Where’s the money? New CSBA report provides new insight into how LEAs spent federal COVID funds

More than two years since the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closures in March 2020, the federal government has provided billions in relief funding to aid local educational agencies in the United States to continue educating students through distance learning, implement virus-mitigation measures to aid […]

CSBA webinar gives local context to COVID relief spending report

CSBA hosted a webinar on July 12 to discuss its new report, Unprecedented Times, Unprecedented Responses: An Analysis of Federal COVID-19 Relief Fund Spending in California Public Schools. District leaders detailed their experiences during the event and CSBA staff shared how board members can effectively […]

Relationships among the most valuable tools in districts’ early COVID response

Strong relationships among leadership and stakeholders helped districts navigate challenges caused by COVID-19, the politicization of the pandemic and divided political beliefs, according to a new report from the Policy Analysis for California Education. Conducted during the first 14 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, “Crisis […]

Report considers pandemic’s impact on K-12 science education

Science education was widely put on the backburner and implementation of the California Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) was delayed in many schools during the 2020–21 academic year, according to Public Policy Institute of California report The Impact of COVID-19 on Science Education. Released in […]

Significant inroads made in addressing the digital divide, but progress is slowing

Gaps remain in broadband access among Californians, but the latest data show local, state and federal efforts to bridge the digital divide have made significant progress since the onset of the pandemic — especially among students. Two new fact sheets from the Public Policy Institute […]

U.S. Department of Education encouraging more pathways to success for high schoolers

Helping high school students earn college credits, receive personalized career and college counseling, engage in work-based learning and achieve industry credentials is of growing interest to education leaders as well as employers. A June 1 webinar, “Growing Pathways to Success: Reimagining Career & College Opportunities,” […]

Policy brief lays out resources for rural schools in wake of COVID, wildfire disruptions

The digital divide, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, lack of community health supports, school staffing shortages and increasingly frequent and destructive wildfires are some of the most prevalent challenges facing rural school districts in California. The policy brief “Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind: How New Funds […]