Updated school facilities can have short- and long-term benefits for students

Upgrading school facilities can have financial, academic and environmental benefits, according to a new brief from the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee. At an average age of 50 years old, many public school buildings are in desperate need of renovations. As it stands, an estimated 53 percent have never gotten any major work done. Investing in infrastructure is essential to ensuring the best outcomes for students.

Commission on Teacher Credentialing examines preparation program participation

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing met on Oct. 17-18 to discuss the status of teacher preparation programs, move forward work on revised criteria for the state’s Child Development Permit and decide upon alternate assessment options for candidates that find themselves in between official reading […]

CSBA webinar shares preparation strategies for boards adopting new math instructional materials

Though the State Board of Education (SBE) won’t approve instructional materials for mathematics until November 2025, school districts can start preparing now for a seamless textbook adoption process that will be sure to meet local needs.

Academic recovery remains uneven, with gains higher in math than ELA

Evidence of academic recovery among students following COVID-19 pandemic disruptions has been mixed. According to a report released in September by the Brookings Institution, most data sources indicate small but promising signs of recovery in math and no widespread evidence of recovery in English language […]

Progress report on California’s universal prekindergarten initiative

California has committed to providing universal prekindergarten (UPK) for all 4-year-olds and expanding access for income-eligible 3-year-olds by the 2025–26 school year. California UPK includes transitional kindergarten (TK), the California State Preschool Program (CSPP), Head Start and locally funded early learning programs. Since 2021, this […]

State assessment results show little progress, raising concern for big picture

The 2023–24 scores for statewide English language arts (ELA), math and science assessments published by the California Department of Education (CDE) on Oct. 10 show little improvement or decline in most student groups compared to the previous year. Read a statement from CSBA CEO & […]

Study finds Black girls face disproportionately high discipline rates

Black girls face higher rates of discipline and more severe punishments than girls from other racial backgrounds for the same infractions, according to a report released Sept. 19 by the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO). A first-of-its-kind snapshot of the disciplinary disparities that Black girls […]

Placing English learners in dual language immersion courses should be priority for state

California schools are making significant progress in providing dual language immersion pathways for students, chipping away at a lapse in programs from 1998–2016, when voters approved Proposition 227, requiring English-only instruction for all students in the state. This served to shut down most bilingual programs, […]