Study examines breakdowns in communication between schools and the public, offers suggestions for improvement

The experience a parent or community member has when they call the main office, complete a registration form, ask a transportation question, navigate a website or portal, raise a concern, request language access or any number of other interactions shapes the way they feel about their school or district.

Survey results show bipartisan, widespread support for regulation of AI in classrooms

In a time of extreme fragmentation, the majority of Americans, regardless of political affiliation, agree on one thing, according to survey data from The Century Foundation: They want stronger governmental regulation on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technology in K-12 schools.

Study highlights roadblocks to bilingual education for older students and suggestions to address them

New research from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) found that bilingual education programs are heavily concentrated in elementary grades, leaving many older multilingual learners without a strong path to building proficiency and mastering grade-level content.

Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight: Palomazo Academy

When students at Santa Ana High School said in 2019 that they wanted the opportunity to connect to their culture through music, leaders at HALOS — a district-funded afterschool program — got to work buying instruments popular in Latin regional music including guitars, accordions and more. Now, the Palomazo Academy, which HALOS hosts every Tuesday and Thursday, provides access to instruments and peer instruction at no cost to students. And, perhaps more importantly, it offers students a safe space to create, build confidence and connect to their roots, according to HALOS Site Supervisor Ruby Echeverria.

New brief details the current landscape of public education in California

The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) released its latest snapshot of the state of California’s TK-12 education system in August. The brief examines current enrollment trends, student achievement, funding and other factors in an effort to help guide local and state policymakers in better supporting and educating California’s youth.

State Board of Education takes deep dive into LCAP and assessment use

The State Board of Education’s (SBE) Sept. 9 meeting included thorough discussion on proposed changes to the state’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) template — including ways to make the document more useful to schools and communities rather than an exercise in compliance — as well as potential use of 11th grade Smarter Balanced results in higher education admissions and more.

Common Sense Media announces new AI curriculum and survey findings underscoring the need

On Aug. 18, Common Sense Media released results from a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. teens detailing their use of artificial intelligence (AI) as well as the lack of available resources to support lessons on AI literacy. Simultaneously, the nonprofit organization released a new Digital Literacy & Well-Being Curriculum for grades 9-12 that it says pairs AI literacy with the critical-thinking, creativity and connection skills students need to navigate the technology.

How Centralia ESD turned around its chronic absenteeism rates

Attendance rates plummeted among Centralia Elementary School District children during the COVID-19 pandemic just as they had in local educational agencies throughout the country. Prior to the pandemic, the district boasted just a 5 percent chronic absenteeism rate, which spiked to 22 percent. Preliminary data from the last school year shows the district’s chronic absenteeism rate is down to 8 percent, with every school site reporting declines.