Research Notes: Higher Salaries Increase Teacher Retention, Study Finds In 2023, Arkansas legislators passed the LEARNS Act, a comprehensive education reform package that, among other goals, aimed to strengthen teacher recruitment and retention. The law raised the…

Pay teachers more ➡️ increase retention

But we don't need to stick with a rigid salary schedule to do it

www.future-ed.org/higher-salar...

🚨 NSF is already quietly eliminating the SBE Directorate, despite Congress’ mandate that NSF support the behavioral & social sciences.

Steps to counter this are in motion.

If you
- have an SBE proposal under review
- serve on an SBE grant panel

You can help! Fill out this form: shorturl.at/xuKw2

Humanity did that. Science did that. Publicly-funded research did that. Excellent universities did that. Diversity did that. International cooperation did that.

Artemis II is a perfect example of what we can do at our best.

Welcome home, Integrity crew!

The Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education Workforce: Descriptive Evidence on Demographics and Turnover from Oregon Early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) services for children with disabilities have expanded substantially across the U.S. over the past few decades, necessitating eff...

Emily Penner and colleagues have published “The Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education Workforce: Descriptive Evidence on Demographics and Turnover from Oregon” in Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness doi.org/10.1080/1934...

Emily Penner, Assoc Prof of Education and CPIP affiliate, has a new article, “Cultural Relevance at Scale: The Effects of an Ethnic Studies Expansion on Academic Outcomes” in AERJ that evaluates SFUSD’s high school ethnic studies program as it scaled up across the district. doi.org/10.3102/0002...

S.F. ethnic studies courses linked to higher grades, UC eligibility, study finds Taking a year-long ethnic studies course could be helping San Francisco high school students earn better grades and exam scores, according to a newly released study.

Taking a year-long ethnic studies course could be helping San Francisco high school students earn better grades and exam scores, according to a newly released study.

We are also grateful to funders @wtgrantfdn.bsky.social and the Hewlett Foundation, as well as @casbsstanford.bsky.social for helping support this work.

We are grateful to the district and our partners there for continuing to support research that examines the impacts of their course and uses it to inform decision making.

These results are encouraging and underscore the importance of conducting research across different contexts to understand how to realize similar success as Ethnic Studies expands throughout California and beyond.

This evidence comes from a district that has offered a year-long course while investing in support staff, PD, and curriculum.

Perhaps most importantly, it builds on the hard work of teachers to develop and sustain the course.

These conditions matter, but don't exist everywhere.

These broader goals of Ethnic Studies extend beyond academic outcomes.

Our study adds more evidence showing that while pursuing these goals, Ethnic Studies also has substantial academic benefits for students. Even when implemented at scale.

The course also fosters critical consciousness, helping students develop an understanding of how society works and a belief that they can critique it and shape it for the better.

In this sense, Ethnic Studies is unique as a course and distinct from a typical academic intervention.

Ethnic Studies gives students opportunities to affirm their identities, learn about other cultures, and build relationships with peers and teachers.

When students are connected to their learning and their school environment, they’re more likely to show up and engage in their school work.

Students experienced GPA benefits across core subjects, but the largest increases were in math and science.

This figure shows point estimates from within-student fixed-effect regressions for the full sample and sub-samples by 8th grade GPA bins and racial/ethnic identity groups. All point estimates are near the overall coefficient of 0.19 grade points and are statistically significant.

This figure shows point estimates from within-student fixed-effect regressions for the full sample and sub-samples by gender identity, Special Education enrollment status and Emergent bilingual (EL) status. All point estimates are near the overall coefficient of 0.19 grade points and are statistically significant.

Importantly, *all* students, not just specific demographic groups experienced GPA benefits.

Every student group we examined – across race/ethnicity, gender, special education status, and Emergent Bilingual status – showed positive effects.

The gains from ES are comparable to the average effects of large-scale tutoring programs.

Tutoring is one of the most effective interventions we have in education, so the fact that a single course is producing effects in that range is striking.

This figure is an event study plot of estimates from a student fixed effects model examining differences in annual GPAs between students who enrolled in high school ethnic studies and those who did not. In all years after enrollment (years 0 - 3) the point estimates are above 0 (averaging to the overall .19 average impact) with confidence intervals that do not overlap with 0.

On average, students who took Ethnic Studies earned higher grades in other courses, about a 0.17 grade point boost in GPA.

They were less likely to fail their courses, with a 5.6 percentage point drop in course failure rates.

We compared within-student GPA (excluding Ethnic Studies & PE grades) from middle to high school between students who took high school Ethnic Studies & students who never did.

We found immediate, large, & persistent effects of Ethnic Studies on students' GPAs, & reductions in course failures.

This figure shows SFUSD high school Ethnic Studies enrollment from the 2007-08 to 2022-23 school years. The top line (dk blue) is enrollment for 9th graders, the aqua line is enrollment across all high school grades, and the yellow line is enrollment among students in grades 10-12. All lines trend up over time, and the dark blue line goes up more steeply, indicating a faster growth of Ethnic Studies enrollment among 9th graders.

Enrollment in the course increased substantially across the 15+ years of implementation, particularly among 9th graders.

A highly successful ES pilot improved grades, attendance, credits, HS graduation, and post-secondary enrollment (see prior research by Sade, @tomdee.bsky.social, and myself below).

The district subsequently decided to expand ES to all high schools.

doi.org/10.3102/0002...

doi.org/10.1073/pnas...

Some good news:

SFUSD's high school Ethnic Studies course has substantial academic benefits when implemented district-wide.

New research by @birajbisht.bsky.social, Sade Bonilla, Grace Kim, and myself just out today in @aeraedresearch.bsky.social
🧵

doi.org/10.3102/0002...

We can remember at least one time when the United States did take care of daycare; it was during a time of war. 🤔 #FDR

"i have two Microsoft Outlooks, and neither one of those are working."

The Astronauts truly representing us all up there.

Wong Kim Ark at the time he left the United States in November 1894, carrying a certificate with the signatures of three witnesses affirming that he was born in the United States.

🗃️March 28, 1898: In United States v. Wong Kim Ark, the Supreme Court upheld the principle of birthright citizenship enshrined in the Fourteenth Amendment. A thread on birthright citizenship… 1/6🧵

Sandra Wong, the great granddaughter of Wong Kim Ark, is preparing to march at the #NoKings Rally in San Francisco. Today is the 128th Anniversary of the SCOTUS decision affirming birthright citizenship.

Happening today! An entire @aefpweb.bsky.social panel on "Climate Change and Education" #AEFP2026

Don't miss @emilykpenner.bsky.social @andrewpenner.bsky.social & many others at session 3.10 in St. Gallen 3.

Grace will be presenting our WP:
edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1238

I will always remember him for being the first committee member to jump up and congratulate each newly minted Ph.D. at their dissertation defense.

Thinking about the recent passing of George Farkas as I head to #AEFP2026 today. George’s work motivated me to get a Ph.D. in Education and apply to @uci-education.bsky.social. He was an enthusiastic mentor and colleague, always working to find ways to help kids learn. May his memory be a blessing.

$77 billion dollars. Seventy. Seven. Billion. Dollars.

Anyway, back to my job which is slowly being strangled by budget cuts that are small fractions of the amount wasted on What If Second Life But No Legs.

Glad to see our work about special ed and gifted identification across the income distribution appear in this week's @chalkbeat.org