Papers by Taylor N . Allbright
American Journal of Education
We examine how district administrators' conceptions of equity relate to the implementation of fin... more We examine how district administrators' conceptions of equity relate to the implementation of finance reform. We use sensemaking theory and four views of equity-libertarian, liberal, democratic liberal, and transformative-to guide a case study of two districts, finding evidence of two conceptions of equity: (1) greater resources for students with greater needs and (2) equal distribution of resources for all students. One district demonstrated an organization-wide belief in the first conception, whereas the other conveyed individual-level understandings of both conceptions. These beliefs were mirrored in resource allocation decisions and informed by districts' student demographics, organizational identities, and perceptions of adequacy. Although state and federal policies have made progress toward goals of equity and adequacy in K-12 education (Odden and Picus 2014), students from traditionally marginalized backgrounds continue to have limited access to
New state policies emphasizing local control call for democratic involvement in school district g... more New state policies emphasizing local control call for democratic involvement in school district goal setting and budgeting; districts that engage with their stakeholders more deeply are more strategic in targeting funds to high-need students.
California and the nation are at the crossroads of a major shift in school accountability policy.... more California and the nation are at the crossroads of a major shift in school accountability policy. At the state
level, California’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) encourages the use of multiple measures
of school performance used locally to support continuous improvement and strategic resource allocation.
Similarly, the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) reinforces this local control, requiring more
comprehensive assessment of school performance and a less prescriptive, local approach to school support.
These changes represent a major cultural shift for California schools and districts. Ahead of the curve, six
California districts, known as the CORE waiver districts, have implemented an innovative measurement
system and supports for school and district improvement under an NCLB waiver, and thus provide a unique
opportunity to examine and learn from the enactment of a system supported by accountability policy in this
new era. This report examines the early implementation and effects of the CORE reform and seeks to
inform the ongoing efforts within CORE as well as the development and implementation of future
accountability policy in other states and districts.
Social-emotional learning refers to the beliefs, attitudes, personality traits, and behaviors tha... more Social-emotional learning refers to the beliefs, attitudes, personality traits, and behaviors that students need to succeed in school and life. Our study looks closely at ten “outlier schools” in California’s CORE districts whose students report strong social-emotional learning outcomes compared to other, similar middle schools. The brief and infographic—based on a longer technical report—describe the surprising breadth and variety of social-emotional learning practices found in these outlier schools, as well as commonalities in their approaches and implementation challenges that some are facing. Our findings offer ideas and lessons learned that may benefit other schools and districts seeking to implement social-emotional learning at scale.
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Papers by Taylor N . Allbright
level, California’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) encourages the use of multiple measures
of school performance used locally to support continuous improvement and strategic resource allocation.
Similarly, the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) reinforces this local control, requiring more
comprehensive assessment of school performance and a less prescriptive, local approach to school support.
These changes represent a major cultural shift for California schools and districts. Ahead of the curve, six
California districts, known as the CORE waiver districts, have implemented an innovative measurement
system and supports for school and district improvement under an NCLB waiver, and thus provide a unique
opportunity to examine and learn from the enactment of a system supported by accountability policy in this
new era. This report examines the early implementation and effects of the CORE reform and seeks to
inform the ongoing efforts within CORE as well as the development and implementation of future
accountability policy in other states and districts.
level, California’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) encourages the use of multiple measures
of school performance used locally to support continuous improvement and strategic resource allocation.
Similarly, the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) reinforces this local control, requiring more
comprehensive assessment of school performance and a less prescriptive, local approach to school support.
These changes represent a major cultural shift for California schools and districts. Ahead of the curve, six
California districts, known as the CORE waiver districts, have implemented an innovative measurement
system and supports for school and district improvement under an NCLB waiver, and thus provide a unique
opportunity to examine and learn from the enactment of a system supported by accountability policy in this
new era. This report examines the early implementation and effects of the CORE reform and seeks to
inform the ongoing efforts within CORE as well as the development and implementation of future
accountability policy in other states and districts.