EdSource staff began participating in major collaborative multiinstitutional research projects in the late 1990s. We were invited by the American Institutes for Research to be on the team that conducted a four-year, state-funded evaluation of California's Class Size Reduction program.

In the ensuing years, we have served as prime contractor and project director for various other research projects. EdSource brings strong project management, connections to the field, and a deep understanding of California education policy and data to these research projects. Our strengths are augmented by the deep subject matter and technical analysis expertise of our Ph.D. colleagues from universities and nonprofit research firms. We expect these types of studies to remain an important part of our work and of how we add value in the years to come.

Middle Grades Study & Analysis

Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better (February 2010)

This 2009 EdSource study is based on survey responses from 303 principals, 3,752 English Language Arts and math teachers in grades 6-8, and 157 Superintendents. The study was designed to identify the practices and policies that differentiate higher from lower performing middle grades schools that serve similar student populations.

Continue reading about the Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades study 

Improving Middle Grades Math Performance (February 2011)

This follow-up analysis to EdSource's landmark Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades study inquires further into the Gaining Ground data to provide a more in-depth look at middle grades mathematics practices and policies. The centerpiece is an empirical exploration of grade 8 Algebra I placement, based on longitudinal data linking the mathematics CSTs that students in the sample took in grade 7 (in 2008) and grade 8 (in 2009).

Continue reading about the Middle Grades Math study 

Community College Study

Course-taking patterns, policies, and practices in developmental education in the California Community Colleges (October 2010)

In 2009, the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) contracted with EdSource to explore the effectiveness of developmental or basic skills education in preparing students for college-level work. This study includes a literature review, policy analysis, and information gathered through interviews and other consultation with more than 40 community college stakeholders. 

Continue reading about the Community College study 

Similar Students, Different Results Study

In 2003, EdSource was offered the opportunity to organize an original research project with the goal of determining the school practices and policies that differentiated the highest- from the lowest-performing elementary schools in California serving students with similar demographic backgrounds. The participating partners were researchers from Stanford University, UC-Berkeley, and American Institutes for Research.

Similar Students, Different Results: Why Do Some Schools Do Better? (October 2005 and April 2006)

Based on a large-scale survey of principals and teachers in 257 California elementary schools serving many low-income students, this study identified four interrelated practices associated with higher Academic Performance Index scores and suggested implications for district and principal leadership. Further analysis (April 2006) examined whether a school's API performance related to the use of particular curriculum programs.

Continue reading about original Similar Students Research study 

Similar English Learner Students, Different Results: Why Do Some Schools Do Better? (May 2007)

In 2006–07, EdSource undertook an in-depth analysis of the English learner survey questions from the original Similar Students study. The team included Stanford and AIR researchers but was augmented this time with additional EL experts from Stanford and WestEd. Those findings were released in May of 2007.

Continue reading about Similar EL Students study 

School District Financial Management

In 2005, EdSource was invited to organize a very different kind of study, one of the portfolio of more than 20 studies in the Getting Down to Facts project overseen by Stanford University's IRREP Director Susanna Loeb. EdSource, as the prime contractor, partnered with School Services of California to survey California school district chief business officials on matters related to district financial management. Their responses were then compared with indicators of district fiscal health over a period of years. The report was released in March 2007.

 

EdSource Analyses of Charter School Performance

Based on extensive analyses of state performance data for charter and noncharter schools, EdSource provides annual reports on this important topic. The analyses control for student and school characteristics, and they compare elementary, middle, and high schools.

Go to the Charter Schools section for more information