Digital knowledge and skills are needed to fully participate in the society and economy of the United States. The historic $65 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represents a significant federal investment in advancing digital equity and inclusion, and an opportunity to make lasting change in communities across the country. This report…

Teachers are indispensable in the public education system in California. There is a need for more credentialed teachers in California and a need for those willing to pursue the profession. A qualitative collective case study addressed low morale, teacher satisfaction, and decreasing desire to remain in the profession due to COVID-19. The demands…

The diversity of California's teaching force continues to lag behind its student population. While students of Color make up 78% of the state's K-12 population, Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers (TOCIT) comprise just 34% of the teaching workforce (California Department of Education, 2018), a statistic that has dominated the teacher…

Youth of color are full of promise; they are courageous, intelligent, creative, curious, bold, and resilient. An investment strategy placing them at the center and addressing the structural barriers that keep them locked out of social, emotional, and economic prosperity because of their race/ethnicity, gender, and/or zip code is both fiscally…

This article discusses research about LGBTQ school leadership and notes differences in participants' perceptions of treatment in their professional environments. The study employed mixed methods to identify the perceptions and experiences of unfair treatment and discrimination of lesbian and gay public-school administrators working in K-12…

Scientific thinking and understanding are essential for all people navigating the world, not just for scientists and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals. Knowledge of science and the practice of scientific thinking are essential components of a fully functioning democracy. Science is also crucial for the…

Completing the A-G course sequence is the standard pathway to college for California high school graduates; however, findings indicate that there is substantial variation in A-G enrollment and completion rates across student subgroups and schools. This brief describes the distribution in access to and success in A-G courses as well as strategies…

This essay explores a variety of ways California's English Learner (EL) Roadmap can be used as a tool to make significant and transformative changes to provide meaningful learning opportunities for students classified as English Learners. The EL Roadmap contains 4 principles: (1) Asset-oriented and needs-responsive schools; (2) Intellectual…

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 a loss of funding. To address budget shortfalls and align services with student counts, many…

Drawing from ethnographic research in two sites in California, we examine how school boards' deficit practices create barriers for mothers. We analyze how school boards acted as gatekeepers to educational opportunities and maternal involvement. Our analysis reveals that mothers activated their agency as parents to foster civic capacity and create…

The federal "Every Student Succeeds Act" (ESSA) has stimulated states to revisit school improvement. Previously, the Center analyzed ESSA and the related consolidated state plans using the lens of how the federal legislation and state plans address barriers to learning and teaching and re-engage disconnected students. Such analyses…

Today's educators serve the United States public-school system at a time of considerable curricular, technological, and demographic change. In 2010, the Common Core State Standards in Math and English Language Arts significantly altered the curricular landscape of K-12 classrooms. On the heels of this reform came the adoptions of English…

The stakes are incredibly high in California to provide access to a high-quality education in a safe environment for all students. As districts across the state resumed full-time instruction and began the task of pandemic recovery, members of the California Collaborative on District Reform convened three times in 2021-22 to continue and deepen…

California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) promised to give more resources to the students who need the most: English learners, foster youth, and low-income students. So, how well is California's new education funding system delivering on that promise? The Education Trust-West's report, "The Steep Road to Resource Equity in California…

California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) promised to give more resources to the students who need the most: English learners, foster youth, and low-income students. So, how well is California's new education funding system delivering on that promise? The Education Trust-West's report, "The Steep Road to Resource Equity in California…