Fewer high school students used tobacco products in 2023, but use among middle school youth increased significantly, according to a study released Nov. 2 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Based on findings from the 2023 […]
Commission on Teacher Credentialing makes move to improve teacher assessment experience
Action items at the Dec. 7-8 meeting of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) included options to improve teaching performance assessments and a request to adjust the accreditation cycle for the new literacy instruction requirement. The meeting also featured several end-of-the-year reports including the […]
Facing a crisis head on: Solutions to recruiting and retaining teachers
By Jeff Pelzel California educators have faced a significant challenge on the journey to academic growth: the persistent teacher shortage. Just as things seemed to be looking up after a seven-year increase, there was a 16 percent dip in newly issued teaching credentials, according to […]
California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office releases sobering 2024–25 budget projection
By Chris Reefe, CSBA Legislative Director On Dec. 7, the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) issued its long-awaited Fiscal Outlook for the 2024–25 fiscal year. The report offered a revised — and extremely sobering — projection of the state budget and significantly more detail […]
Computer science access grew significantly in 2023; California has room for improvement
This year saw the largest growth in the percentage of high schools offering foundational computer science since 2018, according to the 2023 State of Computer Science Education, released on Nov. 1 by the Expanding Computing Education Pathways Alliance (ECEP), Code.org and the Computer Science Teachers […]
Calling all health care professionals: Get involved at the school board level
As local educational agencies continue to grapple with more issues linked to student health, it is critical that health professionals weigh in on the conversations school boards have as they shape and adopt policy, according to an Oct. 23 article published in JAMA Pediatrics. Co-author […]
Experts cite the need for healthy digital habits among youth
Educators know that bullying doesn’t stop at the edge of school property, but supporting students experiencing cyberbullying has proven difficult as much of the harassment takes place outside of school hours and off campus. A Nov. 8 webinar hosted by the U.S. Department of Education […]
Legislative Analyst’s Office predicts significant budget deficit during presentation at CSBA’s Annual Education Conference
At CSBA’s 2023 Annual Education Conference and Trade Show, California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) unveiled the state’s latest budget numbers, painting a sobering picture for state finances and education funding. The LAO predicts tax revenues will fall about $26 billion short of earlier estimates for […]
New K-12 cybersecurity and AI resources available
The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) has recently made available new resources to support local educational agencies’ cybersecurity efforts and policies surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). Tailored specifically to meet the needs of K-12 institutions, CoSN’s new NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology] Cybersecurity Framework […]
Strategies to leverage MTSS in support of English learners
Recommendations for districts on ways to support English learners (ELs) most effectively are included in a recently released brief from the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools. “Leveraging CA MTSS to Support English Learner-Classified Students: Insights from Three CA Districts” covers findings from a […]