School districts and charter schools serving 1.7 million students in California will compile, analyze and compare data on student performance beyond what the state collects under a new agreement announced last week. The additional data will include information on school...
The State Board of Education has been working for several years to develop a new accountability system based on the Local Control Funding Formula, which the Legislature and governor passed in 2013. In September, the state board will take an...
California lawmakers are facing a challenge in how to effectively evaluate schools. Historically, schools have been assessed using a blended approach, combining various factors into a single score, much like blending different ingredients in a soup. However, this method obscures the specific performance details of each school and lacks guidance for improvement. California is moving towards a smarter accountability system resembling how students are evaluated, utilizing a dashboard to showcase eight state priorities. This dashboard provides insights into where schools excel and where they need improvement, considering factors like test score growth, safety, and parental engagement. Despite these efforts, federal regulations are pushing for a single school rating, similar to the outdated blended score method, which recent reports have found to be arbitrary and misleading. Advocates argue for simplicity, but a singular index oversimplifies complex school performance, underestimating parents' ability to comprehend nuanced evaluations. California seeks a more comprehensive and accurate school performance assessment system and urges flexibility from the federal government in designing effective evaluation methods.
By David Plank. Imagine you are a judge on a cooking show. Every contestant prepares three different dishes, and you must choose the best cook. But different cooks are good at different things, so what measure can you use to...
The state of California, the federal government, and your local school district all agree - our lowest-performing schools need support and improvement. The problem is that every entity has its own idea about how to make changes. A conflict between...
When Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015, it was celebrated as relief from its predecessor, but as regulations emerge it’s beginning to look like its evil sibling of the discredited No Child Left Behind Act’s name-and-shame policy...
A new study challenges the prevailing belief that improving school climate and reducing violence directly lead to enhanced academic performance. Analyzing data from California schools over time, it suggests a different causal relationship: improved academic performance appears to drive reduced violence and a better school climate, rather than the reverse. These findings underscore the importance of integrating social-emotional, climate, and violence reduction programs into broader academic reforms rather than treating them as separate entities. The study highlights the necessity of further research in diverse settings using both quantitative and qualitative methods to understand this causal process thoroughly. It emphasizes that schools striving for academic improvement should consider addressing issues of climate and victimization as part of their academic reform efforts, highlighting the potential positive impact on teacher-student relationships. Additionally, the study proposes integrating measures of climate, violence, and academics within state accountability systems, aligning with the Every Student Succeeds Act, to support school improvement initiatives. Such an integrated approach, the study argues, will not only enhance academic outcomes but also ensure student safety, support well-being, and foster positive behaviors.
To shine a brighter light on academic disparities, the six California districts known as the CORE districts have tracked test results for much smaller student subgroups than the state requires, giving a more complete picture of how some groups–African-American children...
Fostering positive relationships between teachers and students significantly impacts academic success. Researchers conducted an experiment to explore how highlighting shared beliefs and values between teachers and students might improve these connections. Contrary to common assumptions, the study revealed that when individuals learned about their shared commonalities, their relationships strengthened, leading to enhanced academic performance. The findings challenge prevailing norms that view academic improvement as the primary driver of improved teacher-student relationships. Instead, the research demonstrates that emphasizing shared beliefs and values between educators and students positively affects their interactions and academic outcomes. Moreover, the study discovered that these interventions were especially impactful for historically underserved students—black and Latino students showed significant academic improvement when teachers acknowledged their shared commonalities. This effect significantly narrowed the academic achievement gap between historically underserved and well-served students. The implications extend beyond education, suggesting that acknowledging shared values and fostering connections could address societal issues and promote collaboration. The researchers urge educational institutions and leaders to invest in strategies that enhance teacher-student relationships, underscoring their pivotal role in academic success and their potential to ameliorate social and racial disparities in education.
A new paper from an assessment expert cautions the state consortia that are designing common tests that while computer-based and computer-adaptive testing offer the possibility of improving assessment, getting them right presents significant challenges. The paper by Mark D. Reckase...
The push by states to implement a “common core” of standards by 2014 presents an opportunity to revamp student assessment methods and correct problems that have plagued the system for the past decade, according to researchers. Greater use of technology...
California’s K–12 students struggled on the new statewide Smarter Balanced assessments (SBAC) last year. The results highlight the challenges facing students and teachers as the state shifts to computer-based tests on new curricula with higher standards for achievement. Disadvantaged groups...
As students transition through school—from the elementary to secondary grades, even from school to school—they often become uncertain about their sense of belonging. And that uncertainty can, in turn, translate to poorer cognitive skills and declining gains.
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.
New research into the substantial population of current and former English learners (ELs), making up 40% of California's public-school attendees, emphasizes the vital need for equitable policies promoting both English proficiency and academic success among ELs. The study explores effective strategies concerning EL reclassification, use of native language, core curriculum access, and assessment. The research sheds light on the average duration for reclassification from EL to fluent English proficiency, highlighting the potential benefits of bilingual education programs over English immersion regarding reclassification rates. Researchers advocate for alignment between reclassification criteria and English proficiency constructs, stressing the importance of coordinated services during the EL and Fluent English Proficient (FEP) stages. Additionally, the study underscores the positive impact of bilingual education and dual immersion programs on EL academic outcomes while emphasizing the necessity for fair assessment accommodations, acknowledging potential biases in standardized tests and the significance of tailored accommodations for EL students. This comprehensive approach aims to guide policymakers and educators toward diverse policies and services for enhancing EL academic achievements.
To the casual observer, the SAT looks the same—questions on math and English, an essay, a set amount of time to finish each question. But the college entrance exam has gotten a makeover. High school students are taking a new...
Researchers explore the effectiveness of different preschool pathways for low-income children, specifically comparing Head Start and state pre-kindergarten (pre–k) programs. They assess the impact of funding two years of Head Start versus a combination of one year of Head Start followed by one year of pre–k. Analyzing data from an Oklahoma pre–k study, the team investigates the outcomes of children who experienced Head Start at age 3 transitioning to pre–k at age 4 against those who continued Head Start at age 4. Their findings reveal that children attending Head Start at age 3 and moving to pre-k at age 4 exhibit stronger pre-reading skills than those in Head Start at age 4. Notably, the effect of pre–k on early reading skills exceeds that of Head Start by a significant margin. The difference in program design and curriculum experiences at age 4 seems to influence these variations in skill development. The study emphasizes the importance of exploring these preschool pathways further across diverse program settings to comprehend their distinct impacts and the underlying reasons for their effectiveness.
The education of English learners (EL) continues to be a topic of great interest across the country. But there has been little research to identify what steps to take in order to best serve this diverse group of students. In...
Many young children grow up without supportive home learning environments. One often cited study found that by the age of four, poor children hear about 30 million fewer words than wealthy children.[i] This fissure manifests in great differences in children’s...
The academic performance gap between English learners (ELs) and non-ELs is significant, roughly a standard deviation in math and reading. There has been a debate on bilingual versus English-only education for ELs, with limited rigorous research. Researchers have recently addressed this by analyzing a large urban district's data, tracking 13,750 EL students from kindergarten through middle school. They compared four EL instructional programs (transitional bilingual, developmental bilingual, dual immersion, English immersion) and their impact on ELs' academic growth in English Language Arts (ELA) and math. Using robust methods that controlled for parental preferences in school selection, researchers found that all bilingual programs show at least equal or better growth in ELA scores compared to English immersion, with dual immersion having the strongest effect. In math, all programs except developmental bilingual show positive growth. Additionally, Latino ELs perform better in bilingual programs than Chinese ELs. Initial English proficiency didn't impact program effectiveness. These findings emphasize the potential of well-designed bilingual programs, especially for Latino ELs, suggesting the importance of reconsidering state bans on bilingual education in public schools to better serve ELs and their communities.
Students who ride the school bus in the critical first year of formal education – kindergarten – are absent less often and have lower odds of being chronically absent, a key indicator of future academic success, according to a new...
The experience of the last quarter century tells us that it only takes one number to label, shame, or laud a school. But it takes a bunch of indicators to help one improve. Using single indicators to name and shame...
In recent years, interest has grown in school-based interventions targeting executive function to boost academic success. Executive function, crucial for goal-oriented behavior in academics, has shown correlations with weaker academic performance, notably in reading and math. However, uncertainties persist regarding a direct causal relationship. A comprehensive review of 67 studies revealed a moderate link between executive function and academic success, especially in K-12 reading and math. Yet, when accounting for background factors like socioeconomic status or parental education, only a few connections remained robust, suggesting a less straightforward association. While interventions displayed potential in enhancing executive function, they lacked substantial evidence directly connecting these improvements to academic progress. More thorough research is crucial to definitively establish whether enhancing executive function translates into improved academic performance before implementing widespread school programs.
Associate Professor Michael Gottfried from the Department of Education at UC Santa Barbara's Gevirtz School will be giving an invited lecture on “Reducing Truancy and Chronic Absenteeism in California Schools” at the Seminar for Education Policymakers and Scholars on January...
Community colleges, serving diverse student bodies, often rely on placement tests to assess readiness for college-level coursework, resulting in roughly 80% of new California community college students enrolling in remedial classes. Concerns about accuracy and low completion rates associated with tests like ACCUPLACER and COMPASS have prompted a push for reforms, leading to various experimental changes in college placement policies. A new study explores these policy shifts, comparing the use of MDTP diagnostics with ACCUPLACER, uncovering that the switch negatively impacted remediation, causing fewer students to advance through math sequences and a rise in severe placement errors, indicating increased misplacement rates. Conversely, minor adjustments to placement cutoffs demonstrated no significant effects. Recommendations advocate for integrating MDTP diagnostics into placement policies, exploring lower placement cutoffs over higher ones due to the perceived lesser impact of under-placement compared to over-placement, and utilizing regression discontinuity for a more refined evaluation of placement impacts. These suggestions aim to optimize developmental math placement practices, leveraging diagnostic tools and cautiously adjusting cutoffs to bolster student success.
