Grass Valley School District (GVSD) partnered with California Education Partners through an initiative to improve literacy instruction. Over three years, GVSD implemented new literacy assessments and phonics practices, emphasizing teacher leadership, data use, and accountability. That shifted the district’s culture toward continuous improvement, enabling districtwide adoption of literacy initiatives and improved student outcomes. This case study highlights the need for stronger systems to build adult capacity and sustain leadership and collaboration.

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.

This working paper examines factors that affect student achievement in California schools, finding that family background and school context are important determinants. The report recommends that schools focus on providing high-quality instruction, improving reading and math skills, and creating a positive school climate. Policymakers should increase resources for under-resourced schools and promote parental involvement. Continued research is needed to better understand the complex factors that shape student outcomes.

The early care and education (ECE) profession faces staffing problems due to understaffed centers, high turnover rates, and an educationally bifurcated workforce. To mitigate this issue, programs like the California Childcare Retention Incentive (CRI) provide monetary stipends to ECE professionals who meet tenure and education requirements. This policy brief summarizes findings from a two-year evaluation of CRI programs in Alameda and San Francisco counties, focusing on themes relevant to Year 2 implementation.

This paper assesses the perspectives and experiences of stakeholders on San Francisco County’s CARES program, a childcare retention–incentive program. Year 2 saw over a threefold increase in the number of stipends awarded, but recipients felt the program couldn't address ECE staff retention/turnover alone. Solutions need to be implemented within a larger system of support, raising public awareness, expanding professional development opportunities, and exerting pressure on policymakers for sustained funding to augment ECE staff salaries.

This paper discusses the second year of Alameda County’s Child Development Corps program as a childcare retention-incentive program. The program's goals were to encourage staff training, professional development, and establish a strong network of ECE professionals. Stipend recipients were pleased with the program but recognized that it could not function alone in addressing staff retention, and a larger system of support and advocacy was necessary.

The policy brief discusses the reasons behind California's increase in public investment in early care and education programs, including the rising demand for childcare, recognition of the potential benefits for child development and school readiness, and the implementation of welfare-to-work programs with results and insights from both San Francisco and Alameda Counties.

This report on San Francisco County’s CARES program (SF CARES) provides guidance for policymakers, program administrators, and childcare advocates planning similar initiatives. PACE collected feedback from program planners, stipend recipients, and other childcare community members on aspects of the planning and implementation process. SF CARES successfully distributed over 400 stipends in the program’s first year, but challenges remain in reaching a broader array of childcare providers and communicating program goals.

This report provides guidance on implementing childcare retention initiatives based on Alameda County’s Child Development Corps program. PACE conducted focus groups with stakeholders to gather feedback on the planning and implementation process. The program saw increased commitment from providers to their profession and seeking training opportunities, but challenges remain with fitting permit requirements to family providers and relevance of courses.

This report analyzes California's early childhood education programs and finds that attending public preschool programs improves school readiness and academic performance, particularly for low-income children. The study also shows that the economic benefits of preschool programs far outweigh the costs, including increased earnings and decreased need for remedial education and social services. Recommendations include expanding access to high-quality preschool programs for low-income children in California to reduce economic inequality.

A study conducted for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services aimed to determine the supply and demand of licensed childcare in the county, with a focus on low-income communities and special types of care. The survey analyzed data at three levels: county-wide, service planning areas, and supervisorial districts. Results showed disparities in childcare supply across the county, with shortages in special types of care and little information on where childcare is needed.

In 1998, the PACE research center surveyed low-income and blue-collar parents to help streamline the process of finding childcare, in response to the state's welfare reform legislation. The survey included 300 in-depth interviews and covered topics such as employment, searching for childcare, interim childcare, and perceptions of care quality. The report addresses the policy problem and how parents perceive their limited childcare options.