Strengthening California’s teacher development system through solid research and clear communications

The goal of Teaching and California’s Future is to strengthen the entire system of teacher development from preparation through ongoing professional development. We work toward better teaching and, in turn, better student learning by using current and reliable information to draw attention to the issues of teacher quality and making recommendations for program improvements and policies that build a more coherent and effective system of teacher preparation and continuing development.

Our partners in this work include the California State University Institute of Education Reform, Policy Analysis for California Education, the University of California Office of the President, and WestEd.

Teaching and California’s Future features a task force that brings together individuals and organizations who share both an interest in improving the quality of education in California and a commitment to ongoing research and analysis of teacher development public policy issues.

Since 1997, SRI International has worked with the Center to produce an annual inventory of California’s teacher workforce. That report, The Status of the Teaching Profession: Research Findings and Policy Recommendations, has become a much anticipated and informative resource for members of the education leadership and policy communities. It includes the most recent information available on teacher supply and demand, and makes it easy to keep track of recent developments in the field of teacher development such as the maldistribution of underperpared teachers and trends in teacher preparation, recruitment, induction, and professional development. Teaching and California’s Future also includes the development of policy briefs and public opinion polling on education and teacher quality issues to inform policy-makers and the public. For a complete list of Teaching and California’s Future publications please visit our publications page.