About This Episode
Season 4. Episode 14.
This week on Education Insight, we’re joined by Dr. Jon Fullerton, research professor and executive director of the USC EdPolicy Hub. Jon is also one of the authors of a recent EdSource article, Playing the Long Game in an Uncertain Education Policy Climate, which dives into some of the most pressing challenges facing California’s education system today.
In this episode, Jon shares insights into chronic issues like lagging student achievement and chronic absenteeism, while highlighting lessons California can learn from other states, such as Mississippi’s success with reading reforms. We also explore the role of public-private partnerships in building career pathways, how to better support students’ mental and physical health, and the importance of fostering inclusive, respectful conversations in education.
Jon emphasizes the need for community engagement and local innovation to create sustainable change and offers a bold vision for how California can lead the nation in education reform. Whether you’re an educator, policymaker, or passionate about student success, this episode is packed with actionable ideas to drive meaningful progress.
Listen now to discover how we can shape the future of education in California together!
Featured Guest
Dr. Jon Fullerton
Dr. Jon Fullerton is a research professor and executive director of the USC Education Policy Hub. He has extensive experience working with education policy makers and executives in using data to guide system improvement and the effective use of financial resources. Before coming to USC, Fullerton was executive director of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. While at CEPR, Dr. Fullerton founded the Strategic Data Project. SDP places and trains analytic data fellows across the PK12 and Higher Education sectors to use data and evidence to guide strategy and decision making to transform student outcomes. Thus far, SDP has placed or trained over 500 fellows across at over 240 partner agencies and non-profits.
Fullerton has also served as the Board of Education’s Director of Budget and Financial Policy for the Los Angeles Unified School District. In this capacity, he provided independent evaluations of District reforms and helped to ensure that the District’s budget was aligned with Board priorities. From 2002 to 2005 he was Vice-President of Strategy, Evaluation, Research, and Policy at the Urban Education Partnership in Los Angeles, where he worked with policy makers to ensure that they focused on high impact educational strategies. Prior to this, he worked at McKinsey & Company as a strategy consultant. Dr. Fullerton has a PhD in government and AB in religion and social studies, both from Harvard.
Interview Highlights
3:57 – Adrienne describes dual enrollment and its benefits.
7:15 – Adrienne speaks to how recent California mandates and initiatives may have influenced the growth of these new programs.
8:34 – Adrienne explains what research shows about the impact of dual enrollment on a student’s academic achievements or even their future success.
9:24 – Adrienne shares examples of dual enrollment activities that are taking place in our region and what is happening in the IE.
13:11 – Adrienne talks about strategies in place to make sure that equal opportunities are available for all students.
20:18 – Jorge explains how dual enrollment aligns with his role at Riverside County Unified School District.
21:28 – Jorge shares his experiences and thoughts on the current dual enrollment programs that are being offered at Riverside Unified School District.
23:32 – Jorge gives insight into how dual enrollment makes students career ready.
25:58 – Jorge describes what challenges students typically face in dual enrollment programs and how he addresses those issues.
32:43 – Jorge shares what he would like to see be the future of the dual enrollment program in his district and beyond.
36:31 – Special Feature: Avijeet Randhawa, 8th-Grader, Auburndale Intermediate School in the Corona Norco Unified School District.
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Education Insight tells the story of education in the Inland Empire through the diverse voices of those in and around the regional education community. The show is produced by Growing Inland Achievement, a collective impact organization in the Inland Empire with a mission to increase economic prosperity in the region by increasing educational attainment. Hosted by 30-year broadcast veteran Lacey Kendall, monthly shows explore topics ranging from education challenges and shortcomings to innovations and groundbreaking ideas that are driving student success.
