Thank you for joining the Getting Down to Facts III (GDTFIII) Statewide Partner Briefing, and for the important work you do every day to strengthen California’s public education system.
We are deeply grateful to the funders, researchers, community members, and partners who make this project possible. Your partnership reflects a shared commitment to evidence, equity, and ensuring that high-quality research reaches decision-makers in Sacramento and in school board rooms across the state.
Key takeaways from the briefing
- GDTFIII brings together 55 technical papers and 21 research briefs addressing urgent questions related to student outcomes, school finance, governance, workforce, learning conditions, multilingual learners, student wellbeing, and technology and AI.
- The research agenda reflects what we heard during the statewide listening tour: a strong demand for practical, decision-relevant evidence that can inform policy and practice, not just describe problems.
- GDTFIII builds on the legacy of prior Getting Down to Facts efforts that helped catalyze major policy shifts, including LCFF and early childhood investments, and extends this work to new areas such as governance and emerging technology.
- Findings are being produced in multiple formats (technical reports, research briefs, and audience-specific materials) to ensure accessibility and usefulness for policymakers, practitioners, advocates, and communities.
What’s next
Getting Down to Facts III is entering a high-impact engagement phase in May 2026. We will be hosting regional community convenings, topical webinars, and small-group briefings to support local sense-making and policy-relevant conversations across California.
Thank you again for your partnership and leadership. We look forward to continuing to learn with you and to working together to ensure GDTFIII research informs policy, practice, and public understanding statewide.
GDTF III Overview and Papers
| Title | Author(s) | |
| 1 | The Intersection of Special Education and English Learner Classifications and Its Implications for Multilingual Learners’ Educational Opportunities | Alfredo J. Artiles and Joao Souto-Maior |
| 2 | The Potential of Generative AI to Support More Engaging and Effective Schools and School Systems | Cristina Barnard, Chris Agnew, and Susanna Loeb |
| 3 | District Dollars 3: California School District Finances Through the LCFF and Pandemic Eras | Paul Bruno |
| 4 | California's Teacher Workforce: Understanding Supply, Demand, and Shortages | Melanie Leung-Gagné, Desiree Carver-Thomas, Lucy Sorensen, Tara Kini, Susan Patrick, Tiffany Tan, and Linda Darling-Hammond |
| 5 | Pathways into Teaching in California: Where Do New Teachers Come From and How Long Do They Stay? | Thomas M. Smith and Yiwang Li |
| 6 | Principal Trends in Supply, Distribution, Preparation, and Retention | Linda Darling-Hammond and Nicole Arshan |
| 7 | Material Wellbeing of CA’s Families | Philip Fisher |
| 8 | Education Data Needs, Availability, and Access in California for Schools, Districts, Researchers, and the Public | Jon Fullerton |
| 9 | State Role in Supporting District Capacity to Improve Instruction and Student Outcomes in Math, TK-8th | Alix Gallagher, Lisa Towne, and Susanna Loeb |
| 10 | What California’s Latinx Students, Families and Communities Want From and For Their Schools | Antero Garcia and Nallely Aceves |
| 11 | Reasons for Absenteeism in California | Kevin Gee |
| 12 | Teacher Certification Policies: Balancing Quality and Access in the Teaching Profession | Pam Grossman and Maya Kaul |
| 13 | California Community School Implementation and Initial CCSPP Grant Outcomes | Laura E. Hernández, Walker Swain, and Anna Maier |
| 14 | Assessing Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs) Using Generative AI | Jacob Hibel |
| 15 | Secondary Math Requirements, Options and Results | Elizabeth Huffaker |
| 16 | Adolescence and the Reimagined High School | Mary Helen Immordino-Yang and Linda Darling-Hammond |
| 17 | The Impacts of PreK-12 School Resources on Student Achievement Trajectories, and the Potential Synergies Between Early and Later Public Education Investments on Student Success | Rucker Johnson and Austin Land |
| 18 | California Schools’ Revenue Sources and Constraints | Jonathan Kaplan and Efrain Mercado |
| 19 | Pensions and California Public Schools, 2026 | Cory Koedel |
| 20 | The Special Education Assessment Conundrum | Elizabeth Kozleski |
| 21 | Leveraging Technology for Flexible, Equitable Special Education | Elizabeth Kozleski |
| 22 | Strategic Staffing Models in California Schools: Opportunities and Barriers | Mary Laski |
| 23 | Ed Tech and AI in Schools, Adoption and Emerging Needs | Victor Lee |
| 24 | Educators Beyond the Classroom Teacher - How Paraprofessionals and Teacher Aids Can Better Meet the Needs of Students | Chris Lemons |
| 25 | Cross-State Comparison on Policies Supporting Multilingual Learners | Francesca López |
| 26 | School Board Governance | Julie Marsh, James Bridgeforth, and Beth Schueler |
| 27 | California’s System of Special Education Staffing | Susan Moffitt, Lindsey Kaler, Michaela O'Neill, and Patricia Strach |
| 28 | (In)Effective Shrinking: The Pressures of Demographic Change on California’s Schools | Pedro Noguera and Alvin Makori |
| 29 | California's Early Literacy Reforms | Sarah Novicoff |
| 30 | School Closures and District Finance in California, 2011-2019 | Francis Pearman |
| 31 | School Accountability / Dashboard | Morgan Polikoff and Shira Haderlein |
| 32 | Curriculum Adoption and Implementation in California | Morgan Polikoff and Shira Haderlein |
| 33 | Multilingual Learners Progress of California Students Acquiring English and the Organizational Resources That Support Their Educational Achievements | Heather Price |
| 34 | Trends and Patterns of Academic Performance in CA, 2003-2024 | Sean Reardon |
| 35 | College Course-Taking Among California Public High School Students | Sherrie Reed, Michal Kurlaender, Kramer Dykeman, and Alexandria Hurtt |
| 36 | Who Governs California’s Schools? A Cross‑State Map of Supervision, Administration, and Implementation in CA, FL, NY, and TX | Tye Ripma and Susanna Loeb |
| 37 | California K-12 Special Education Governance and Finance System: Current State and Future Directions | Tye Ripma and Patrick McClellan |
| 38 | Course Grading Changes in California High Schools | Jesse Rothstein, Michal Kurlaender, and Kramer Dykeman |
| 39 | Does California have the Teachers it Needs to Effectively Teach Multilingual Learners? | Lucrecia Santibañez |
| 40 | Early Childhood Education - The Changing Landscape of ECE in California | Deborah Stipek and Beth Meloy |
| 41 | Early Childhood Education - Staff Preparation & Support | Deborah Stipek and Beth Meloy |
| 42 | Early Childhood Education - Workforce | Deborah Stipek and Beth Meloy |
| 43 | Early Childhood Education - Quality | Deborah Stipek and Beth Meloy |
| 44 | Early Childhood Education - P-3 | Deborah Stipek and Beth Meloy |
| 45 | Early Childhood Education - Data | Deborah Stipek and Beth Meloy |
| 46 | Re-Envisioning California County Offices of Education: Descriptive, Historical, and Comparative Perspectives | Jose Eos Trinidad |
| 47 | Effects of California’s “Basic Skills” Reclassification Criterion | Ilana Umansky and Havi Khurana |
| 48 | California’s School Facilities in a Changing Climate: Resilience, Equity, and Educational Readiness | Jeff Vincent and Sara Hinkley |
| 49 | The Impact of Intervention: Resource Effectiveness in School Districts Receiving Differentiated Assistance | Jason Willis |
| 50 | Administrative Burden and the Unintentional Effects of California’s Approach to Education Policy | Jason Willis |
| 51 | Black Educational Futures in California | Maisha Winn, Lawrence Winn, Misbah Naseer, Jeremy Prim, and Andre Anderson-Thompson |
| 52 | Meeting Students Where They Are: California Students’ Access to Relationship-Based Personalized Learning | Lauren Ziegler and Susanna Loeb |
| 53 | California Charter School Authorizers | Ron Zimmer, Adam Kho, and Shelby L. Smith |
| 54 | Does Your Math Pathway Make a Difference? | Michal Kurlaender and Kramer Dykeman |
| 55 | The Transition to College for Gender and Sexual Minority Youth | Alexandria Hurtt, Michal Kurlaender, Christina Sun, Kairo Weber, and Baiyu Zhou |
| 56 | Supporting Immigrant-Origin Students in California’s Schools | Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj |
