The transition to distance learning for all students has been a challenge, but particularly for those in transitional kindergarten through third grade who have not yet learned to read or lack experience using computers. A new brief from Policy Analysis for California Education identifies a […]
Category: Closing the Achievement Gap
Closing the Achievement Gap
Closing the digital divide will require significant policy overhaul
Since schools closed last spring to slow the spread of the coronavirus, districts and county offices of education throughout California have stepped up and gotten creative to ensure students without access to devices or internet connectivity had what they needed to learn in an online […]
New report highlights how a more diverse school board can improve outcomes for a diverse student body
School boards with more racially and ethnically diverse members are more likely to allocate money in a way that can benefit racially and ethnically diverse student bodies, according to new research. In a new working paper focused on California governance teams and the ways in […]
How fostering leadership at every level promotes student achievement
As more districts begin some form of in-person instruction and work to address learning loss resulting from the pandemic-driven school closures, a new brief suggests stable leadership within a district benefits children at the classroom level. Researchers at the Learning Policy Institute identified “positive outlier […]
Native American attendance rates lower than general population; Humboldt County officials aim to address root causes
Native American youth in California are still missing far too much school each year, according to statewide data released Nov. 10. During the 2018–19 school year, American Indian or Alaska Native students had an absence rate of 13.6 percent, lower only than foster and homeless […]
CSBA webinar shines a spotlight on current inequities and how to avoid future pitfalls
As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, district and county office of education officials are increasingly forced to reckon with longstanding inequities related to the digital divide, and how to address student learning in the long-term. In a Nov. 19 CSBA webinar, “Equitable Support for California […]
WestEd offers a behind the scenes look at the development of California’s Cradle-to-Career data system
An Oct. 15 webinar hosted by WestEd offered an overview of what the state is trying to accomplish by developing a linked data system that tracks individuals through their schooling and into the workforce. In 2019, the California State Legislature passed the California Cradle-to-Career Data […]
National Assessment of Educational Progress results reveal decline for 12th-grade students
Amid a global pandemic, widespread school closures and fear of student learning loss, the just-released 2019 scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed a slight decline in 12th-grade reading compared to 2015, with scores holding steady overall in math. The results also show […]
Ongoing digital divide concerns, possible solutions highlight Assembly hearing
A joint Assembly committee hearing on Oct. 14 offered an array of perspectives on the digital divide, which has long plagued California but is now being considered with new urgency due to the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread distance learning. New Reality: Students’ Access to the […]
Whittier elementary school uplifts Latino students, raises college-going expectations
Hispanic Heritage Month is recognized nationwide from Sept. 15–Oct. 15 as a time to honor the cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Gov. Gavin Newsom, in a proclamation issued on Sept. 15, 2020, recognized Latino Heritage Month to honor and recognize the contributions […]










