Resource Library
Elevating the good work of grantees.
Photo: Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages
Story / Case Study / Commentary
Community Schools in Rural California: Leveraging Shared Resources in West Kern County
Learning Policy Institute
This case study examines how a cross-district collaborative in Kern County leveraged shared resources to implement the community schools strategy in support of student success and well-being in a rural context.
Research/Report
Advancing LCFF Equity and Accountability
National Education Policy Center
More than a decade after the Local Control Funding Formula was enacted, this policy memo outlines key changes to strengthen equity and accountability and to address persistent opportunity gaps inside and outside schools.
Research/Report
Highly Mobile Youth: How State Policy and Local Implementation Can Work Together to Support Youth
University of California, Los Angeles Center for Transformation of Schools
In collaboration with WestEd, this case study of Colorado and Washington’s approaches to supporting highly mobile youth—students experiencing homelessness, foster care, migrant mobility, or juvenile justice involvement—highlights distinct models, challenges, and lessons learned for supporting youth.
Research/Report
The Fear is Everywhere: U.S. High School Principals Report Widespread Effects of Immigration Enforcement
UCLA Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access
Based on a survey of high school principals in the 2024-25 school year, this study finds that the impact of immigration enforcement on students and communities was the top challenge facing schools.
Policy Brief/Proposal
Integrated Care Policymaking: Keeping the Whole Child Central From the Start
Breaking Barriers
This brief is designed to help California policymakers advance an integrated approach to policymaking to improve California’s child-serving systems.
Research/Report
District Supports for Community Schools: How Systems Can Enable High-Quality Implementation
Learning Policy Institute
This brief synthesizes findings from case studies of three LEAs that support urban and rural community school networks, highlighting how they have supported and scaled effective community schools implementation in their unique settings.
Research/Report
A Snapshot of Postsecondary Access and Opportunity in California
Institute for Higher Education Policy
This brief offers a snapshot of the strategies California has employed to expand postsecondary access without race-conscious policies or practices.
Research/Report
A New Vision for Adolescent Learning and Well-Being
In this study, Sarah Fine, Santiago Rincón-Gallardo, and Michael Fullan examine the pioneering work of six California education systems—Lindsay Unified, Oakland Unified, Fresno Unified, Shasta County Office of Education, Monterey Peninsula Unified, and Anaheim Union High School District—that leveraged an influx of state funding to drive systemic transformations in secondary education.
Research/Report
The Economic Milestones of Young Californians
Public Policy Institute of California
This report provides new context on how young Californians are progressing along key economic milestones and how these patterns have changed over time.
Research/Report
Updating California’s School Funding Formula: Assessing Alternatives and Trade-Offs
Public Policy Institute of California
This report examines potential changes to LCFF to help address fiscal and academic challenges, modeling a variety of alternative allocations to highlight fiscal costs and trade-offs.
Story / Case Study / Commentary
Community-Connected Redesign at Fremont High School
Learning Policy Institute
This brief tells the story of Fremont High School's redesign journey from an isolated campus with severe underenrollment to a vibrant community school where students have access to authentic, community-connected learning and families hold power on campus.
Research/Report
Community Schools Impact on Student Outcomes: Evidence From California
Learning Policy Institute
This study evaluates the impact of the California Community Schools Partnership Program on student outcomes, including attendance, suspensions, and academic achievement.
Research/Report
Healthy Minds, Strong-Futures: Aligning Systems to Advance Adolescent Development for Youth in Foster Care
All4Ed
This report examines the intersection of education, health, and child welfare systems in the lives of youth in foster care. It highlights the potential of school-based approaches and presents actionable recommendations to reduce barriers that prevent youth in foster care from having their health and educational needs met.
Research/Report
Developing a Healthy School Climate in Community Schools
Learning Policy Institute
This report highlights five key dimensions of healthy school climate, offers research-based strategies to develop a healthy climate in community schools, and shares concrete illustrations of climate-oriented, high-leverage practices being implemented in existing community schools.
Research/Report
Community Schools Certification: An Approach for Implementation
Learning Policy Institute
As community schools increasingly operate at scale, this report describes how the process of certification can guide learning and support quality implementation across a system.
Research/Report
Youth Workforce Development in California: Overview, Initiatives, and Best Practices
California Opportunity Youth Network and New Ways to Work
This report provides a comprehensive analysis of efforts in California to equip young individuals with essential skills and create pathways for personal and professional growth.
Research/Report
Californians and Civic Education
Public Policy Institute of California
This report explores public opinion on the importance of civic education, how well local public schools are providing it, and which topics and activities should be the focus of a civic education.
Webinar / Video / Podcast
Rooted in Oakland: A Community School Takes Shape
Community Concern Films
This short film tells the story of Fremont High School, and the work of the school community to reimagine itself to better meet the needs of students, families, and educators.
Research/Report
PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education
Public Policy Institute of California
A statewide survey highlights how California adults and public school parents feel about the state's K–12 policy direction, local public schools, school funding, and early childhood education.
Tool / Toolkit
Navigating Declining Enrollment: A Toolkit for California District Leaders to Design Stronger Schools and Systems
Bellwether
A tool to help district leaders approach budget realignment strategically, offering practical resources and research-based guidance on redesigning school systems to improve student learning in a resource-constrained environment.