This brief examines how schools shape math course-taking among California high school students. It finds that 12th-grade math enrollment has declined in about two thirds of high schools in recent years, with differences tied to school size and student demographics. Students in smaller schools and in schools serving higher shares of socioeconomically disadvantaged students are less likely to take advanced math courses. The findings highlight how variation in course offerings and access contributes to unequal opportunities in math preparation for college.

This report examines trends in high school math course-taking among California students over the past decade. It finds that after increasing prior to 2020, 12th-grade math enrollment has declined to earlier levels, alongside shifts in the types of courses students take. Students are less likely to enroll in Algebra 2, precalculus, and calculus, and more likely to take statistics. While the share of students reaching Algebra 2 has remained stable, fewer are progressing to higher-level math, raising concerns about college and career readiness.

This brief examines how changes in foster youth classification status relate to student absenteeism and discipline in four California CORE districts. Drawing on longitudinal data, it finds that entering foster care is associated with reduced absenteeism but increased exclusionary discipline, while exiting foster care is linked to increased absenteeism with no significant change in disciplinary risk. These findings highlight critical transition points where targeted supports and stronger policy alignment can improve educational stability and outcomes for youth in foster care.

This report examines how California’s policies and local practices shape the reclassification of students designated as English learners. Drawing on a nine-year research–practice partnership, it analyzes how locally determined criteria—particularly the “basic skills” requirement—and administrative processes can delay or prevent reclassification. The findings highlight how variation across districts contributes to unequal opportunities, especially in nonunified systems.

This brief examines the role of the University of California, Davis, in the Regional K–16 Education Collaboratives Grant Program, a statewide initiative designed to support pandemic recovery and address persistent inequities in higher education and workforce participation through regional partnerships. Focusing on UC Davis’ work in three California regions, the brief explores how intersegmental collaboration is structured and sustained across institutions.

This infographic examines chronic absence trends in California through 2024–25, nearly five years after the COVID-19 pandemic. Although rates have declined from their 2021–22 peak, nearly one in five students remains chronically absent—well above prepandemic levels—and progress has slowed. Eight key facts highlight persistent disparities and the urgent need for sustained, data-informed action to reengage students and reduce barriers to attendance.

This brief presents evaluation findings from California’s Supporting Innovative Practices (SIP) project, a statewide effort to expand inclusive general education access for students with disabilities. SIP participation is associated with faster growth in least restrictive environment indicators than statewide trends. Cross-case analyses identify four enabling conditions: structural redesign, leadership mindset and culture, data-driven continuous improvement, and cross-role collaboration. Findings suggest inclusive gains are achievable when districts receive sustained, practice-embedded support...

Many districts struggle to scale lasting instructional improvement; their systems—structures and processes—are key to successfully scaling improvement initiatives. Drawing on data from districts’ work with California Education Partners, this brief contrasts effective district system engagement with common pitfalls: delegating leadership, relying on informal networks, and maintaining too many priorities. District leaders play a pivotal role as only they have the authority to repurpose existing system resources, create new structures, and monitor systemwide progress.

California now requires annual K–2 screening for reading difficulties to identify students early and guide support. This brief outlines key policy elements, considerations for multilingual learners, and implementation steps for districts, emphasizing training, coherent MTSS systems, and state investment to ensure effective, equitable literacy improvement. It cites persistent literacy gaps as motivation and urges continuous evaluation of screeners and district capacity over time.

The report TK–12 Education Governance in California: Past, Present, and Future examines the history of California’s education governance system, analyzes the state of the current system and its effectiveness across six key dimensions, and offers recommendations for realigning roles and responsibilities to create a more coherent education governance system in California. Education governance encompasses the mechanisms through which decisions are made, responsibilities are distributed, and accountability is maintained within the public education system.

This report analyzes how California’s school finance system—built to promote equity through the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)—continues to produce unequal opportunities due to property wealth disparities. It explores how “basic aid” districts, which generate more local tax revenue than the state funding formula provides, have accumulated growing advantages over other districts. Drawing on fiscal and demographic analysis, the report highlights how these patterns shape resource gaps and teacher labor markets across the state and offers policy options to promote greater funding equity.

This case study examines how Chino Valley Unified School District scaled the Professional Learning Community (PLC) at Work model across all schools to strengthen teacher collaboration, leadership, and use of student data. Over eight years, the district built coherent systems—scheduled collaboration time, coaching, and consistent leadership—while partnering with the teachers’ union to sustain focus despite COVID-19 and political challenges. Guided by framework for scaling effective practice, CVUSD institutionalized continuous improvement, contributing to notable gains in student achievement.

This report examines the CORE Districts’ Breakthrough Success Community (BTSC), which focused on improving ninth-grade on-track rates through evidence-based changes in daily practice. Some schools effectively adapted BTSC strategies, fostering strong relationships and engagement. While implementation varied and overall impact on student outcomes was not detected, schools valued key BTSC measures, and later adjustments may strengthen results. This report highlights promising practices and offers recommendations to enhance future education improvement efforts.

Absenteeism soared in California and nationally in the wake of the pandemic, and addressing this extraordinary increase is crucial to helping students catch up academically. Using data available from the California Department of Education and building on prior analysis, we examine trends in chronic absence (students missing school more than 10 percent of the time) through school year 2023–24. Although rates of chronic absence have continued to decrease since their peak in 2021–22, they remain alarmingly high. Ensuring equitable opportunities to learn will require ongoing attention and action.

This brief introduces a three-part series describing California Education Partners’ multistage approach to supporting school districts with improving their students’ outcomes in literacy and mathematics. The approach addresses persistent barriers to improvement by building capacity in the district, piloting reforms, and focusing on scaling changes systemwide in sustainable ways. PACE authors highlight the successes and challenges of Ed Partners’ approach, emphasizing the fundamental importance of leadership at the teacher, school, and district levels to drive change throughout the district.

This case study explores how Lake Tahoe Unified School District worked to improve math instruction, starting a pilot at Sierra House Elementary School. Partnering with California Education Partners, LTUSD addressed stagnant test scores by developing pacing guides, essential standards, and open-ended math tasks. Sierra House used these tools to create a collaborative system for analyzing student learning and refining instruction. While scaling districtwide remains a challenge, the Sierra House model highlights leadership and resource use with collaboration in advancing instructional coherence.

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.

Optimists believe AI will partner with teachers to provide customized learning resources, digital tutors, and innovative experiences tailored to individual students’ needs. Pessimists express concerns about the potential dehumanization of education, arguing that AI could increase students' reliance on digital tools, reduce meaningful human interactions, and perpetuate biases and misinformation. In this article, the authors highlight the need for education leaders and policymakers to navigate the use of AI with care, balancing its transformative potential with its inherent risks.

California policymakers and educators are promoting dual enrollment to boost educational attainment and equal access to postsecondary opportunities. Assembly Bill 288, enacted in 2016, encouraged high school-community college collaboration, and funding for dual enrollment has increased. Local educators are working to expand programs and support student success. Participation grew steadily from 2015–16 to 2019–20, but stalled in 2020–21 and 2021–22, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on dual enrollment opportunities.

Within the TeachAI Policy Workgroup, PACE has facilitated the development of AI policy informational briefs aimed at ensuring the effective, safe, and responsible integration of AI in education. These briefs offer guidance to education leaders and policymakers, emphasizing the importance of crafting policies that prioritize teaching and learning. The briefs provide insights derived from current research and landscape analysis of AI use in TK–12 educational settings, addressing common questions and centering around five guiding principles for developing responsible AI policies in education.

This brief examines the experiences of California high school seniors from the graduating class of 2023, offering insights into their preparation, plans, and concerns for college prior to enrollment. Drawing on results from a large-scale survey of seniors, the findings reveal important variation in students’ secondary school experiences and their plans for college, particularly by race/ethnicity and gender identity. As students’ experiences in high school influence concerns about their college futures.

This infographic, from PACE and Wheelhouse, examines participation in dual enrollment among 9th to 12th graders. The data show that about 10 percent of all California public high school students enrolled in community college courses in 2021–22, but these rates vary from zero to 97 percent depending on locality. Analysis demonstrates that dual enrollment participation is unequally distributed across racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups as well as geography. The evidence demonstrates the potential of improving early access to dual enrollment in 9th grade for closing these equity gaps.

Chronic absenteeism has soared in California and nationally in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and addressing this extraordinary increase is crucial to helping students catch up academically. Using data available from the California Department of Education, this analysis examines trends in chronic absenteeism through school year 2022–23.3 Although rates of chronic absence have begun to decrease, they remain alarmingly high. Ensuring equitable opportunities to learn will require ongoing attention and action, including taking into account these seven key facts.

In October 2023, the California Department of Education released test scores for all students in Grades 3–8 and 11 for the 2022–23 school year. These results represent an opportunity to analyze whether and to what extent student learning has rebounded after the dramatic declines in scores resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and related school closures. Despite marginal improvements from 2021–22, student cohorts in 2022–23 remain very far behind prepandemic levels.

California’s ambitious investment in Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) reflects a commitment to providing access to UTK for all 4-year-olds in public schools by the 2025–26 academic year. However, the implementation of transitional kindergarten (TK) presents challenges for districts in aligning this new grade coherently with existing grade levels and prekindergarten (PK) options within the context of the mixed-delivery model. This model adds complexity to achieving coherence as students transition from PK or TK to the existing district system.