Publications & Reports
Through research and by exploring practices and policies that work and identifying those that don’t, we aim to provide the information and tools necessary to improve and maximize the educational experience for all students, TK through college. Our publications are diverse and intended for advocates, policymakers, educators, and even parents.
TK
Equitable access to early education is critical to improving long-term educational outcomes for students, especially those from under-resourced communities. At EdTrust-West, we work to uncover the layers of inequities in transitional kindergarten, from inequitable access to high-quality programs, to wage disparities for educators, and disproportionate discipline for young Black children. We are committed to ensuring equitable access to high-quality early learning opportunities, with focus on improving access to transitional kindergarten programs.
K-12 Education
At EdTrust-West, our work centers on identifying disparities within the K-12 education system, developing research-based policy and practice proposals to address these disparities, and advocating for evidence-based and innovative approaches and solutions. We’re committed to promoting equitable funding, improving educational standards and cultural relevance, strengthening supports for multilingual learners, and ensuring more students from marginalized communities are graduating from high school ready to enter the workforce or pursue higher education.
Higher Education
Higher education has never been more critical to economic opportunity and mobility, and our state’s colleges and universities at all levels can do much more to retain and graduate students from marginalized backgrounds. EdTrust-West is dedicated to eradicating barriers faced by students of color in higher education – ensuring equitable access to financial aid, expanding dual enrollment opportunities for Black, Latinx, and Native students, and addressing the racial inequities in remedial education.
English learners
English learners (also known as multilingual learners or emergent bilinguals) make up nearly one in five students in California public schools. Providing multilingual learners with the supports they need to develop English language skills and academic proficiency — while celebrating the cultural and linguistic assets they bring to school — is critical for ensuring equitable access and success. We’re working to develop research-based recommendations and tools that education systems can implement to support these learners — from early education through the college pipeline — and help cultivate their future success.
EdTrust‑West Strategic Plan 2023–2028
Our 2023–2028 Strategic Plan doubles down on the priorities that matter most. Together with our deep‑dive resource, it outlines how we will continue advancing equity with rigor, resilience, and community
Advancing Equitable Placement and Completion: Tools & Learnings
Explore actionable tools and insights from EdTrust-West’s Community of Practice to help your college design and implement solutions to improve student outcomes in math, English, and ESL courses.
Implementing Data-Driven Policy Solutions for California’s Early Learning and Care System Transformation
California is at a pivotal moment in transforming its early learning and care system. The state has laid the groundwork for an Early Childhood Integrated Data System (ECIDS) to ensure
EdTrust-West is a proud partner of the Multilingual Education Policy Partners coalition
EdTrust-West is a proud partner of the Multilingual Education Policy Partners coalition. Please read about the coalition’s vision for multilingual learners in California.
25 Years of Impact: Leading with Courage for Racial Justice in California Education
Celebrating a quarter-century of advancing equity, EdTrust-West’s 2026 policy agenda charts a bold path forward for California’s students
Empowering Futures: Improving College Access for Multilingual Learners
EdTrust-West’s latest policy brief, Empowering Futures: Improving College Access for Multilingual Learners, which outlines five key recommendations to close equity gaps and expand higher education opportunities for California’s multilingual learners.
Taking the Reins: California’s Leadership in the Wake of Federal Injustice
As federal leaders retreat from their responsibility to protect educational equity, California must lead. This Equity Alert outlines five urgent threats to students’ rights and opportunities—and the bold state and
Building What We Deserve: EdTrust-West’s Vision for Education Equity in Los Angeles County
Our Vision for LA County includes bold actions that education leaders must take to ensure every student thrives in the region. We stand ready to partner with communities, educators, county
Dual Enrollment Practitioner Guides
To ensure dual enrollment reaches all students, especially Black, Latinx, and Native American students, EdTrust-West partnered with Career Ladders Project to create three Dual Enrollment Practitioner Guides. These resources support
Growing Together: Fostering Belonging for Parenting Students at California State University
Parenting students are powerful, determined, and resilient—yet too often overlooked in higher education policy and everyday campus life. Our latest research reveals persistent gaps in support and underscores the critical
Beyond Neutrality Action Guides
Beyond Neutrality: Race-Conscious Approaches as Catalysts for Educational Equity in California Schools is a new collection of action guides designed to equip district leaders, school leaders, and advocates with bold,
Black Girl Brilliance: Using Data to Catalyze Change for California’s Black Girls
Excited to share vital research from @uclaseisin partnership with @EdTrustWest and @CollegeOpp that identifies steps #K12 and #highered leaders can take to #StopAAPIHate and create positive learning environments for #Asian
Dual Enrollment Advocacy Toolkit
Dual Enrollment Advocacy Toolkit Share: Thank you for your interest in #DualEnrollmentforAll! Dual enrollment provides students with the unique opportunity to enroll in college classes while
Jumpstarting California Towards Universal Dual Enrollment
Dual enrollment opens up access by allowing high school students to take college-level courses allowing students to earn high school and college credit simultaneously. This decreases
Black Minds Matter
Is California doing right by Black students? Black Minds Matter 2025: Building Bright Black Futures continues the work that launched in 2015 with the Black Minds
Seizing the Opportunity: Three Necessary Dimensions of Equity-Minded Ethnic Studies Implementation
This is an exciting moment for California. Soon, every student can access the transformative benefits of an Ethnic Studies course through a new high school graduation
Standing Together: California’s Protections for Undocumented and Immigrant Students
One out of five (20%) children in California live in mixed-status families, meaning they are undocumented themselves or living with a family member who is undocumented.
Staying Committed to Racial Equity in Challenging Times: EdTrust-West’s 2025 Policy Agenda
The last few years have dealt a challenging hand for California’s education systems and students — recovery from a global pandemic that shut most students out
From Policies to Practice: Paving the Path to College Readiness for Students of Color in the Los Angeles Unified School District
Over the last two decades, the Los Angeles Unified School District has adopted a series of policies to improve college readiness for its hundreds of thousands
The Majority Report: 2024 Fact Sheet
Latinx students make up just over half of all Californian children under 5 and an even greater share of our state’s TK-12 students, and roughly 1.3