Eric.ed.gov – Implementation of California’s Learning Standards in English Language Arts and Math: Insights, Innovations, and Challenges in Six Districts

The Center on Standards, Alignment, Instruction, and Learning (C-SAIL), funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, examines how college- and career-readiness (CCR) standards are implemented, if they improve student learning, and what instructional tools measure and support their implementation. This brief presents findings from C-SAIL’s Implementation Study, which uses interview data to explore how district administrators, principals, and teachers are understanding, experiencing, and implementing California’s learning standards in English language arts (ELA) and math. C-SAIL examines how and what kinds of supports are provided to teachers of all students, including students with disabilities (SWDs) and English learners (ELs) who take the general state assessment. C-SAIL researchers interviewed 10 state officials and 13 district officials in six California districts. They selected the six case study districts by identifying two urban, two suburban, and two rural districts with relatively high percentages of SWDs and ELs. They also examined other district characteristics–percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, student achievement or growth rates, and geographic location within the state–to ensure that their districts represented a range of contextual factors. In this brief, they share insights from the six case study districts, emphasizing California’s innovative practices and notable challenges.