Research has long shown that family involvement in a child’s education can have significant positive impacts — particularly among students whose families face barrier to meaningful engagement, be it for linguistic, cultural or logistical reasons. In California, where local educational agencies are required to demonstrate […]
Category: Effective Governance
Effective Governance
New survey shows support for school boards, need to boost engagement
Results from the latest annual poll conducted in July by Policy Analysis for California Education and the University of Southern California (USC) Rossier School of Education of California voters on their opinions of and priorities for public education identified several major threats facing public schools. […]
How equity walks can be leveraged by boards to further success for all students
By Nicole Anderson As governance teams lead for equity through continuous improvement to close equity gaps, it is critical they become data savvy through a process of embracing and monitoring both quantitative (test scores, grades, etc.) and qualitative (equity walks, surveys, etc.) data to inform, […]
Collective bargaining in divisive times
Negotiating labor contracts is never easy, even in the best of times. Yet, the unprecedented scrutiny of school operations brought on by the pandemic means that collective bargaining is more public and more complicated than ever before. Deep disagreements about how best to allocate funds […]
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 […]
Community schools can improve relationships and reduce achievement gaps, research shows
The U.S. Department of Education and the Learning Policy Institute on May 26 hosted a webinar, “Community Schools: An Evidence-based Whole Child Approach to Education,” with practitioners and researchers taking an in-depth look at how community schools can transform student learning and outcomes. Department of […]
CSBA and ACSA raise CALPADS issues with California Department of Education
In response to concerns raised by members in early May, CSBA and the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) a letter to Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and the California Department of Education concerning issues in the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) system. […]
California schools awarded federal Green Ribbon status
The U.S. Department of Education on Earth Day (April 22) announced the 2022 U.S. DOE Green Ribbon Schools, District Sustainability awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability awardees. Across the country, 27 schools, five districts and four postsecondary institutions were honored for their innovative efforts to reduce environmental […]
Surveys show families largely support school boards and several key priorities
Several new and recent polls conducted by Lake Research Partners (LRP), the Public Policy Institute of California and other research groups found that voters nationwide believe that their local school board does the best job addressing issues in public education, and would like to see […]
The growing importance of teacher induction
Teacher burnout, turnover and retention have been at the forefront of the minds of local educational agency leaders for years, but now with increased urgency as the pandemic continues to push many educators to the brink. The six-district Walnut Valley Consortium — comprising Rowland Unified […]