For several years, WestEd’s Measure to Learn and Improve project team has kept state policy leaders informed about statewide implementation of the California Academic Standards in English language arts and mathematics, by summarizing and disseminating survey results from the RAND Corporation’s annual American Educator Panel surveys of teachers and principals.

This brief summarizes recent survey results related to educators’ reported needs for high-quality instructional materials and professional learning.

Some key findings: In surveys conducted in May 2017 and May 2018, the most commonly identified need among California teachers was higher quality textbooks, curricula, and/or instructional materials that align with the standards. In those same years, California principals indicated that more time to observe teachers teaching was their top need.