The California State Board of Education’s (SBE) final meeting of 2025 on Nov. 5-6 included action taken on several items related to instructional materials and career technical education (CTE), as well as deep discussion on assessment and accountability items, community schools and student leader recommendations. […]
Author: Alisha Kirby
Survey finds transportation challenges negatively impact schools, students and families
Most school administrators continue to face transportation challenges in their local educational agencies, according to a new report from HopSkipDrive, a company that provides supplemental school transportation services, and the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Using surveys from 510 school administrators and almost 840 […]
Survey on school attendance highlights common challenges and potential solutions
Chronic absenteeism in the United States remains about 75 percent higher, on average, than pre-pandemic levels, negatively impacting everything from student achievement to funding for classrooms. “There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for school districts, and every leadership team needs to engage their students, staff, parents, and […]
California’s community schools are seeing improvements in test scores, attendance and disciplinary rates
Since 2021, California has invested $4.1 billion in the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP), establishing the nation’s largest state-level community schools initiative. According to new research from the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), these schools are already having positive impacts on students and families. The […]
California continues progress toward ensuring low-income youth are able to financially pursue higher education or job training
More than 260,000 California second graders started this school year with scholarship funds that will continue to grow during their K-12 journey to ultimately help them prepare for college and career training. The California Kids Investment and Development Savings (CalKIDS) program, launched in 2022, is […]
Staffing remains a challenge in high-need schools, report shows
About 25 percent of students statewide attend schools where at least 20 percent of teachers are not fully credentialed or are teaching subjects outside of their formal authorizations, according to a recent report from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). These schools were often […]
Data shows trends related to special education dispute resolutions
A recent analysis by the Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) shows that while written state complaints and due process complaints increased during the 2023–24 school year, so too did mediation agreement rates. The federal technical assistance center found that the number […]
Report finds that support for opt-outs waivers when people consider the consequences
While the public largely supports the ability of parents to opt their child out of lessons tied to religion or identity, support drops sharply across political lines when people hear about the burdens and learning losses opt-outs create, according to a report released in August […]
Research highlights areas of concern with AI teacher assistants
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools offer genuine benefits for educators when used correctly. However, without proper training, oversight and integration into schools, teacher assistant platforms including Google Classroom’s Gemini Teacher Assistant, Khanmigo’s Teacher Assistant, Curipod and MagicSchool pose a risk to students, according to a […]
New report seeks to boost support for California’s English learners
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) released a report in August that aims to help state and local education officials better understand and adapt to changes in California’s English learner (EL) population. Almost 20 percent of students statewide are ELs, and nearly 40 percent […]











