Research has shown time and again that all students benefit academically and socially from having a non-white teacher, especially students of color. Twenty percent of the teacher workforce as of 2020 was composed of people of color, compared to just over 50 percent of students, […]
Author: Kimberly Sellery
School Boards in Action: 5 Questions with Beverly Berryman, Fullerton SD
Beverly Berryman, board president, Fullerton School District What does your district have planned for the 2022–23 school year to foster learning recovery and educational advancements? Fullerton School District (FSD) began efforts to foster learning recovery prior to the ”return to normal” and is committed to […]
Report lays out strategies leading to student success
Last week, the CSBA blog highlighted the findings from Curriculum Associates analysis of reading and mathematics data gathered from nearly 2 million first- through eighth-grade students during the 2021–22 school year via the company’s diagnostic i-Ready Assessment. That report found that while younger students are […]
New assessment analysis finds mixed results in student progress after pandemic learning disruptions
While younger students are falling behind in foundational reading skills, older elementary and middle school student reading progress is on par with progress prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In math, however, student achievement in all grades is still below pre-pandemic levels, according to new research […]
The state of arts education in California schools
In 2007, SRI International released a report evaluating how California school art programs were meeting state goals. The state Education Code requires schools to offer courses in four arts disciplines — dance, music, theater and visual arts — to all K–12 students. The resulting report, […]
California debuts free literacy platform focused on young learners
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond on Aug. 31 announced the California Bilingual Early Literacy Initiative, a $27 million digital literacy partnership that will provide free bilingual early literacy assistance to California children and families through interactive eBooks, songs and games in English and […]
Appeals court issues preliminary injunction in FCA v. San Jose Unified School District
On Aug. 29, a three-judge panel from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a preliminary injunction and ruled in a 2-1 decision that San Jose Unified School District must reinstate the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) as an Associated Student Body-recognized club at Pioneer […]
Department of Health Care Services launches initiative to support student mental health
The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced on Aug. 23 the launch of the CalHOPE Schools Initiative, featuring transformational films that speak directly to the heart of students’ social-emotional and mental health needs and customized curriculum and guides to help teachers, students and […]
NAEP long-term trends assessment reveals first-ever decline in math for 9-year-olds
The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) conducted a special administration of the NAEP long-term trend (LTT) reading and mathematics assessment for 9-year-old students to examine student achievement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results, released Sept. 1, showed declines in both reading and math compared […]
Officials urge families to get mandatory vaccines
The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted many facets of daily life, including routine health screenings, vaccinations and medical check-ups. As the 2021–22 school year begins, more than one in eight children in California need to catch up on routine vaccines that were missed or delayed during the […]











