As a result of California Assembly Bill 705(AB705, 2017) and California Assembly Bill 1705 (AB1705, 2021), most 1st-year students will enroll directly into transfer level math and/or English courses (Baca, 2021; Lopez, 2022; Melguizo et al., 2022; Sims, 2020). Students once placed into remedial coursework before enrolling in transfer level…

This parallel qualitative case study explored a potential outcome of California CTC Teacher Induction Program Standards (California Commission on Teacher Credentialing [California CTC], 2020) as one that develops a beginning teacher's disposition of courage in addressing numerous inequities in education. This study employed qualitative…

This qualitative study contributed new insights into the complex interplay between California Community College (CCC) campus climate and faculty-led diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) changemaking. Using focus groups and interviews with 22 full-time faculty, this study found that supportive campus policies and practices, such as…

This paper is part of the special issue on Teacher Learning and Practice within Organizational Contexts. Shifting instructional practices in elementary schools to include more equitable, reform-based pedagogies is imperative for supporting students' development as science learners. Teachers need high quality professional development (PD) to learn…

In 2023, California will implement a new statewide math framework that will drive curriculum decisions and pedagogical approaches for years to come. Although the state's content standards for mathematics are not changing, a statewide framework could nevertheless shift instruction by providing educators with guidance on how to implement content…

Sensemaking is a popular framework for studying the meaning-making dimensions of policy implementation, change initiatives, and practitioner action in education. While generative, it has traditionally offered less guidance on how certain organizational actors have formal and/or informal power to advance their version of events and how certain…

The University of Southern California (USC) Democracy Project responds to the inadequacies of traditional civics education, particularly its failure to engage marginalized students in meaningful democratic participation. Grounded in the theories of John Dewey and Paulo Freire, the project uses an action civics model to connect students with…

With the growth of dual enrollment in high schools, there is an opportunity to augment and enhance college acceleration opportunities for historically underrepresented students seeking post-secondary matriculation. In 2016, California enacted progressive legislation through Assembly Bill 288, which specifically identified the need to increase…

Although Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975, barriers remain to successful inclusive classroom models, including the special education legal literacy of general education teachers. Responsibility for educating students with disabilities has shifted from special education teachers to general education…

Physical education classrooms reflect a range of learners, movers, and abilities. Incoming physical educators report lacking confidence and knowledge in their ability to create inclusive lesson plans. Many undergraduate and liberal studies students are required to take one adaptative physical education pedagogy course; thus, incoming educators…

Students with disabilities who are identified to receive special education services have the right to a free and appropriate public education until they reach the age of 21 according to The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA] (2004). This includes developmentally appropriate sex and reproductive health education for youth with…

The purpose of this study was to examine how communication between Latino parents and special education teachers influenced collaboration and involvement in the development of the Individualized Education Program in Southern California. The study used Ogbu's (1992) cultural ecological theory and Epstein's (1995) six steps types of parental…

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programs and curricula have emerged as a priority in schools over the past three decades, with greater urgency since the COVID-19 pandemic. While SEL programs may show promise in supporting students' social and emotional needs generally, current SEL practices apply color-evasive approaches, leading to White-centered…

This study explored how preservice teachers engaged in collaborative inquiry with elementary students to facilitate social justice and equity in science education. By inviting elementary students as key stakeholders into collaborative inquiry, we examined how preservice teachers uncovered critical problems of science education in underserved…

This mixed-method phenomenological study reports findings of 144 urban California educational leaders' and teachers' views about the identified effects Academic Optimism has on supporting equitable growth in student learning within ten low SES schools. Hoy, Tartar and Woolfolk-Hoy (2006) examined how Academic Optimism was a general demonstrable…