Topics Preparation

May 23, 2019

California considers overhauling test of reading instruction for teachers in training

The test is outdated, and there is no evidence that it contributes to more effective instruction.

May 17, 2019

Experienced teachers key in California districts that ‘beat the odds’

The Learning Policy Institute found that fully prepared teachers mattered more than overall spending and low teacher-student ratios in raising test scores.

May 13, 2019

Saving Stege: What will it take to redesign this struggling California school?

The West Contra Costa Unified School District has embarked on an 18-month plan to redesign a struggling East Bay school. Will it succeed?

May 1, 2019

Wage gap between teachers and other college graduates exacerbates teacher shortages

Average wages of California teachers lag other college graduates by 16.2 percent.

April 18, 2019

Teach for America targeted as legislation seeks to limit inexperienced teachers in California

Assemblywoman has introduced a bill that would ban some inexperienced teachers from schools with a high percentage of low-income students.

April 17, 2019

California lags behind other states in quality and access to state-funded preschool

California was ranked 14th in access to preschool for 4-year-olds, behind Oklahoma, Vermont, Florida, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Georgia and South Carolina, among other states.

April 11, 2019

How one district achieved a more collaborative labor-management partnership

San Jose Unified and its teachers union offer model for how to move from combat to collaboration, researcher says.

March 10, 2019

Grades must reflect mastery, not just effort

More attention, training needed to solve the problem of misleading grades, author says.

January 21, 2019

Required tests roadblock for many aspiring California teachers

Almost half of California’s potential teachers quit the profession before they even start because they can't pass one or more of the tests required for them to earn a credential, making it more difficult for the state to put a dent in a persistent teacher shortage.

Diana Lambert

January 8, 2019

Michael Kirst's parting advice: more teacher and principal training is critical to success of local control

In an exit interview, retiring state board President Michael Kirst urges more attention to professional development for teachers and principals, discusses the need for more school funding, an expanded school database and a new agency focused on children's needs.

John Fensterwald

December 13, 2018

What California can learn from universal preschool in other states

Some states have successfully expanded both access and the quality of their preschool programs. Here’s what some early learning advocates and researchers say California could learn from them.

Zaidee Stavely

November 19, 2018

Preschoolers take on math with the help of college students

Preschool Counts, a program piloted by Stanford University in 2013, is boosting early math skills by pairing undergraduate students with preschoolers to practice math through games and other activities.

Ashley Hopkinson

September 17, 2018

Multifaceted reforms needed to reach California’s education goals, research project finds

Getting Down to Facts II finds strong support for education reforms but also obstacles to student achievement and a need for more funding.

John Fensterwald

September 17, 2018

Essential Guide to Getting Down to Facts II

Here are the take-aways from the studies on special education, funding needs, a teacher shortage, a data deficit, student mental health local control's unmet potential – and more.

John Fensterwald, Daniel J. Willis, Yuxuan Xie, And Justin Allen

August 15, 2018

California gets high grade in measuring teachers’ reading instruction skills

Linda Darling-Hammond, chair of teacher credentialing commission, calls the state assessment out of date and not a good predictor of classroom performance.