The use of artificial intelligence is growing, but it's unclear how much it is expanding human knowledge. Peter W. Cookson Jr. discusses the potential of AI use for learning. He suggests that humans learn by making connections in ways that AI cannot replicate. The kinds of experiences that promote these connections require students to experiment…

Many school change efforts aim to foster conditions for the development of students' twenty-first century skills in an equitable and comprehensive way, but methods to measure the frequency and quality of opportunities that students receive in school are lacking. In this study, we describe the design, testing, and initial evaluation of a…

For more than four decades, researchers, policymakers, professional educators, and the philanthropic community in education have wrestled with how to scale up promising pockets of reform. Centering equity in scaling efforts means working with and prioritizing students who have historically lacked access to powerful learning opportunities,…

There is a national need to recruit more science teachers. Enhancing pathways to teaching for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors could help to address this need. The Learn By Doing Lab is a course in which STEM undergraduates teach hands-on life science and physical science to local third- through eighth-grade…

Across the United States, we have witnessed a lack of school preparedness for learning and engagement, as well as an abysmal divide between the haves and the have-nots. With the onset of COVID-19, school shutdowns are causing disproportionate learning losses, leading to long-term effects on children's long-term economic well-being and on the U.S.…

Facing the rapidly changing 21st-century education, educational organizations strive for innovative ideas to continuously motivate their teachers to enhance student performance. iLead is a district's pioneering attempt to incorporate transformational leadership's essential elements, the four I's, "Inspirational Motivation,"…

The purpose of this case study was to examine how one high-performing California TK-6th grade public elementary school had committed to the development of 21st century skills. Specifically, this study sought to identify the practices and structures at Utopia Elementary that allowed students of low socio-economic status and students with an…

Every campus leader is critical in supporting student achievement, most notably the principal and the often-unnoticed assistant principal (AP). The problem this study addresses is the lack of advancement in the AP's role as an instructional leader in light of educational reform and the demands of the 21st century. To address this issue, the…

In 2019, career pathways were offered in one-third of U.S. school districts, including more than 500 in California. A new brief from the California Collaborative on District Reform, "The Career Pathways Approach: A Way Towards Equity?," examines the equity promise and challenge of pathways. At a time when traditional school experiences…

Rural students often face challenges in receiving high-quality education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Yet without meaningful STEM educational opportunities, rural students might not develop the knowledge and skills needed to compete in a technology-driven workforce. The Learning by Making program (LbyM), an innovative…

This qualitative research study sought to understand the affordances and limitations of a systemic functional linguistics (SFL) approach to teaching composition at the community college level. The study took place over the course of a semester in two developmental college composition classes using the language of SFL to teach writing through…

Digital knowledge and skills are needed to fully participate in the society and economy of the United States. The historic $65 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represents a significant federal investment in advancing digital equity and inclusion, and an opportunity to make lasting change in communities across the country. This report…

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative study was to describe and explore how teachers in Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21) exemplar schools developed positive student-teacher relationships using the 6 domains of the California Standards of the Teaching Profession (CSTPs). Methodology: This study included 12 teachers…

Through interviews and focus groups with 21 high school seniors, this research examines the experiences of Latinx English learners in college and career academies in urban districts across California. In California, the college and career readiness landscape is varied and complex. However, many stakeholders see the Linked Learning approach as…

Teachers in a new school setting tend to display lower teacher efficacy, which negatively affects teaching performance and student learning. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the perceptions of teacher efficacy in pre-service teachers and explore key factors influencing the perceptions as a result of pre-service training.…