Because of its growth potential and consistent impact across local educational agencies, a recent NWEA brief, “School’s in for summer: A scalable and effective post-pandemic academic intervention,” concluded that summer school is “a reliable intervention for supporting district-wide math recovery.”
Report finds need for more coherence within the Statewide System of Support
A December report summarizes the findings of a working group convened last year by the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence to determine how effectively the Statewide System of Support’s current structure — including the layers of technical assistance embedded in it, such as differentiated assistance and direct technical assistance — is supporting local educational agencies.
Disproportionate discipline remains an issue in California schools, but LEAs can turn things around
Despite the passage of legislation banning willful defiance suspensions, research from the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools found that racial disparities in suspension rates have remained mostly unchanged.
US Department of Education finds California Department of Education policies violate FERPA
On Jan. 28, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced its finding that the California Department of Education (CDE) is “in continued violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) — a federal law granting parents the right to access their child’s education records — for policies that pressure school officials to conceal information about students’ ‘gender identity.’”
California schools are losing tree canopy, study finds
Eighty-five percent of California schools considered in a recent study experienced tree canopy loss between 2018 and 2022.
CSBA’s campaign to close the achievement gap is needed to support African American student success
In recognition of Black History Month, observed in February, CSBA Principal Research Manager Jeremy Anderson highlighted how the initiative, with proper implementation, will allow local educational agencies to better support African American students.
Recommendations to build a more diverse teacher workforce
A recent report and accompanying brief from the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) considers the experiences of teachers of color as the workforce’s diversity was stagnant at about 20 percent between 2018 to 2021. It also examines strategies to encourage more diversity in the field.
Data on youth mental health, substance use
Anxiety continues to be a common struggle for adolescents, according to the report Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Researchers provide tips and tools to support LEAs in redesigning schools
Throughout the country, education leaders and policymakers are leaning into the concept of redesigning schools from the standardized factory model to one that can enable stronger academic and social-emotional outcomes for every student. Redesigning schools for deeper and more equitable learning requires systemic approaches that […]
Legal update: California Supreme Court decision on CPRA case
On Jan. 15, the California Supreme Court issued a decision in City of Gilroy v. Superior Court of Santa Clara County, in which it clarified two issues related to the California Public Records Act (CPRA).











