Between 2017 and 2025, roughly 5 percent of kindergartners were redshirted per year on average with a peak of 6.4 percent in fall 2021 during the pandemic, according to NWEA’s March brief “Should kindergartners be redshirted? Costs likely outweigh academic benefits.”
Category: Achievement
Strategies to avoid and implement to scale instructional improvement
A local educational agency’s structures and processes are key components in effectively uplifting and scaling instructional changes in schools, according to Policy Analysis for California Education’s (PACE) practice brief “How Districts Scale Instructional Improvement That Lasts.”
Aligning math pathways from high school to college
The report Aligned by Design: How cross-system math alignment can improve students’ pathways from high school to college offers recommendations that states can consider to improve the effectiveness of math pathways for learners.
GAO report explores challenges and tips for exiting comprehensive support
The federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on March 12 examining the national landscape of school improvement and strategies that helped schools exit comprehensive support and improvement (CSI) and the challenges they faced. Under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, states are required to measure the performance of their public schools. They must also identify three categories of low-performing schools for support and improvement, including those that need CSI — representing the lowest-performing schools in the nation.
Most schools have yet to recover in math and reading post-pandemic
In fall 2024, just 32 percent of U.S. schools had recovered to pre-pandemic achievement levels in math or reading, and only 14 percent had recovered in both subjects, according to NWEA’s February brief “From loss to recovery: Diverging paths and uneven gains across schools.”
The impact of community schools in California and the nation
A webinar hosted by the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), “Community Schools as a Locally-Driven Strategy for Student Success,” detailed the investments states are making in the model and how strategies are paying off.
New research highlights misconceptions about achievement gaps in early grades
While boys and girls start kindergarten on roughly equal footing in math, boys consistently gain ground during the kindergarten year and continue pulling ahead through fifth grade, according to new research from the Brookings Institution.
Legislators and CSBA announce SOS for Student Achievement legislative package at Capitol press event
On March 17, Assemblymembers Darshana Patel (D-San Diego), Rhodesia Ransom (D-Tracy) and Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) joined CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy, CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade and Hope Elementary School District Superintendent Melanie Matta at the Capitol to unveil the SOS for Student Achievement: Close the state accountability gap campaign and related legislation to improve overall student performance, close achievement gaps and establish comprehensive state-level support for local school districts and county offices of education.
Addressing trauma among young children and families is vital to long-term success
Mi Escuelita Preschool, founded in 2006, has made headlines over the last few years due to the trauma-informed learning environment it provides for students and their families, and the educational results it’s been producing.
CDE webinar spotlights important considerations for closing literacy gaps among Black students
The California Department of Education (CDE) hosted a webinar in January to equip local educational agency leaders, educators and other stakeholders with best practices and actionable strategies to improve literacy outcomes for Black students. With Black History Month in full swing, now is a perfect time for administrators and governance teams to revisit the discussion.










