Alix Gallagher

Advancing Early Reading Skills Through Science-Based Instruction Researchers analyze how state policies requiring science-based reading instruction influence elementary school teachers' teaching practices. Findings show that professional learning and preservice tra...

"Robustness of a state’s policy might matter as
much as the existence of the policy itself.... states with comprehensive early literacy policies experience improved student outcomes, whereas states with less robust early literacy policies are less likely to show gains." www.rand.org/pubs/researc...

I may ask you to help me with future titles. ;)

No compromise on literacy bill as hearing deadline looms English learner advocates oppose a bill to require K-5 teachers to take training in evidence-based methods, including phonics.

We need to prioritize evidence above politics. The evidence shows if kids aren't taught phonics and phonemic awareness, many don't learn to read. This is not a local control issue; it doesn't say that kids don't need to be taught broad language skills. Evidence matters! edsource.org/2025/no-comp...

JOB POSTING: PACE is looking for a new research associate. The research focuses on strengthening state policies and structures that support PK–12 education systems, with an emphasis on producing actionable insights. Come join a small, dynamic team in California. edpolicyinca.org/careers/educ...

There was a CALDER event I wanted to attend last year as well. Hopefully next year it will be possible?
Thanks Dan!

Also, how were "effective schools" defined for the first study and how does that correlate with student characteristics?

Is there any virtual component to this? I'm interested but can't fly to Arlington.

Take the more characters! I'm really curious. Retrospectively, I can offer theories for why these things held. I could also imagine other outcomes. But you're so much deeper in the design and data (of course).

This is interesting work, given prior research on the importance of clinical placements. @cedr.bsky.social, could you say more about what surprised you?

Agreed. Clarity is important, but improving learning should be in the front seat.

Things that bring me joy. My old man puppy running on a dog beach. Look at the sand he kicked up.

Excited to be part of this study on CTE pathways!

Across All Ages & Demographics, Test Results Show Americans Are Getting Dumber Aldeman: In the last decade, achievement scores have been falling — and gaps have been widening. Why is a huge unanswered question

Reading over my morning cup of coffee and pondering: If we don't like declines in student test scores (NAEP and others) and are concerned about the rising gaps between top- and low-performing students, what are the causes? And how could they be addressed? www.the74million.org/article/acro...

@edpolicyinca.bsky.social is looking to hire a new executive director! We are seeking a visionary and strategic leader committed to improving education policy in California. Please share this with your networks or contact me for more information. edpolicyinca.org/pace-executi...

Preschool to Third Grade Literacy at Grass Valley Since 2021 Grass Valley has been part of California Education Partners' Preschool to Third Grade Coherence Collaboration (P3CC). Their focus on phonics has ...

Our 3 year collaboration with Grass Valley School District supported approaches with an emphasis on teacher leadership, internal accountability, and strategic data use. Through first piloting in a few classrooms then scaling across the district, student performances improved.

PACE - Modest Gains and Persistent Gaps in Student Performance in 2023–24 An analysis of recently released Smarter Balanced Assessment System (SBAC) test scores shows very modest improvements in 2024 in students’ proficiency at meeting state standards for English language a...

A new commentary from PACE by @agallagheredpolicy.bsky.social offers an in-depth, evaluative analysis of 2024 Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) test scores, showing modest improvements but little progress in recovering from postpandemic declines. edpolicyinca.org/newsroom/mod... (1/4)

ESSER Post-Mortem: How Did Districts Spend $190B in Federal Funds? Did It Work? Aldeman: ESSER was a financial lifeline and boosted student outcomes. But did it get schools to reopen faster? And how exactly was the money spent?

Really nice article on multiple ways to think about the question of whether ESSER was a success. Hint: depending on how you define success you get a different answer. www.the74million.org/article/esse...

Emerging AI Policies and Practices in California Schools and the Nation Zoom Meeting ID: 82093622250 • Host: Carrie Holmberg • Meeting Start: 01/13/2025 @ 3:55 PM • Recording Start: 01/13/2025 @ 4:00 PM • Duration: 58 mins • Panelists: Alix Gallagher, Brent Duckor, Glenn...

I had a great conversation last week on AI in education with Glenn Kleiman, hosted by Brent Ducker and Carrie Holmberg from the Center for Innovation and Applied Technology. Here's the recording (and a synopsis www.sjsu.edu/iaepcenter/d...): sjsu.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Page...

40% of Chicago Teachers Are Chronically Absent. Those Gaps Carry Real Costs Aldeman: Nationwide, educator attendance has dropped since COVID. It could be a symptom of employee dissatisfaction, or of larger problems in schools.

"Illinois is one of the few states that track data like this..." makes me think of our state report card grades. These data need to be more transparent and readily available. crpe.org/transparent-....

What percentage of students are you willing to falsely accuse of cheating with AI?

There is a trade-off between false accusations and detection rates for AI. At a 10% false positive rate, detectors find 80% or less of AI content. At a 1% rate most find 60% or less.

Don’t trust AI detectors!

And this doesn't count women like me, who got a Ph.D. and never even applied for a faculty position. I had watched the way women faculty were treated at my doctoral-granting university and decided I would take my Ph.D. and do research outside of the academy.

Pathways to the Teaching Profession: Teaching Assistants’ and Substitute Teachers’ Transitions into the Teacher Workforce Teacher shortages and lack of teacher diversity have led to growing efforts nationally to recruit teaching assistants (TAs) to be classroom teachers. Substitute teachers are not typically considered i...

As we think about getting a stronger teacher workforce, we need to be thoughtful about pathways to the profession, including substitute teachers (who are normally not considered as a source of future credentialed teachers). Great work by Hannah Kistler and colleagues!

edworkingpapers.com/ai24-1089

Pandemic, Politics, Pre-K & More: 12 Charts That Defined Education in 2024 From the spread of AI to the limits of federal COVID aid, these research findings captured the world of education this year.

www.the74million.org/article/char...

How California can fix its school crisis. Two projects point the way Three years of expert, hands-on help pulled up two schools' test scores. The state's average scores remain below pre-pandemic levels.

I love my job at @edpolicyinca.bsky.social because I get to do research and then inform educational decision-makers in California. I'm excited to see the intersection between two things I've worked on discussed in this article in CalMatters: calmatters.org/commentary/2...

PACE - Taking Reform to Scale Districts in California (and across the country) work hard to improve instruction and student outcomes. Many attempts at new reforms fail to achieve their desired outcomes, however, and are rapidly re...

Case study of one model for supporting districts to build capacity to improve instruction (@caedpartners.bsky.social). Is anyone else doing research on intermediaries supporting districts to build improvement systems? Would love to connect and analyze across cases. edpolicyinca.org/publications...

PACE - Building Momentum One Step at a Time Districts in California (and across the country) work hard to improve instruction and student outcomes. Many attempts at new reforms fail to achieve their desired outcomes, however, and are rapidly re...

We often hear about high-functioning districts. In this case study, we try to catch a district that is early on the path to figuring out how to support instructional improvement. Students learned more-here's how. @caedpartners.bsky.social, @edpolicyinca.bsky.social. edpolicyinca.org/publications...

Four Insights into U.S. Students’ Drop in Math & Science on International Test Wednesday's release of TIMSS scores shows that American students fell behind their international peers during the pandemic.

The latest TIMSS data corroborate other data that suggest the US needs to rethink how we go about education. What would it look like to change how time is used in public schools so that teachers consistently collaborated and built skills to meet students' needs? www.the74million.org/article/four...

Thoughtful commentary on key challenges facing California schools and how prioritizing the greatest needs and choosing solutions with good evidence could create a path forward.

btw, apologies for the autocorrect on spelling: Shanyce Campbell.

Generative AI is being widely used by educators and students alike, but few districts have robust policies and professional learning for educators. This creates a lot of risks for unknowing violation of Civil Rights, as is outlined in this recent USDOE publication. www.ed.gov/media/docume...