School Boards in Action: 5 Questions with Peter Noymer, Los Gatos Union SD

Peter Noymer, board president, Los Gatos Union School District in Santa Clara County What are some promising practices taking place in your district? The Los Gatos Union School District is fortunate to have several newer initiatives. We have been able to bring our student–counselor ratio […]

‘No child left offline’: Experts discuss the digital divide

Rural students, urban students in digitally redlined areas, Native American youth and students in non-traditional settings like adult education programs are among those most negatively impacted by the digital divide, according to Kristina Ishmael, deputy director for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Education […]

Research highlights long-term economic impacts of addressing barriers to high school graduation

Addressing the systemic inequities that lead to higher rates of chronic absenteeism and disciplinary infractions and lower high school graduation rates among the most impacted student groups would benefit the children themselves, as well as society as a whole, according to a recent brief from […]

Schools play an important role in immunization awareness

National Immunization Awareness Month provides the opportunity to review student vaccination records at “check point” grades According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), reported kindergarten and first grade immunization rates in 2021–22 decreased slightly from before the pandemic. The proportion of kindergarten students […]

Preparation programs not sufficiently training new educators to teach children how to read

Most programs at the colleges and universities that prepare future elementary teachers still do not fully cover the science of reading, according to a recent report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). Among the nearly 700 teacher preparation programs analyzed, only 25 percent […]

Bellflower USD trustee advocates for individuals with disabilities

How can local educational agencies better serve their students with disabilities? Bellflower Unified School District trustee Sue ElHessen, a long-time disability rights advocate, says some ways that question can be addressed is through education on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), empowering students by teaching […]

LPI report finds clinical support and access to subject-area training are important to teacher preparedness

A recent report from The Learning Policy Institute (LPI), Educating Teachers in California: What Matters for Teacher Preparedness?, explores the survey responses of nearly 60,000 individuals who completed teacher preparation programs (TPP) and applied for their primary teaching credentials between 2016–17 and 2020–21. More than […]

Study examines how one district is improving outcomes for foster youth

Family disruptions, trauma, out-of-home placements and school changes are common experiences among children in foster care, and often result in higher rates of disciplinary problems, grade repetition, special education placement and dropping out of high school, as well as lower academic achievement, and increased barriers […]