A new study assessed the effectiveness of after-school tutoring programs, specifically the Supplemental Educational Services (SES) under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), within Chicago Public Schools. Evaluating these SES providers from 2009 onwards, the research aimed to fairly measure their impact on student achievement by considering student characteristics and school settings. The findings indicated that participating in SES positively influenced student achievement, notably with over 40 hours of tutoring, contributing significantly to annual student gains. Interestingly, there was a decline in hourly rates among providers over time, which correlated with the district's program, and a clear link between provider effectiveness and the number of students served. Successful program attributes, such as effective oversight, coordination, and cost reduction, were identified and could be beneficial for other districts. The strategies developed could be adopted by districts to assess provider effectiveness and provide crucial information to parents, aiding informed decisions. This valuable data could guide California districts granted NCLB waivers in program development and accountability system design. Similar analyses are underway in the Los Angeles Unified School District, highlighting the broader potential application of these findings.

The United States witnesses frequent school changes among children due to various reasons, contributing to stress and educational disruption, especially among marginalized groups. Scholars suggest schools should foster better relationships with families to minimize unnecessary mobility, yet these strategies often lack rigorous testing. Researchers evaluated the Families and Schools Together (FAST) intervention's impact on reducing mobility by enhancing parent-school relations in low-income Hispanic elementary schools. Overall, the intervention didn't significantly lower mobility rates, with 35-45% of students changing schools. However, for Black families in the intervention, mobility dropped notably, aligning with other groups. The study underscores that school mobility hinges on diverse reasons; while socioeconomic factors might limit interventions' effectiveness, dissatisfaction or social isolation could be mitigated by fostering stronger school-family ties.

States moved from assessing students' proficiency to using growth models to track academic progress. Researchers analyzed three growth models in a California district, finding more prediction errors for English learners (ELs) than non-ELs. The models often misjudged ELs as remaining non-proficient by 7th grade when they were proficient. This error was more frequent for ELs (16–28%) than non-ELs (13–17%). ELs' steeper learning trajectories might explain this discrepancy; their growth is faster despite early low scores due to language support needs. These model inaccuracies have policy implications, potentially causing unnecessary interventions and not crediting effective instruction in early grades. They could influence the selection of accountability models, especially for student subgroups. Although California hasn't implemented growth-based accountability, it's part of the Smarter Balanced Assessment plans. Notably, the LA Times used a growth model to evaluate teachers, a contentious practice in education due to concerns about validity. The study's evidence questions any model's validity assuming uniform student growth without considering a teacher's student demographics.

The Coleman Report highlighted the strong link between school socioeconomic composition (SEC) and student achievement, supported by subsequent research. However, little focus has been given to school segregation's impact on student attainment, critical for future life outcomes. A new study in the American Educational Research Journal aimed to bridge this gap by examining 10th graders from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002. The findings revealed that high SEC schools significantly correlated with higher high school graduation and college enrollment rates, with a 68% greater likelihood for 4-year college enrollment. Peer influence and school emphasis on academics emerged as key mechanisms, showcasing positive influences in high SEC schools but negative impacts in low SEC ones. However, low SEC schools often struggle with student disorder linked to their demographics. Addressing the effects of SEC on attainment requires altering school demographics, necessitating integration by resolving structural barriers. While large-scale busing isn't viable, incentivizing neighborhood integration could facilitate successful school integration, allowing states and municipalities to embrace integration plans willingly.

In recent years, California's Proposition 30 offered some relief to the Community College system, raising the course sections and reducing waitlisted students. Yet, a crucial problem persists: "seat rationing," limiting access. The Student Success Task Force addressed this through priority policies but faces challenges as these policies inherently prioritize certain students while limiting access for others. The upcoming statewide policy will allow flexibility at the college level, posing concerns about equity. Research on registration policies within California's colleges revealed significant variability in these policies, indicating a need for comprehensive studies on their short- and long-term effects. These policies might disadvantage specific student groups, highlighting the necessity for transparent communication and inter-institutional agreements. Moreover, there is a call to improve systems that help students find alternative courses when their preferences are full, possibly through technology-driven solutions. Finally, there's an urgent need for introspection on the underlying values in these policies as they shift from access to fiscal responsibility and credential completion. Understanding these assumptions is vital for informed decisions about the future of community colleges.

High school counselors, often overlooked, are vital in guiding students toward college. The Pathways to College Act acknowledges their role, yet many schools lack systematic ways to provide crucial college and financial aid information. A national study explored how counseling norms and resources impact college-going rates. Findings revealed that a school's environment significantly shapes its college culture. Counseling departments are crucial, with their workload and focus on college counseling directly influencing a school's atmosphere. Resources like financial aid assistance, college fairs, and college-level courses also impact college attendance rates. Schools were categorized based on counseling structures: divergent, emergent, and convergent. Effective counselor education is vital for meaningful college counseling, and counselor caseloads should align with counseling goals. Beyond counselors, school climate and student attitudes shape the college culture, demanding engagement from administrators to foster a supportive environment. Policy implications stress comprehensive counselor education, aligned caseloads, and broader school involvement in promoting a college-going culture. Understanding a school's counseling structure aids administrators in resource allocation, fostering values that enhance college access for all students.

Research largely opposes grade retention due to its negative effects on students academically and developmentally. While this impact on retained students is well-documented, little attention has focused on how retention affects non-retained classmates. a new study delves into the influence of retained classmates on the absence behavior of non-retained students in urban schools. It utilizes a large dataset from an entire school district, finding that a higher percentage of retained classmates correlates with increased absences among non-retained students, particularly unexcused absences, suggesting potential academic disengagement. These results emphasize the need for California to proactively document retention effects and craft supportive policies, crucial for success, especially in high-needs urban schools where retention practices persist despite their potential negative impact.

Year-round school calendars, widely adopted in California due to school crowding, aim to evenly distribute school days. Multi-track calendars, seen as cost-saving, accommodate larger student bodies. There is a belief that redistributing summer breaks could counteract summer learning loss, particularly for disadvantaged students. Research highlights caution regarding year-round schooling. While cost savings are clear, academic gains haven't materialized, impacting high-risk student groups negatively. California showed notably negative effects compared to neutral outcomes in Wake County, North Carolina, where multi-track calendars were used widely. This disparity emphasizes considering demographics; schools with substantial minority or low-income populations may face different challenges. The findings caution policymakers against risking student achievement solely for minor savings. Tailored approaches for schools based on their demographics are suggested. The academic benefits of year-round schooling remain scarce, except for addressing severe overcrowding. Yet, amid tightening budgets, year-round schools are cautiously endorsed as a financial reform, urging further examination and context-specific considerations in policymaking.

The Student Success Act of 2012 in California prompts a restructure of student support services in higher education. A new study evaluating a guidance program at South Texas College offers insights for California policymakers and nationwide. This program aimed to aid students struggling in entry-level math courses, a common hurdle in community colleges. It involved Beacon Volunteers giving brief presentations in math classes about available campus services. The evaluation, using random assignment, showed a 30% increase in tutoring center visits and a 20% drop in math class withdrawals. While overall pass rates didn't significantly rise, part-time students benefited with a 10% increase in pass rates. The study highlights the effectiveness of brief, in-classroom interventions and suggests lessons for researchers and practitioners, emphasizing the feasibility of whole-class randomization, the need for more tutoring center research, and the scalability and affordability of such interventions. It underscores the impact of providing information directly to students before they require assistance, offering valuable insights for educational practices.

Professional development serves as a crucial support system for teachers to implement rigorous standards and improve student learning. In California, with rising demand, designing more effective teacher training becomes essential. Research highlights the role of teacher interactions in professional development's success, termed "spillover effects." These occur when teachers share and apply their learning, impacting both teaching and student achievement. A current study on spillover effects from the National Writing Project revealed significant impacts. Teachers deeply engaged in longer, diverse, and interactive professional development were more likely to aid others in teaching writing. Their expertise extended to colleagues, sometimes matching direct professional development effects. Recommendations include fostering teacher interactions within and after professional development, aiding individual growth, and promoting wider knowledge dissemination among teachers. Encouraging collaborative learning among teachers through professional development can support whole-school reforms, fostering innovation and coherent instructional practices. Principals play a vital role, motivating teachers to participate and nurturing both "go-to" teachers and "experts" capable of mentoring peers. This strategy cultivates internal capacity, fostering teacher leadership and collaboration, crucial for effective educational reform.

In California, income-based reading gaps persist. Summer reading programs, including home-based ones, combat the "summer slide." A meta-analysis of 35 studies shows they enhance reading, especially comprehension. School-based programs with research-based strategies notably impact comprehension scores. Low-income students benefit more, perhaps due to differing summer learning loss patterns. Control group students from higher-income backgrounds gain reading scores over summer, contrasting with stable or declining scores for low-income peers, magnifying program effects. However, benefits diminish over time for all. The analysis supports summer programs for literacy. While both school-based and home-based approaches seem equally effective overall, school-based methods stand out with research-based strategies. Despite initial advantages, low-income students also experience fading effects. Addressing this fade-out and ensuring year-round support become crucial for sustaining summer gains.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) ensures a free and appropriate education for students with disabilities in the US, necessitating services tailored to their needs. However, these specialized services come at a higher cost. To manage these expenses, some states like California use the census funding model, allotting aid based mainly on total district enrollment and a fixed amount per student, independent of specific program characteristics. A new policy brief delves into the pros and cons of this method and discusses ways to address its drawbacks. Advantages include simplicity, legal compliance, adaptability, potential cost-effective placements, and preventing over-identification of disabilities. Yet, there are concerns about inequitable funding, potential inadequacy over time, disincentivizing quality services, and jeopardizing legal protections if students aren't identified. The authors suggest considering adjustments based on regional factors, poverty, disability rates, and monitoring changes to achieve fairness. They also advocate for exploring cost-effective program delivery and weighing alternatives for special education funding structures to better support students while managing costs.

Researchers investigate how policy environments influence teacher participation in professional development, focusing on high-stakes (mathematics) and low-stakes (science) subjects. Analyzing a national sample of high school math and science educators, it uses hierarchical linear models to understand these associations. The findings indicate that policy contexts significantly impact teachers' engagement in impactful professional development, particularly in high-stakes subjects. Aligning state standards with assessments emerges as a key policy element driving teachers' involvement in content-focused professional development, especially in mathematics. The research highlights that policy proximity to teachers strengthens these correlations. State and school policies play a crucial role in teachers accessing quality professional development, especially in high-stakes subjects. Policies emphasizing alignment between standards and assessments stand out as influential factors in encouraging teachers to partake in effective professional development.

A new study delves into enhancing college completion rates through state financial aid reforms. It synthesizes evidence, emphasizing four key strategies: providing clear aid application information, simplifying eligibility criteria, offering early commitments, and aligning aid with state policy objectives. Presently, states have numerous complex aid programs that lack clarity and are poorly publicized. Most aid is not committed until late in high school, creating financial planning difficulties. Moreover, a significant portion of aid is merit-based rather than need-based. Authors recommend consolidating aid programs for clearer eligibility, prioritizing early awareness, and aligning aid with state goals. These reforms aim to maximize educational attainment without increasing financial investment. Achieving these changes involves reshaping aid structure and delivery mechanisms, demanding strong commitment from state officials, campus leaders, and education advocates. While not a solitary solution, these reforms can significantly expand educational access and opportunities.

Researchers spotlight the importance of evaluating the progress of English Learners (ELs), those Reclassified as Fluent English Proficient (RFEPs), and their combined group. An inherent issue emerges: successful RFEPs are often excluded from EL progress assessments due to their reclassification. Analyzing 2010 California data reveals critical insights: RFEPs constitute a significant portion of initially classified ELs (IELs), demonstrating the underestimation of the IEL population when focusing solely on current ELs. Additionally, RFEPs' achievements closely align with English-only students (EOs), suggesting an exaggerated achievement gap between EOs and IELs when RFEPs are omitted. Furthermore, neglecting RFEPs hinders recognizing positive trends; their increasing numbers and enhanced English Language Arts proficiency between 2005 and 2010 remain unnoticed. Policy suggestions emphasize the consistent inclusion of RFEPs in progress assessments to ensure accurate evaluations, especially within federal mandates like the Common Core Initiative.

The "what gets tested, gets taught" adage needs updating to "what gets tested and included in school accountability, gets taught." During No Child Left Behind, science took a backseat to reading and math due to its optional status in accountability measures. Examining states' pre- and post-NCLB performance on NAEP for grades four and eight showed that integrating science into accountability positively impacted fourth-grade scores without affecting math or reading. Eighth-grade results showed no similar link, likely due to dedicated science teachers. Fourth-grade classrooms often burden a single teacher with multiple subjects, leading to a focus on tested areas like reading and math. Research involving fourth-grade teachers in states incorporating science scores confirmed increased science teaching time. California's testing of science from fifth grade misses the earlier integration potential highlighted in this research. While the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reinstated science testing, it still leaves the accountability weight to states. Considering the global need for STEM education, consistently aligning science with reading and math in assessments appears practical. Acknowledging the persistent focus on school accountability, integrating science into assessments is a sensible step to address the current fragmented attention on science education.

In California, student mobility disrupts education for both students and educators, especially in urban schools serving disadvantaged communities. A recent study delves into the Success for All (SFA) program's effectiveness, focusing on early literacy skills for grades K–5. Research utilized a large-scale trial's unique setup to assess SFA's impact on later elementary grades (3–5) by comparing schools implementing SFA in different grade clusters. Surprisingly, the study found no positive or negative effects of SFA in grades 3–5 compared to standard instruction. This contradicts the program's previously observed positive effects in earlier grades from the same trial. These findings suggest that strategies successful in early grades might not seamlessly translate to later ones. However, it is important to note that this study's setup does not mirror the intended SFA implementation. Still, it echoes the experiences of many mobile students who begin in later grades at new schools. The paper concludes that more research is necessary to understand how schools can better support mobile students, emphasizing the need for improved instructional designs in later elementary years, despite earlier successes.