Student achievement in California has not rebounded after the precipitous declines of the COVID-19 pandemic, with English language arts (ELA) and math scores remaining well below prepandemic levels. Student attendance has declined dramatically, and trauma and time away from school have led to mental health challenges, delays in social development, and behavioral issues among students. All too often, teachers work in isolation to create lesson plans and deliver instruction, with little instructional support, limited opportunities for collaboration, and unclear expectations.

This case study identifies promising practices for newcomer education implemented in San Juan Unified School District (SJUSD), one of 12 local educational agencies (LEAs) funded under the California Newcomer Education and Well-Being (CalNEW) project between 2018 and 2021. This report was developed through a partnership between PACE and the Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) at Loyola Marymount University (LMU).

Access to and success in advanced math courses are not equal among high school students, with only about half of California seniors enrolling in these courses. To address this, six partnerships between university faculty and high school math specialists developed Advanced Innovative Math (AIM) courses. This report highlights the benefits of these partnerships and their common features of successful intersegmental partnerships, supplemented by case studies of each partnership.

This report examines how continuous improvement is applied to educational accountability in California. It analyzes the experiences of two organizations leading networks to increase postsecondary success, aiming to improve the consistency of initiatives using continuous improvement. Key takeaways for districts, county offices, and support providers are provided.

This study of seven California school districts during the COVID-19 pandemic shows how districts responded in real-time to the crisis and structural racism. Districts showed resourcefulness, collaboration, and commitment to serving students and communities. However, challenges remain, including declining enrollment, staffing shortages, and polarized communities, with school boards at the center of broader political debates.

A report examines two CA districts that have shifted their structures, policies, and culture to improve student outcomes. Both districts worked with California Education Partners to refine their continuous improvement approach and spread practices. PACE identified three key lessons for leading impactful improvement efforts: anchor work in outcome measures, invest in an aligned system of instructional learning, and use cross-role and cross-site structures. These lessons contributed to positive trends for student achievement, empowered practitioners, and built internal capacity for improvement.

A report on the importance of economic analysis in decision-making in CA's school system. Economic evaluations can help identify the most effective policies and interventions while reducing waste and ultimately improving outcomes for students. Studied here is the cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) method, its benefits, and its broad applicability. To be more influential, economic analysts should focus on policies and programs that require significant funding, investigate how results are relevant to decision-makers, and consider how resources can be allocated towards cost-effective programs.

Equity has been a key focus of California education policies, which aim to reduce disparities in learning outcomes. The Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) can help identify struggling students and offer support. Pivot Learning's demonstration project with Sanger, Monterey Peninsula, and Lancaster school districts sought to make MTSS implementation more accessible. Lessons learned from Sanger's implementation can guide the state's continued expansion of MTSS.

This report examines the early implementation of California's Statewide System of Support, which is designed to empower local educators in determining the best approaches to improvement. While COEs and district officials hold positive views of the system's emphasis on support over compliance, they have concerns about under-resourcing and the effectiveness of the Dashboard measurement tool. The report provides five recommendations to make the System of Support a more comprehensive system aligned with the Local Control Funding Formula.

Marin County's schools face rising costs, particularly for pensions and declining enrollment, which is not sustainable. Teacher salaries and recruitment are affected, with limited public awareness of district flexibility to respond to rising pension costs. Parcel taxes have faced opposition, and a statewide funding solution is necessary to support student success and stop financial distress. Building awareness of pension costs' impact is essential, and benefits and salaries are necessary to retain teachers.

This case study examines the looming deficit faced by Sacramento City Unified School District and the challenges it poses for students, including declining enrollment, increasing special education and pension costs. It also highlights the impact of SCUSD's budget practices and labor-management relations on its current budget situation. The report offers considerations for policymakers, including addressing unaffordable teacher benefits and increasing funding. Although the district's fiscal crisis cannot be solved overnight, stabilizing the situation and restoring public confidence are crucial.

This case study explores the Garden Grove Unified School District's culture of improvement through four key structures and processes, including consistent goals, data-driven reform, vertical and horizontal structures, and prioritization of people. The district's culture prioritizes student outcomes, commitment, and high-quality teaching. Lessons from GGUSD are broadly applicable to other California districts seeking to foster a culture of improvement.

The CORE-PACE Research Partnership's report on Long Beach Unified School District highlights lessons learned from their continuous improvement approach to improving classroom instruction. This report describes four key practices that have led to improvements in organizational function, including shared clarity of purpose, structures for shared learning, differentiated support for instructional leaders, and deepening understanding of implementation. LBUSD's efforts offer valuable insights for other systems and leaders seeking to support continuous improvement.

A case study of Ayer Elementary School in Fresno, California, reveals leadership practices that foster continuous improvement in education. The report identifies three lessons for supporting improvement in other schools: access to district resources, a culture of continuous improvement, and teacher agency. The study highlights the importance of leadership skills in promoting a culture of risk-taking, teacher agency, and collective efficacy to improve student outcomes in California schools.

This report examines how California's education sector is embracing continuous improvement over standards-based reform. The study presents six lessons learned from PACE and CORE Districts' collaboration on the topic, including the complexity of embedding continuous improvement processes into school norms and the need for deliberate steps to build a culture conducive to continuous improvement. The report provides implications for broader continuous work in California and beyond, with three case studies providing more detail on exemplary practices in two districts and one school.

California’s shift towards continuous improvement in education makes understanding how districts and schools can learn to improve a more pressing question than ever. The CORE Improvement Community (CIC), a network of California school districts engaged in learning about improvement together, is an important testing ground to learn about what this work entails.

In recent years, California has invested in improving early childhood education programs. Research shows the importance of high-quality early childhood education, but the disconnect from K–12 education threatens its long-term benefits. If the early grades do not build on the gains made in preschool, they likely will be lost. This brief, based on a longer technical report , describes the challenges facing pre-K–3 alignment and offers promising practices and policy recommendations.

Rural school districts face challenges in obtaining funds and technical assistance. Pivot Learning's Rural Professional Learning Network (RPLN) provides access to resources and collaboration for districts to improve instructional programs. The RPLN model can cost-effectively provide expertise and build a professional culture. Recommendations for future networks include a shared focus with site-specific work, intentional community building, and a data-driven improvement process.

Effective data use is crucial for continuous improvement, but there is confusion about how it differs from data use for other purposes. This report explains what data are most useful for continuous improvement and presents a case study of how the CORE data collaborative uses a multiple-measures approach to support decision-making.

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) provides base funding and grants for low-income students, English learners, and foster youth, and allows local school systems to allocate resources as they see fit. The LCFFRC conducted a survey of 350 California superintendents to understand their experiences with and views of the law. Results inform policymakers and indicate areas where changes may be needed. The survey sample included districts of varying sizes and proportions of unduplicated students.

This report discusses the validity and reliability of CORE Districts’ social-emotional learning (SEL) student-report surveys. Through a pragmatic approach, the report answers four guiding questions that explain different facets of validity for school leaders. The aim is to provide guidance around the use of SEL surveys within and outside of the CORE districts to facilitate decision-making for educational leaders.

This study explores ten "outlier schools" in California's CORE districts that have strong social-emotional learning outcomes. The brief and infographic summarize the various practices found in these schools and the common implementation challenges faced. The findings offer lessons that can help other schools and districts implement social-emotional learning at scale.

This report analyzes the predictive value of the Smarter Balanced Assessment, high school GPA, and SAT scores on early college outcomes for California State University and University of California, Davis students. The study examines differences among student subgroups, including race/ethnicity and socioeconomic disadvantage, and provides insights into how well the Smarter Balanced Assessment measures up to other commonly used assessments for predicting college success.

California's LCFF is a significant change in education finance and governance that sends funds to districts based on student need and eliminates most categorical funding. The LCFF requires districts to engage with stakeholders and develop a Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). The LCFF Research Collaborative identified districts with innovative implementation efforts in stakeholder engagement, implementation of California State Standards, and resource allocation decision-making. These positive examples can serve as models for others to learn and improve from.

Many parts of California, particularly rural and desert areas, are often overlooked by policymakers and researchers, despite the growing number of students attending school there. The Antelope Valley region has seen steady increases in student enrollment, particularly of Hispanic/Latino(a) and African American students, English learners, and foster youth. This report highlights the needs of the Antelope Valley Union High School District and its feeder districts, and calls for greater focus on supporting high-needs populations outside of urban centers.