This brief draws on Getting Down to Facts III to recommend three priorities for strengthening California’s education system: clear student goals, reliable instructional support for every district, and stronger, more affordable teacher preparation. It calls for aligned policy and funding, reduced compliance burdens, sustained support for improving teaching, and expanded four-year preparation pathways to help promising reforms reach more classrooms.

The 2018 Getting Down to Facts II research project drew attention to California’s continued need to focus on the achievement gap, strengthen the capacity of educators in support of continuous improvement, and attend to both the adequacy and stability of funding for schools. Based on the nature of the issues and the progress made in 2019, some clear next steps deserve attention as 2020 unfolds.