Recent Publications in Education

Sonoma County schools chief Amie Carter unopposed in June election for second term

Fri, 20 Mar 2026

Near the completion her first term as Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools, Amie Carter is officially running unopposed for the seat in the June primary.

State finds ‘systemic’ failures in how a California school district handles sex abuse allegations

Fri, 20 Mar 2026

SCOE Superintendent weighs in on Sac County teacher strikes, district financial issues

Fri, 20 Mar 2026

Strikes are continuing at Twin Rivers Unified, which have entered their third week. The Natomas Teachers Association announced Wednesday night it had reached a tentative agreement with the district, and teachers would return to the classroom today.

Will Central Valley schools named after Cesar Chavez be renamed?

Fri, 20 Mar 2026

California school districts with schools that bear Cesar Chavez’s name are grappling with whether to rename their campuses following sexual abuse allegations against the late labor leader.

1,000+ teachers, parents storm Twin Rivers district office on 11th day of strike

Fri, 20 Mar 2026

More than a thousand teachers and parents rallied at the Twin Rivers Unified School District office Thursday morning as the teacher strike reached its 11th consecutive day.

Audit blasts Val Verde Unified’s ties with elite private boarding school in China

Fri, 20 Mar 2026

A scathing audit has found that the Val Verde Unified School District in Perris, along with former top state education officials, may have engaged in corrupt practices and illegal activity tied to a private boarding school in China that serves as a student pipeline to top American universities.

Stanislaus County schools largely escape mass education layoffs across the state

Fri, 20 Mar 2026

Across California, school districts have announced mass layoffs in the hundreds and even thousands. While school districts in Stanislaus County have issued notices of anticipated layoffs, none have exceeded 30, and only one has been in the double digits.

Downtown charter campus growing into college-prep high school

Fri, 20 Mar 2026

A charter school that started enrolling transitional kindergartners through eighth-graders upon its opening about 18 months ago in downtown Bakersfield is looking more and more like a college-prep academy.

As unions move toward strike, LAUSD warns of impact and defends pay offer

Fri, 20 Mar 2026

A day after two of Los Angeles Unified’s largest unions announced plans to strike next month if no agreement is reached, district officials said Thursday they are working “around the clock” to avoid a work stoppage, while defending their latest contract offers as fair and financially sustainable.

Santa Rosa student bullied for over a year before being violently assaulted; parents say district should have done more

Thu, 19 Mar 2026

Parents of a Santa Rosa High School senior who has been attacked twice in the wake of repeated bullying say the second traumatic incident could have been avoided if the district and school did more to protect him.

This new California law will offer college students rehab before discipline for overdosing

Thu, 19 Mar 2026

Schools move to minimize Chavez’s role in civil rights movement: ‘We stand with survivors of violence’

Thu, 19 Mar 2026

Teachers will return to class as strike ends in Sacramento-area school district

Thu, 19 Mar 2026

Teachers in Natomas reached a deal with their district late Wednesday night, putting an end to a strike that left 16,000 Sacramento kids without classroom teachers for seven consecutive school days.

Why Bay Area schools are cutting jobs and closing campuses despite record state funding

Thu, 19 Mar 2026

Dozens of Bay Area school districts have announced layoffs, budget cuts or school closures this year to repair gaping budget deficits ranging from $6 million to over $100 million.

EdSource: Fresno school district, teachers union get families housed

Thu, 19 Mar 2026

For seven years, Veronica Sanchez, her mother and her five school-aged children lived in hotel rooms across Fresno. They had a place to sleep. But it wasn’t ideal.

California school districts face the thorny issue of schools named for Chavez

Thu, 19 Mar 2026

Manteca Unified is escaping the rapidly spreading backlash involving alleged sexual abuse crimes by the late farm workers rights icon Cesar Chavez. MUSD has no organized districtwide event celebrating Chavez. A number of the state’s school districts aren’t as lucky.

Teachers rally as potential strike looms at third Sacramento-area school district

Thu, 19 Mar 2026

As teachers unions from two Sacramento-area school districts continued to strike on Tuesday, a third district’s teachers association is one step closer to joining the picket lines.

LAUSD teacher and service worker unions announce massive April 14 strike if no deal reached

Thu, 19 Mar 2026

Los Angeles Unified’s two largest labor groups — the teachers union and service employees — announced Wednesday they will join forces and both go on strike April 14 if no contract deal is reached before then, actions that would effectively shut down schools in less than a month.

New Plans for Old Santa Barbara Armory

Thu, 19 Mar 2026

The Santa Barbara Unified School District bought it eight years ago, but planning for the site stalled — until now.

LAUSD unions announce April 14 strike date at downtown rally

Thu, 19 Mar 2026

Thousands of Los Angeles Unified teachers, staff and administrators rallied Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles as union leaders moved towards a strike, escalating pressure on the district after nearly a year of contract negotiations.

Course Corrections? The Labor Market Returns to Correctional Education Credentials

James Cowan, Dan Goldhaber, Suvekshya Gautam | Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis | Sat, 21 Mar 2026

This study investigates the labor market returns to educational credentials earned during incarceration, focusing on GED diplomas and short-term vocational certificates. We employ a difference-in-differences (DID) design to estimate the causal impact of these credentials on post-release earnings and employment. Specifically, we compare individuals who earned a credential with those who enrolled in educational programs but did not complete one. Obtaining a GED or vocational certificate increases quarterly earnings by approximately $450 or $250, respectively. Completers work more hours and earn higher wages post-release. The earnings gains from certificates are particularly concentrated in the construction and manufacturing sectors. This study contributes to the evidence on the economic returns to credentials earned in prison and how they vary across fields.

IncreasED: How Court Rulings Impact Special Education Identification

Stephanie Coffey, Christopher Cleveland | Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis | Sat, 21 Mar 2026

Healthcare services outside of school can impact the likelihood of receiving school-based special education identification and services. Using Massachusetts administrative data on public school students, this paper employs the difference-in-differences method to examine the impacts of expanded Medicaid coverage for mental and behavioral healthcare resulting from the Rosie D. lawsuit of 2009. Rosie D. caused a 0.3 percentage point (15%) increase in emotional disorder (ED) identification among low-income grade 9–12 students. After Rosie D., students with ED were more likely to be Black or multiracial. Students were also more likely to have experienced suspension or chronic absenteeism before ED identification. Finally, students with ED in grades K–8 were educated in less inclusive settings.

Racial Representation of School Principals: Possibilities and Limitations of Racial Parity With Students, Teachers, and the Workforce

Andrew Pendola, David DeMatthews | Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis | Sat, 21 Mar 2026

This brief explores the racial proportionality of principals compared to students, teachers, and the workforce, with focus on the composition of age cohorts. We examine representational capacity nationwide and in Texas to see if disproportionalities are aligned with differences in population composition by age. Results show (a) fewer working-age adults are able to represent Black and Hispanic children given age-cohort differences; (b) principals closely reflect the racial composition of teachers and the workforce; (c) principals are becoming more aligned with students as age-cohort differences stabilize; and (d) trends vary by location. This brief adds a caveat to the discussion of disproportional representation, noting the principalship’s limits in achieving racial parity with students while showing gradual improvement in representational composition.

Mathematicians’ values and norms related to algorithms, definitions, and proofs: How do they interrelate?

Rachel Rupnow, Peter Sassman, Alastair Fletcher | Educational Studies in Mathematics | Sat, 21 Mar 2026

Algorithms play increasingly important roles in mathematics as they facilitate solving complex problems both in teaching and research contexts. Moreover, algorithms, proofs, and definitions all play important roles in mathematics as products of research and objects worthy of study in the classroom. Nevertheless, limited research has examined mathematicians’ views of algorithms, the broader goals of the mathematical community that relate to algorithms, or mathematicians’ views across algorithms, proofs, and definitions and the related activities. Based on interviews with nine mathematicians who work with algorithms, we highlight three values upheld by a variety of norms related to algorithms as well as similarities and differences between the values associated with these mathematical activities and relative importance placed on the varied activities. Notably, values centered on mathematical objects tended to be in tension with values centered on activities. Moreover, the relative importance of different activities, especially algorithmatizing and proving, appeared to be in tension based on participants’ conceptual emphasis on different aspects of mathematics.

Empirical findings on the teaching and learning of quadratic equations: a systematic review

Marcus Gustafsson | Educational Studies in Mathematics | Sat, 21 Mar 2026

Abstract This article presents a systematic review of research on the teaching and learning of quadratic equations. A configurative approach to qualitatively synthesize research was employed, searching four databases: Scopus, Web of Science, PsycInfo, and ERIC. A total of 38 papers (26 journal articles and 12 conference papers) with empirical findings from mostly secondary school students, ages 13–17, across multiple countries, were included. Findings from research on teaching show that geometry-aided approaches, specific to quadratic equations for factoring and completing the square, show promise for promoting understanding and interest. Forms of instruction being general or using technology also indicate positive findings; however, evidence remains limited. Studies on learning identified several issues corresponding to concepts and methods for solving quadratic equations, many due to lacking pre-requisite knowledge. These were framed as lacking flexibility, having non-relational types of understandings, or being due to student properties and instructional context. Proposed implications from research for teaching showed specific instruction to be included, that teaching should focus on conceptual understanding, that planning instruction should be informed by student thinking, and that curriculum could be adjusted for long-term coherence. Combining these findings, mastering quadratic equations requires developing flexible knowledge by connecting multiple solution strategies with conceptual understanding, supported by teaching that links concepts to procedures through varied examples, formative assessment, and visual or technological aids. The implications of this review for practice include informing teaching and development of instructional resources while considering local context. Future research should examine effects of instructional approaches targeting specific aspects of quadratic equations.

Using Cohorts as an Organizational Structure in Teacher Education: Examining the Impact on Candidates’ Perceptions of Preparation

S. Michael Putman | Action in Teacher Education | Sat, 21 Mar 2026

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Highlighting the strengths of regional and rural children in early mathematics education: exploring the role of spatial reasoning

Mathematics Education Research Journal | Sat, 21 Mar 2026

No abstract available.

Learning from the questions and advice of prospective and early career elementary mathematics teachers

Mathematics Education Research Journal | Sat, 21 Mar 2026

No abstract available.

Learner autonomy driven by (generative) artificial intelligence as a source of emotional vulnerability and identity tensions in mid-career tertiary-level language teachers

Mohammad N. Karimi, Zahra Keshvari | Teaching and Teacher Education | Sat, 21 Mar 2026

Publication date: July 2026 Source: Teaching and Teacher Education, Volume 176 Author(s): Mohammad N. Karimi, Zahra Keshvari

Conceptions of span in linear algebra through analysis of student exam responses

Kenny Deng, Francisco Pizarro, Vilma Mesa, Thomas Judson | Educational Studies in Mathematics | Fri, 20 Mar 2026

Abstract A core task in linear algebra is determining whether a set of vectors can span a particular space. To better understand how students approach this problem, we analyzed 196 student responses to an exam question asking whether the columns of a matrix span ℝ 3 . The responses were gathered from 14 instructors across six semesters at various U.S. tertiary institutions. Using Balacheff’s cK¢ model of conceptions, we categorized the distinct justifications (as control structures) evident in the responses. We found that students employed a wider range of control structures than those in their textbooks and that the correctness of these control structures varied. Specifically, students’ strategies and correctness differed by textbook format (HTML vs. PDF) and testing environment (in-person vs. online). Our correctness coding not only aligned with instructor grading but also provided a more nuanced description of student justifications. The proposed process of classification could be used with other core tasks offering instructors detailed and nuanced information about students’ responses.

Response to Letter to the Editor

Andrea Fenton | Educational Researcher | Fri, 20 Mar 2026

This is a response to the Letter to the Editor by Hengzhi Hu and Harwati Hashim regarding my article “Reconsidering the Use of Oral Exams and Assessments: An Old Way to Move Into a New Future” (Fenton, 2025).

Oral Assessment in the AI Era—Equity, Validity, and Scale

Hengzhi Hu, Harwati Hashim | Educational Researcher | Fri, 20 Mar 2026

Fenton’s article, “Reconsidering the Use of Oral Exams and Assessments: An Old Way to Move Into a New Future,” argues that oral assessment can restore authenticity and support academic integrity in the generative artificial intelligence era. Drawing on this synthesis, this letter offers three refinements to enable adoption at scale: operationalize equity by separating language production from disciplinary reasoning and providing targeted accommodations; bolster validity and reliability by constraining examiner behavior through standardization, recording, and interrater checks; and enhance feasibility via a scalable “viva-lite” oral verification appended to selected tasks.

Justice-Oriented Visions for Public Education in a Multiracial Democracy: Insights From Research on School Integration

Erica O. Turner, Alexandra J. Freidus | Educational Researcher | Fri, 20 Mar 2026

Brown v. Board of Education has played a central role in imagining educational justice in the United States. However, the lessons that we should draw from school desegregation is contested terrain, and desegregation efforts have largely failed both to grapple with the country’s multiracial constituency and to offer a positive vision for schools. In this essay, we use theoretical conceptualizations of justice, relational theories of race, and research literature to offer a more robust vision of public schooling for a multiracial democracy. This multidimensional, situated, and relational framework is one powerful tool for those designing research, policies, and practices that help us move toward multiracial democracy.

Erratum to “Early Avenues of the Afterlife: Antiblackness in K–12 School Discipline Post-Brown”

AERA Open | Fri, 20 Mar 2026

No abstract available.

Cloud platforms for global collaborative vocal masterclasses and mutual learning

Zhuming Qin | Learning and Instruction | Fri, 20 Mar 2026

Publication date: August 2026 Source: Learning and Instruction, Volume 104 Author(s): Zhuming Qin

Youth Participatory Teacher Education Rehearsals: Working with Youth to Shape Novice Teacher Learning

Andrew J. Schiera, Andrew O. del Calvo | Action in Teacher Education | Fri, 20 Mar 2026

No abstract available.

Book Review: Gómez-Chacón, I. M., Hochmuth, R., Jaworski, B. Rebenda, J., Ruge, J & Thomas, S. (2021). Inquiry in university mathematics teaching and learning: the PLATINUM project

Educational Studies in Mathematics | Thu, 19 Mar 2026

No abstract available.

How relevant is mathematics for my field of study? Interindividual and context-dependent differences in students’ motivation and engagement with a mathematics prerequisites test across STEM fields

Daria K. Benden, Fani Lauermann | ZDM - Mathematics Education | Thu, 19 Mar 2026

Abstract Mathematics achievement difficulties contribute significantly to student attrition from postsecondary STEM programs. Many programs offer diagnostic tests embedded in preparatory or introductory mathematics courses to facilitate early identification and remediation of gaps in foundational knowledge. However, the utility of these tests depends on students’ test engagement and motivation—factors that can vary both among individuals and across STEM fields, depending on the perceived relevance of mathematics in each field. Guided by situated expectancy-value theory, this study examined interindividual and context-dependent differences in STEM students’ test-specific motivation, engagement, and performance on a mathematics prerequisites test ( $N = 2384$ N = 2384 ; 31 courses). Multilevel analyses revealed substantial between-course variation in test-specific achievement and motivation linked to course-level differences in prior mathematics achievement and motivation. The perceived relevance of the tested mathematics content also differed across courses and programs. Within courses, students who perceived the tested mathematics content as more relevant to their study program than their peers performed better and reported a higher content-specific self-concept of ability and intrinsic value, even after controlling for prior achievement and general mathematics motivations. Beyond this individual effect, students in courses with a higher perceived relevance reported higher test motivation and showed higher test engagement and performance (indicating a positive context effect of relevance). These findings emphasize the importance of aligning diagnostic tests with field-specific perceptions of mathematical relevance to enhance student motivation, engagement, and ultimately the utility of diagnostic testing across STEM disciplines.

The intersection of inquiry and equity: addressing teacher educators’ tensions through second-order inquiry

Rachel Silva, Blake Mickle Beckett, Michelle Commerett, Lauren Weisberg, John Samuels, Nancy Fichtman Dana | Educational Action Research | Thu, 19 Mar 2026

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Access and Relationships: Investigating What Predicts Student Teaching With a Highly Effective Teacher

Kevin C. Bastian, Tom Swiderski, Diana B. Lys, Camille Mikkelsen | Journal of Teacher Education | Thu, 19 Mar 2026

We link student teaching placement and K-12 administrative data from North Carolina to better understand the contexts in which educator preparation programs (EPPs) and K-12 districts make placements and the factors that predict whether EPPs and districts make placements with a highly effective teacher. Our work builds on two key findings from prior literature—cooperating teachers (CTs) are critically important to the development of preservice teachers (PSTs) and information asymmetries between EPPs and districts complicate the placement process. We find that there is significant variation across EPPs in their access to highly effective teachers and that there are opportunities to place many more PSTs with a highly effective teacher. Multiple measures of prior relationships, such as the EPP having recently placed with the CT and the CT being an alumnus of the EPP, predict the likelihood of EPPs and districts placing with a highly effective teacher.