November 16, 2022

Voters reelected Tony Thurmond; now he needs to keep his promises on literacy

California needs to be screening all K-2 students for dyslexia and should also mandate that districts use literacy curriculum based on the science of reading.

Megan Bacigalupi

November 7, 2022

New biography examines Michael Kirst's impact on public education in California and beyond

Kirst , who was president of the State Board of Education for all four of Jerry Brown’s terms as governor, co-authored the Local Control Funding Formula.

John Fensterwald

June 30, 2022

Nearly 1 out of 5 classes in California taught by underprepared teachers

A new state database of teacher assignments shows that 17% of K-12 classes in 2020-21 were taught by teachers without the credential or training to teach the course.

Diana Lambert, Daniel J. Willis, And Yuxuan Xie

May 18, 2022

California must consider rural districts' unique realities for community schools grants

Innovative program that allowed rural districts to collaborate to create and expand community school programs runs into a surprising roadblock.

Julie Boesch and Tim Taylor

May 12, 2022

California set to launch hundreds of community schools with $635 million in grants

The state's "whole child" model stresses collaborating with parents, teachers and community organizations; 265 districts are to receive initial funding.

John Fensterwald

March 18, 2022

California revises new math framework to keep backlash at bay

Drafters of revision tempered language, reiterated local control of 8th grade Algebra and reemphasized high-level math options are for all students.

John Fensterwald

November 5, 2021

One district's faulty data shouldn't drive California's math policy

California's 2022 revision of the mathematics framework should be where we come together to improve on what actually works — and be based on peer-reviewed data.

Seeyew Mo

October 4, 2021

How California's commitment to safety is leading us out of the pandemic

The history of pandemics illustrates the importance of continued vigilance.

Linda Darling-Hammond

September 10, 2021

California will give a short version of its standardized math and English tests next spring

State Board agrees to cut as much as 2 hours from lengthy Smarter Balanced assessments; parents won't receive as many details as in past.

John Fensterwald

September 1, 2021

California leads the way on safe school reopening

The surest path to safe and full in-person instruction throughout the school year is a strong emphasis on these reliable prevention measures: vaccines, masks, testing, tracing, and ventilation.

Linda Darling-Hammond

May 20, 2021

California math curriculum spurs new controversy about accelerated learning

Voluntary guidance for math instruction faces criticism from parents saying it stunts potential for students in advanced math pathways.

Sydney Johnson

May 4, 2021

Hundreds of thousands of California students won’t take statewide standardized tests this spring

California released updated guidance for school districts deciding whether Smarter Balanced or a local assessment is their more viable option.

Sydney Johnson

May 3, 2021

California state board likely to adopt long-awaited ‘student growth model’ to measure test scores

The new method of tracking individual students' Smarter Balanced scores should provide a more useful measure of schools' and districts' progress.

John Fensterwald

April 8, 2021

Local assessments an option if Smarter Balanced tests ‘not viable,’ U.S. education officials affirm

California state officials have not yet outlined in detail what conditions must exist for a district to select an alternative assessment.

Sydney Johnson

April 2, 2021

Local assessments an option if statewide tests aren't viable during pandemic, California officials signal

California’s plan would still offer Smarter Balanced assessments in math and English language arts, the California Science Test, as well as tests for English learners.

Sydney Johnson