programs. A new study finds that Latino EL students in bilingual programs take longer to be reclassified but show higher reclassification and proficiency rates by high school. While it takes longer, a greater proportion of students in bilingual programs eventually become proficient in English and are reclassified compared to those in English immersion programs. These findings suggest the need for districts to assess the effectiveness of bilingual instruction over time and consider different benchmarks for instructional models based on language of instruction. Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of EL programs ensuring full access to rigorous content and interaction with English-speaking peers, suggesting that English language development should not limit enrollment in other classes and should be integrated into content area classes.

College graduation rates in the U.S. are low, prompting interest in solutions like "summer bridge" programs, where students take pre-academic year courses. Some attribute low graduation rates to poor academic readiness and slow academic progress. Research shows higher course-taking rates improve graduation chances. Summer bridge programs address these concerns. Analyzing nationally representative college data and a large university system, a new study uses propensity score matching to assess these programs' effects. Nationally, bridge program attendees at community colleges and less-selective four-year colleges were 10% more likely to graduate within six years. Effects were more pronounced among black/Hispanic, first-gen, and lower GPA students. University data revealed immediate benefits—better retention, course performance, and credit completion. While bridge programs aid graduation, institutions should evaluate existing programs before expanding, considering mixed findings elsewhere. Addressing specific academic barriers, like remedial sequences, enhances immediate benefits, showcasing bridge programs as part of a larger strategy to boost graduation rates.

Head Start, the primary federally-funded preschool program in the U.S., serving over 1 million children yearly, emphasizes not just child education but also parental engagement and growth. However, research traditionally prioritizes children’s outcomes over parents’. Leveraging the Head Start Impact Study (HSIS)—the comprehensive evaluation and reporting program initiated in 1998—a new study explores if children’s participation in Head Start affects parents' education and employment. HSIS found short-term benefits for kids, fading by third grade, stirring doubts about long-term effectiveness. Research analysis, considering the family as a unit, discovered that parents of 3-year-olds in Head Start showed greater educational advancements by kindergarten compared to the control group. This effect was particularly pronounced for parents with some college but no degree and African American parents. These findings highlight Head Start's potential to support parents' educational pursuits, offering quality childcare, support networks, and pathways to higher education. This underscores how early education programs like Head Start can bolster parental growth alongside children's development, potentially influencing other similar programs.

Educators face growing pressure to utilize data for informed decision-making, yet the research supporting this movement remains underdeveloped. A recent Educational Administration Quarterly article delves into organizational factors influencing data use, drawing from four California school systems. Across traditional districts and charter management organizations (CMOs), state and federal accountability systems heavily shape data use. These systems prioritize data from state assessments and benchmark exams, crucial for program improvement and attracting families in charter schools. Organizational conditions, like decision-making structures, financial resources, and regulatory environments, impact resource allocation for data use. While financial constraints universally limit efforts, CMOs’ decentralized structures enable investments in human capital and technology. These findings highlight tensions arising from diverse accountability demands and propose revisiting metrics underpinning success. They also suggest avenues for sharing best practices, such as districts aiding teacher support while CMOs demonstrate advanced data management systems. Policymakers can leverage these insights to navigate accountability complexities and foster cross-system learning.