English Language Arts

April 5, 2022

California’s detailed test data gives it an advantage for the road ahead

A deeper dive into the Smarter Balanced test data reveals that the news is both better and worse than we previously realized.

David Wakelyn

California's Reading Dilemma

March 8, 2022

How one California elementary school sees success after overhauling its reading program

Nystrom Elementary ditched a popular, yet criticized curriculum and put a greater focus on phonics to improve students' reading skills.

Ali Tadayon

Literacy

September 22, 2021

State superintendent sets goal to get all California third graders reading by 2026

State officials eye legislation aimed at addressing the longstanding issue of struggling early readers.

Ali Tadayon

College Readiness

May 2, 2018

California university students are stretching...and it is all happening in writing class, not the gym

California state universities replace remedial English composition with a new model that takes two semesters and offers academic credit for both.

Larry Gordon

Special Education

February 14, 2018

With support instead of punishment, a California school district works to improve special education

County offices of education are working with districts identified for "differentiated assistance" due to poor performance by student subgroups.

Theresa Harrington

The Common Core Challenge

January 4, 2018

A focus on writing in every class is key to success in this rural California district

Culture shift included schoolwide writing, comprehensive teacher training, teambuilding, new classes, and stressing importance of standardized tests.

Theresa Harrington

The Common Core Challenge

December 14, 2017

State Standards strong in California, report says

Study of 24 states shows California's math and English language arts standards are rigorous and are focused on college and career-readiness.

Theresa Harrington

The Common Core Challenge

August 24, 2017

Q & A : Common Core teacher shares insights in blog, workshops

Gabriela Orozco Gonzalez, a teacher in the Los Angeles area, discusses Common Core lessons, teacher collaboration, testing and educating English learners.

Theresa Harrington

The Common Core Challenge

May 29, 2017

California students go online in record numbers to take Common Core-aligned tests, with few glitches

Familiarity with tests and increased Internet capabilities helped districts administer assessments, but state system experienced glitches when overloaded.

Theresa Harrington

The Common Core Challenge

February 9, 2017

What parents should know about the Common Core

Common Core standards in math and English language arts have brought many changes to California classrooms. Here's a rundown of what's different.

Theresa Harrington

The Common Core Challenge

January 30, 2017

More teacher preparation needed to fully implement Common Core standards in California

The state formed committees to support implementation of the Common Core standards, Next Generation Science Standards and History-Social Science standards.