Improving Pandemic Recovery Efforts in California with a Research-Practice Partnership

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The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted students, families, and communities worldwide. In the U.S., widespread school closures and the abrupt switch to distance learning adversely affected student learning, erasing decades of gains in math and English test scores. 

To support state and district recovery efforts, Congress allocated nearly $200 billion, with at least 20% of this money earmarked for evidence-based strategies. California invested over $30 billion in state funding to support an equitable recovery. To examine learning recovery programs in California and their effect on student outcomes, AIR has formed a research-practice partnership with the California Department of Education, the University of California (UC) Berkeley, and UC San Diego.
 

Study Objectives

• Examine district learning recovery programs to understand how districts are leveraging multiple funding sources to support education recovery and renewal.
• Unpack local implementation to learn about how districts make budgetary and programmatic decisions to support students, families, and staff in the post-pandemic context.
• Estimate the relationship between district recovery programs and student outcomes to identify effective strategies that may close the learning gaps that widened during the pandemic.
• Disseminate widely to researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to inform their decision-making.
   

Study Activities and Products

View our infographic, District Programs to Support Learning Recovery in California.

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• Annual collection of district documents and survey of districts to identify the types of programs districts have implemented to support learning recovery, and whether these programs are prioritizing students disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
   
• A longitudinal case study of nine diverse districts to understand local contexts and implementation challenges and successes, highlighting innovations that emerged during the pandemic.
  • Read Research Brief: Have Schools Changed for Good? California Educators Sustain Covid-Era Innovations (November 2025)
  • Read Field Report: How California School Districts Set Budget Priorities and Innovate to Lift Students (2022–23 School Year)
  • Read Policy Brief: How California Schools Set Budget Priorities and Innovate to Lift Students (November 2024)
     
• Analysis of California state data to examine the effects of district programs on student outcomes, including attendance, test scores, graduation, college readiness, and social and emotional outcomes.
   
• Engagement activities with policymakers and practitioners to share key learnings, disseminate best practices, and inform decision-making on the ground.