Morgan Polikoff

April 5, 2022

Student math scores touch off ‘five-alarm fire’ in California

The pandemic compounded the challenge of teaching math at grade level when many California students may be three or four years behind.

John Fensterwald

March 5, 2020

Post-Prop. 13: Why a likely winner may end up California election’s big loser

Several factors — confusion with a more famous 13, tax fatigue, anxiety over the stock market — may have led to the measure’s likely defeat.

John Fensterwald

December 13, 2019

How are students — and schools — doing in California?

This week: LA County Superintendent Debra Duardo cites low performing student groups' progress, while USC Professor Morgan Polikoff faults the dashboard design.

EdSource staff

July 10, 2018

Pressure builds to change how California measures student progress on state tests

Student advocacy groups and academics are seeking to adopt a model other states use to calculate the impact of students’ test score growth, but state staff urge patience.

John Fensterwald And Mikhail Zinshteyn

April 9, 2018

California makes significant gain in reading on much anticipated national test

San Diego, Los Angeles and Fresno make notable growth among urban districts in the 2017 NAEP.

John Fensterwald

February 5, 2018

​Contrary to critics, parents tell pollster they find California’s school dashboard useful

Depending how the question is framed, they also favor rating schools on multiple factors, not issuing a single grade.

John Fensterwald

November 6, 2017

California state board asked to reject textbooks that fall short on LGBT contributions

Two K-8 texts by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt did not comply with state's History Social Science Framework, according to Instructional Quality Commission.

Theresa Harrington

September 14, 2016

Poll: To address teacher shortage, pay them more

More than half of voters never heard of state's Local Control Funding Formula.

Louis Freedberg And Theresa Harrington

July 20, 2016

Letter details opposition to federal proposal defining student success on tests

The state board agrees with a USC professor studying the issue – minimum proficiency is too narrow a measure.

John Fensterwald