There’s no denying it: the concept of a four-day school week is extremely enticing. And it’s swiftly becoming a reality for many schools across the country. Currently, in the U.S., there are 24 states that have at least one district...

magine Worldwide is aiming to develop a deeper level of understanding of how autonomous tablet learning can work. It plans to conduct a series of tests with different methodologies—from randomized controlled trials to action research—in a variety of developing countries...

A recent WestEd event brought together representatives from healthcare, philanthropy and justice to discuss how partnerships with school and district leaders can improve prevention.

When Gov. Gavin Newsom recently proposed building a statewide data system to track students from pre-K through college and into the labor market, the empirical researcher in me said: “Finally.” Not because the new system, once established, will link between...

A report on California school policy finds the state lags in student achievement, and prescribes a much bigger investment in preschool.

Despite progress on state accountability plans, the myriad of plans and the painstaking nature of their rollout make it difficult for those in the education policy world to paint a comprehensive picture of how states and district leaders are—or are...

The most damaging myth in American higher education is that college admissions is about merit, and that merit is about striving for – and earning – academic excellence. This myth is often used as a weapon against policies like affirmative...

Many schools—especially those which a large number of students facing stress and trauma—can benefit from increased mental health resources on campus. The topic of mental health in schools has been more pronounced in recent years as school districts—and donors—are moving...

Getting Down to Facts II combines 36 studies that explore a broad swath of K–12 policy topics central to school equity. Among some of the report’s findings: Large accountability gaps persist; students are behind before they even enter kindergarten; data...

In The 74, writer Kate Stringer reports on how the Long Beach Unified School District and other CORE Districts are tracking students’ growth in both academic and social-emotional skills. Long Beach Unified is part of the CORE-PACE Research Partnership, established in...

Crafting successful education policy requires evidence. Generating this evidence requires data that do not currently exist, or are not used to their full potential, in California. An integrated educational data system would arm teachers, schools, districts, service providers, and policy...

When it comes to implementing policies that will shape education, research is a critical starting point, says Heather Hough, executive director of Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), a nonpartisan center led by faculty members at five universities in California...

Brown University professors ors Susanna Loeb, Kenneth Wong, Matthew Kraft and John Papay were named in the 2019 Rick Hess Straight Up Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings. The list ranks the top 200 U.S. university scholars who most influenced “educational practice...

School's In with Dan Schwartz and Denise Pope:
"Improving Education from the Inside with guest Heather Hough"

Policy Analysis for California Education executive director Heather Hough talks about the value of arming local officials with the best information to make...

In the Bay Area, homelessness is impossible to ignore. Local politicians, philanthropists and business leaders regularly propose programs and pledge millions of dollars in funding to end the crisis. But just down the coast in Monterey County, a homelessness crisis...

Gavin Newsom is officially California’s 40th governor. During his electoral campaign and inaugural speech, he made several promises to provide services and representation to different communities across the state. Advocates for early childhood development, housing policy and the LGBTQ community...

The California Community Colleges Podcast kicks off the new year with a topical discussion on “starting early” – improving the education pipeline by investing thought and resources into early childhood education. In this episode, Samantha Tran, Senior Managing Director of...

EdSource asked several education leaders to comment on what they think Gov. Jerry Brown’s most important contributions to education reforms in California have been, what major education issues remain unaddressed and what they are hoping for from incoming Governor Gavin...

Welcome, readers, to the new year. It’s time for our favorite armchair exercise: predictions for the year in education. There’s a wild card this year: Gavin Newsom. Gov. Jerry Brown, while sometimes mystical, proved to be true to his word...

 School of Education researchers Michal Kurlaender, Sherrie Reed and Paco Martorell, alongside researchers from the UC Davis Department of Economics, recently authored “Where California High School Students Attend College,” a new report published through Policy Analysis for California Education. The...

Early childhood education. A top-tier national ranking for K-12 per-pupil spending. A data system that would track kids from nursery school through state universities. California’s Legislature won’t reconvene until 2019, but the Christmas wish list for public schools  is already...

The California legislature will debate three Assembly bills in the upcoming session that would open up preschool options for thousands of California families.

As U.S. public schools become increasingly diverse racially, culturally and economically, they are turning to social emotional programs to better serve the different ways in which students interact with and invest in schooling and their education. Social emotional learning (SEL)...

Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom is promising universal preschool for the next generation, and with Democrats winning a supermajority in the state Legislature, education in California is likely to see some big changes. Newsom's plan includes preschool for all children, which estimated...