TOPIC

Understanding, measuring & improving student outcomes

Student Outcomes

Measuring student and school performance is critical for understanding and improving outcomes and achieving higher levels of equity in our systems. However, it is equally important to bring evidence to bear in solving problems of practice when they are revealed by data. To this end, PACE research in this topic area is focused on developing evidence to support understanding, measuring and improving student outcomes. 

Central to our vision in this area is the development of data systems that support educational improvement all all levels of the system. Our research has emphasized the importance of a comprehensive, longitudinal data system that can be used to support research, accountability, and continuous improvement

We use existing data to show how students are performing on multiple indicators, and to reveal variation across regions, student demographic groups, and schools/districts. We research how indicators of school performance can be improved over time, or better used to support accountability and improvement. Finally, PACE research products document best-practices from the literature and from leaders across the state with the goal of improving student outcomes for all California students.

Recent Topic Publications
cover
Enrollment in California public schools has been declining and is projected to fall even more steeply during the next decade. Because funding for school districts is largely based on average daily attendance rates, a decline in enrollment results in…
cover
This study investigates racial disparities in school closures both within California and nationally. Findings highlight an alarming pattern: Schools enrolling higher proportions of Black students are at significantly increased risk of closure…
Constructing a Good Fit: Improvement Team Leads’ Perspectives on Fitting Improvement Work to Their Sites
Improvement Team Leads’ Perspectives on Fitting Improvement Work to Their Sites
This chapter in an edited book focuses on the work of two improvement network hubs in California as they tried to support participating districts and schools to improve the proportion of students “on-track” for post-secondary success. California has…
Guidance for District Administrators Serving Newcomer Students
Newcomers represent a large and understudied subgroup of students in California. The Oakland Unified School District has been disaggregating data on newcomer status for the last 7 years, providing a basis for analyzing graduation outcomes for…