When it comes to factors that affect a student’s well-being in adulthood, better math skills might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But as it turns out, increasing math scores helps deliver stronger long-term returns for students — especially related to earnings — than improvements in reading scores and factors involving health....

Los Angeles school officials on Thursday refused to commit to when classes would resume as the worst fires in the city’s history continued to destroy entire residential neighborhoods and displace thousands from their homes. All Los Angeles Unified School District campuses were closed Thursday after four historic blazes engulfed the city earlier in the week,...

Los Angeles school officials have a message for President-elect Donald Trump about his promised immigration crackdown: we’re ready for you. Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who came to the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant from Portugal, said this week the nation’s second largest district is preparing for the incoming administration’s planned mass...

When she taught third grade in Houston, Summer Robinson invited a friend, a female mechanical engineer at Chevron, to visit her class. She wanted to introduce students, especially girls, to a STEM practitioner who didn’t conform to the socially awkward stereotype in popular culture. “She communicates really well, and the kids just loved it so...

California lawmakers are proposing steps to protect K-12 students and families from mass deportations — although the real value of those proposals may be symbolic. A pair of bills in the Legislature — AB 49 and SB 48 — aim to keep federal agents from detaining undocumented students or their families on or near school property without a warrant....

California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently sent a letter to K-12 leaders urging them to restrict students’ use of smartphones while in school. As the governor noted, regulating phone use leads to improved concentration, better academic outcomes, and enhanced social interactions among students. I applaud Gov. Newsom’s call for thoughtful cellphone policies during school hours. But...

Interviewing is truly an art. At LA School Report, we believe some of the site’s best work is a result of knowing what questions to ask and to whom. In 2024, we put together some truly unforgettable Q&As, as we refer to them. Whether it was an interview with local school board candidate or a...

While politicians continue to cast immigrants as a threat to local communities with rhetoric so hateful it’s shut down schools, RAND researchers note a positive development following the arrival of young newcomers: They boost other students’ academic performance. A Delaware-based study found that a substantive increase in young immigrants leads to sizable academic gains for...

Everyone has an opinion on, well, just about everything.   But we believe the commentary, opinion pieces and op eds published in LA School Report carry special weight because of their originality and thoughtfulness. From pieces on the benefits of pre-K for English Language Learners; to a neighborhood program offering low income high school students a...

Whether a prospective student speaks Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Arabic or Mam — a Mayan language used in parts of Guatemala and Mexico — Oakland Unified School District’s enrollment office has a staffer who can help. If a newcomer communicates using a less common tongue like Dari and Pashto — spoken in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran...