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 […]
National Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, is a catalyst for school districts and county offices of education to reflect on local trends and practices and employ strategies to best support students and their families.
School safety continues to be a priority for school districts and county offices of education and their governing board members, administrators, students, staff and families. While school safety encompasses a wide range of topics from child abuse prevention and reporting to earthquake emergency procedures to […]
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 […]
An August report from Bellwether suggests that although less than 1 percent of K-12 schools closed in the U.S. in the 2023–24 academic year, school closures may become less rare in the near future as local educational agencies grapple with declining enrollment, budget constraints and other issues.
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 […]
In a time marked by declining enrollment, shifts in federal policy and rising costs, the board’s role as stewards of local education finance is more critical than ever. In response to concerns from board members around the state, CSBA hosted a webinar, “Maximizing Impact: Prioritizing […]
The 57th annual PDK Poll on the public’s attitudes toward public education found that 43 percent of Americans give their local schools an A or B grade (down from 54 percent in 2022), while just 13 percent feel the same about the nation’s public schools (a fall from 23 percent in 2022).
Recent research concluded that teachers do continue to improve professionally the more experienced they become. Think Again: Do the Returns to Teacher Experience Fizzle Out? explores the conditions needed to foster ongoing growth and how the field can retain more seasoned educators.
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 […]
