Over the summer, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) announced an increase in the number of newly issued teaching credentials in the 2023–24 academic year, signaling a promising development in addressing the state’s teacher shortage. Hispanic educators represented a significant number of those new […]
While most mayors in the U.S. don’t directly oversee their local school districts, they still have an important role to play in helping students succeed through direct support, supporting strategic partnerships and public advocacy. New guidance from the National League of Cities details how city […]
Hundreds of bills aimed at ensuring that students, families and policymakers have access to the secure, timely information needed to navigate and understand education systems and the workforce were introduced across the country in 2025, according to Data Quality Campaign’s (DQC) latest report, Education and […]
On Sept. 10, a judge for the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island issued a preliminary injunction pausing the federal government’s attempt to restrict access to certain public programs based on immigration status. The injunction arises out of a legal challenge by 20 states, including […]
A RAND analysis of 2024–25 school year data from the American School District Panel and the American Youth Panel show rates of chronic absenteeism remain above pre-pandemic levels and are negatively impacting efforts to close achievement gaps exacerbated by COVID-19. “Persistent high levels of absenteeism […]
Assessment was top of mind during the California State Board of Education’s (SBE) Sept. 10–11 meeting, which included actions taken related to measuring student knowledge and outcomes in science and languages, as well as updates to Student Score Reports (SSRs) and the state’s assessment system […]
Despite decades of advocacy, students with disabilities often face significant gaps in educational outcomes. If local educational agencies aim to turn things around for this student group, WestEd experts suggest starting with supportive, coherent and effective assessment systems. An Aug. 14 webinar featured panelists discussing […]
September is Attendance Awareness Month, a time when governance teams often look to re-examine policies and data related to school climate, chronic absenteeism, student wellness and more to address underlying causes of high absence rates among young people. School districts in California’s Central Valley experienced […]
September is Suicide Prevention Month — a time to raise awareness about this urgently important crisis. Currently, suicide is the second leading cause of death among people ages 10-14, the third leading cause of death among those ages 15-24 and the 12th leading cause of […]
The Education Commission of the States (ECS) recently released a national comparison of state policies to recruit and retain teachers across the teacher pipeline. “Schools continue to face specific and persistent teacher shortages in certain subjects, such as upper-level math and special education, and in […]
