Category: NEWS & EVENTS
Friday 5 – Spotlighting CAAASA Field Guides
CCEE 2021-2022 Annual Report
Description
To demonstrate the alignment of CCEE’s work with statewide agency priorities and its effectiveness in meeting statutory obligations, CCEE redesigned its Annual Report. This end-of-year report features select initiatives from each Center to highlight how the goals and initiatives, approved by the CCEE board, were achieved.
REPORT LINKS
CCEE Connection (September 2022)
News & Announcements
Looking Ahead
2022-2023 CA Budget Act Highlights
California’s historic investments in TK-12 education continue in the 2022-2023 Budget Act. Considerable funding for the Local Control Funding Formula (~$9.3B) and the Learning Recovery Emergency Fund (~$7.9B) provide local educational agencies with resources to create opportunities for every student to learn and thrive. The state is providing a substantial investment of $100 million to expand the Community Engagement Initiative (now codified in statute with a new Education Code Section, 52073.3). CCEE will receive $5 million to administer the program, significantly expanding the number of local educational agencies participating and building capacity for transformational community engagement. The CCEE also received $200,000 in one-time Federal IDEA funding to convene a panel of experts to refine the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Addendum template.
Whole-Child Aligned Changes in Practice
Turnaround for Children offers free tools and resources to support educators with whole-child-aligned changes in the classroom. Heidi Reed and Katie Brackenridge provide recommendations on planning for the year ahead and incorporating the Turnaround for Children Toolbox into everyday classroom practices.
Phase 3 MTSS Grant Application Now Open!
The California Department of Education, in partnership with the Orange County Department of Education and the Butte County Office of Education, is pleased to announce that our Phase 3 CA MTSS grant opportunity is now open. This grant will provide an opportunity for school sites, LEAs, and county offices of education to build capacity toward full implementation of the CA MTSS framework to improve outcomes for all learners. This grant is open to public schools and LEAs, public charter schools or County offices of education and county run schools in California.
Grant details can be found on the attached flyer and on our website at: https://ocde.us/MTSS/Pages/Phase-3-Summer-2022.aspx
Important Dates:
- Application Release Date: July 15, 2022
- Application Deadline: October 15, 2022
- Preliminary Award Announcement: November 15, 2022
- Appeal Deadline: November 18, 2022
- Final Award Announcement: December 1, 2022
Grant Period:
- March 1, 2023-March 30,2026
For questions, please email [email protected]
Equity Corner
CCEE aims to continuously celebrate culture, promote equity, and embrace diversity. In the month of September there are many reasons to celebrate. Explore just a few reasons to celebrate this month.
- National Hispanic Heritage Month – Starting September 15th
- International Day of Sign Languages -September 23rd
- International Literacy Day– September 8th
- Mexican Independence Day -September 16th
Free Training for Teachers to Strengthen Their Family Engagement Practices
The 4-session asynchronous series equips educators on how to build trust with families, more effectively and equitably share data, and navigate difficult conversations.
You can access the training on SBAC’s Tools for Teachers California website. Information how teachers can create a login are available here.
In Case You Missed It
September System of Support Update
About the CCEE
The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence is a statewide leader delivering on California’s promise of a quality, equitable education for every student.
Executive Director’s Corner
Community Engagement is Essential to Building Capacity
By Matt J. Navo, Executive Director, CCEE
The goal of Family and Community Engagement is that all students have access to schools with the resources, opportunities, and supports that build connections among families, students, schools, and communities in order to improve students’ support and achievement.
Our Transformative Systems for Equitable Educational Outcomes (TSEE) Center, is focused on doing just that. Through the Community Engagement Initiative, the CCEE and their educational partners, San Bernardino County Office, California Association for Bilingual Education and Family In Schools team, have been focused on building the capacity of LEAs to improve community engagement efforts.
Please look below for highlights and efforts to build capacity for improved Community and Family Engagement.
A Relationship-Based Approach to Student Success
By Chris Hartley, Ed.D., Deputy Executive Director
California is one of the most diverse states in our country and our schools directly mirror the richness and complexities associated within each of the communities they serve. When schools and communities align supports and services while working toward common goals, our children and youth benefit. From urban to rural settings, our schools serve as the hub for community engagement actions like, after and before school programming and activities, extracurricular events, and a multitude of direct student support services.
Examples of this work in action are highlighted in this newsletter. The CCEE Center for Transformative Systems for Equitable Educational Outcomes (TSEE) has active initiatives and tremendous partners throughout the state collaborating to design, implement and enhance this important connection between schools and communities. My sincere gratitude to the TSEE team and the many creative and dedicated LEA partners who are designing, implementing and modeling so many impactful programs and services.
Families in Schools
Tommy Chang, Ed.D., Acting CEO & President, Families in Schools
How community engagement and/or community schools are providing students access to schools with the resources, opportunities, and supports that build connections among educational partners to improve support and achievement
For over 20 years, Families In Schools has partnered with schools, families, and communities to support student learning. We understand, like all of you, that when these three facets of society work together, student achievement improves and we set up our children for lifelong success.
Over the last 2+ years, we have all experienced the impact of a global pandemic to our lives and our neighborhoods. For the communities we serve, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated gaps in access to education, health care, and other economic prosperity. And while we have witnessed the commitment of our schools and the families they serve to find innovative responses to tackling the disruption to schooling, social services, and community engagement, more support is needed.
More investments in socioemotional and mental health services, expanded learning opportunities, and deeper partnerships with families are critical. We must continue to support the efforts of schools and districts to partner with families and communities so resources align and opportunities are opened in order for all students to thrive.
Families In Schools is proud to co-lead the California Community Engagement Initiative over the last three years to build capacity in communities and districts, to identify the “bright spots” across the state, and to scale up this work by developing peer-to-peer partnerships and sharing best practices broadly. Because of our collective effort, this initiative will be expanding with an additional $100 million from the State over the next six years to reach more school districts and more communities throughout California.
The future of our state depends on schools, community, and government authentically working together to create true transformative and sustainable change. Let’s continue to expand the reach of this incredible work together.
Santa Ana Unified School District
Jerry Almendarez, Superintendent of Schools, Santa Ana Unified School District
Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) believes that parental engagement in education is a hallmark of academic success and key to the social-emotional well-being of every child. This value is reflected across our Board of Education Priorities, which guide our core principles as a district.
As the pandemic forced our district to pivot across a variety of areas, SAUSD remained focused on engaging our community as we developed new initiatives to continue delivering effective instructional support to our students. SAUSD launched the District System Design Partnership in late 2020. This collaborative effort included parents and other key community partners who met virtually over nearly a year with the goal of creating the SAUSD Graduate Profile, which outlines key competencies each SAUSD graduate must possess to compete globally. The Graduate Profile was adopted by our Board of Education earlier this year.
Our district Family and Community Engagement (FACE) team was instrumental across every step of the way throughout the process of building our Graduate Profile. SAUSD remains committed to providing the necessary resources to ensure our FACE team continues to offer invaluable support for our families. This includes plans to hire a FACE liaison for every school.
Our FACE team is only one piece of our district’s comprehensive Wellness Plan, that also includes lowering our student to counselor ratios to 250 to1, having a school psychologist at every campus, hosting Wellness Centers across all schools, and implementing District Integrated Support Hubs. All these efforts are strategically aligned to build and improve connections with our students, families and overall SAUSD community.
Universally Designing Systems of Support: Accessibility, the IEP Process, and Family Partnerships Learning Series
Elise Yerkey, M. Ed., Implementation Specialist, California Coalition for Inclusive Literacy
“When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.”
— Alexander Den Heijer
In response to practitioners and parents across our state, the California Coalition for Inclusive Literacy (CCIL) has designed three webinar series to strengthen the partnership between educators and parents/caregivers to support all learners. This academic year we will explore: Accessibility, Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Process.
Our fall series debuts on September 12th with an introduction to universally-designed state assessments and the ways all students engage with and perceive tasks, as well as, demonstrate what they know and can do. The accessibility series continues September 19th with a look at how universally designing instruction prepares students for these next-generation assessments. The fall series culminates with the webinar “Beyond Multiple Choice: Fostering Expert Learning,” an examination of how student agency during instruction and assessment opens doors to lifelong learning.
This first series sets the groundwork for the winter series: a look at the roles parents and caregivers play in a Multi-Tiered System of Support. How can family engagement enhance the continuum of support for students whether they are being newly-considered for further intervention support or they have been receiving special education support for years as outlined in their IEPs.
The spring series offers educators insights into building family partnerships through inclusive communication to avoid alternate dispute resolution and litigation. For more information on this series, see the Fall Flyer or visit the CCIL website.
One More Tool for the Community Engagement Toolbox
Andrew Lawton, Program Specialist – Communication & Strategic Engagement, CCEE
When it comes to connecting with families and community partners, districts have many options; from the low-tech flyer, to the common social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.). There is however an often overlooked platform that districts can take advantage of that offers unique benefits like geographically targeted posts, and access to a built-in audiences that you wouldn’t have to worry about growing yourself.
Nextdoor, the popular neighborhood app designed to connect neighbors, offers special accounts to local public agencies, including school districts. Popular with first responder agencies like police and fire departments, Nextdoor offers public agencies a built-in, verified local audience to communicate with. More information about signing up can be found on their website using the button below. If you sign up I’d love to hear about your experience. Don’t hesitate to reach out using my email address below.
Contact Andrew at [email protected]
Meet our Newest TSEE Team Member!
Julie Boesch, Ed.D.
Assistant Director, System of Support
Personally, Julie’s proudest accomplishment is raising her four amazing sons!! Professionally she is a strong advocate for the necessity to create an environment that encourages growth on every level, for every student, every day. She is passionate about working collaboratively to develop systems of support, especially for small, rural districts, as we work to transform the education system with the implementation of Expanded Learning Opportunities for all, Community School’s approach to serving the whole child and Universal PK.
Fun Fact: Julie loves change and taking risks. She once jumped out of an airplane with a friend of her son’s for his 21st Birthday because all of her sons were too afraid to do it.
Friday 5 – STEM Resources for Teachers and Families
Friday 5 – Resources to Support the Whole Child – Part 2
Friday 5 – Video Resources from CCEE’s Microlearning Series
Friday 5 – Top Five Resources from California Educators Together
Friday 5 – Resources to Support Family Engagement
CCEE Connection (August 2022)
News & Announcements
Call to Participate in Professional Learning Opportunity through Project CLEAR
Project CLEAR, one of three CCEE Learning Acceleration System Grantees, is recruiting educators from across the state interested in becoming a teacher leader with expertise in reading intervention. This grant-funded professional learning opportunity will cover the cost of participation in graduate coursework, including tuition and materials. Please see the fliers linked below for more information about how Project CLEAR can support students in your district.
Project CLEAR Overview (English)
Resumen de Proyecto CLEAR (Spanish/Español)
Looking Ahead
2022-2023 Independent Study Professional Learning Network (ISPLN)
Join CCEE and participating districts for solution-oriented discussions focused on a problem of practice around independent study. The ISPLN meetings will occur at 10:00 am on the first Monday of every month. Please email Gonzalo Avila at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like further information.
- Learn more about the ISPLN meetings
- Register for our first meeting of the year on Monday, October 3, 2022
In Case You Missed It
CCEE’s Playbook for Accelerating Learning (updated!)
August Resources
Balloons to Heaven Day – August 6 is Balloons to Heaven Day when we remember the countless lives lost to gun violence.
International Youth Day – August 12 is International Youth Day, a United Nations holiday to raise awareness to the issues that many children and teenagers around the world, especially those affected by poverty, who can’t get access to an appropriate education.
Women’s Equality Day – August 26 is Women’s Equality Day in the United States, a day to commemorate the 19th amendment of the Constitution which, in 1920, gave women the right to vote.
About the CCEE
The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence is a statewide leader delivering on California’s promise of a quality, equitable education for every student.
Executive Director’s Corner
Continuous Improvement is Essential to Building Capacity
By Matt J. Navo, Executive Director, CCEE
All educators have something in common: we all want to improve educational outcomes for students. The tools and approaches we use to do that vary amongst educators. However, the one thing we can all agree on is that if we don’t re-evaluate our practices, self-reflect on what is and is not working, and redirect our work, we will never truly improve.
The Teaching, Learning, and Leading Center (TLLC) has been doing just that. The Systemic Instructional Review (SIR) is an essential tool used by the CCEE for providing assistance to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) for school improvement actions.
The TLLC team has been on a quest to assess the impact of the SIR tool, reflect on its effectiveness, and redesign the approach, resources, and design to enhance the tool’s ability to improve educational outcomes for students.
The TLLC team in this newsletter will be sharing their continuous improvement journey.
Seizing the Moment
Redesigning the Direct Technical Assistance Approach
By Dr. Stephanie Gregson, Deputy Executive Director of the Teaching, Learning, and Leading Center
The past few years have been difficult in many ways and has provided the opportunity to reflect on what is important in our personal and professional lives. We have experienced those moments that have allowed us to pause, reflect and see something from a different perspective. Sometimes what we see is not always easy to look at but is necessary to help us move forward and grow. Over the past 10 months, the CCEE Teaching, Learning, and Leading Center (TLLC) team has experienced many reflective and learning moments in our Direct Technical Assistance work. The TLLC team has engaged in learning and understanding different school improvement frameworks, hearing from our partners about their experiences, and became certified quality improvement coaches through International Health Institute (IHI) Quality Improvement Coaching Certification Program.
Over the summer, the TLLC Team engaged in a redesign process of the Systemic Instructional Review (SIR) and the Direct Technical Assistance approach grounded in Michael Fullan & Joann Quinn’s Coherence Framework and the IHI quality improvement tools and practices. We will be presenting our redesign to the CCEE Board on September 29th and invite you to tune in and learn more about our journey.
Our team is here to support and is ready to show up in a way that honors, respects, and values all that a district team has done. We look forward to learning from the district team’s application of their work and amplifying their successes.
Mt. Diablo Unified School District
Dr. Adam Clark, Superintendent, Mt. Diablo Unified School District
Jennifer Sachs, Chief of Educational Services, Mt. Diablo Unified School District
In 2020, at the very beginning of the pandemic, the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) began its close relationship with CCEE. With a focus on capacity building for sustainability as a base, the Systemic Instructional Review (SIR) process helped us create a laser-like focus on instruction and continuous improvement. In collaboration with our Contra Costa County Office of Education, and other partner agencies, an action plan was developed focusing on increasing the quality of instruction and improving student outcomes, most specifically for historically underserved student groups.
This intense need for coherence and alignment in Mt. Diablo Unified led to the creation of an instructional framework focusing on “simplexity”- to make the District’s instructional initiatives digestible for staff and the community to understand.
Mt Diablo’s and CCEE’s work has focused on the capacity building of district and site leaders, instructional equity, increased student improvement, restorative practices, and building relationships with families and community partners. Mt. Diablo Unified is currently partnering with The New Teacher Project (TNTP) to enhance our focus on standards-based instruction with an emphasis on learning acceleration and instructional rigor. This partnership includes monthly professional development for site leaders and classroom teachers with educational equity at its core and classroom walk-throughs, strengthening our professional learning networks across our district. The work with CCEE has helped strengthen outreach and collaboration, address inequities across our system – specifically for African American students, students experiencing homelessness, and foster youth – and has built the capacity of district educators at all levels to improve student outcomes.
Contact MDUSD at:
Inglewood Unified School District
Bernadette C. Lucas, Chief Academic Officer, Inglewood Unified School District
The SIR and CCEE’s support have been vital as Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD) implements our Instructional Plan and monitors the goals for student outcomes, experiences, and growth. The SIR and CCEE have supported the IUSD team in narrowing our focus on the teaching and leadership levers that will directly impact our vision for our students. This sounds like a simple concept. When working with a team of dedicated adults who are working to move an organization, this is a complex endeavor.
The intensely collaborative work between IUSD and CCEE has led to significant shifts in nurturing a culture of continuous improvement based on specific goals and outcomes. This culture is grounded in internal and external accountability as evidenced in the SIR process. The SIR has translated to our everyday practice. And, that has made all the difference.
IUSD has evolved because of the SIR and CCEE. The cycle of continuous improvement and the systematic support are not only embedded in the SIR, but also in the manner in which Educational Services thinks about and conducts its work. These are cultural shifts that have directly translated to our school sites and classrooms. Critical to this cultural shift is the constant, relentless centering of student data and student work as the clear pathway to advancing student growth and achievement. The centering of data is causing the observable transition from external accountability to internal accountability.
Two critical changes (of many) that have resulted directly from our work with CCEE are:
- a documented IUSD Instructional Plan with year-long aligned professional development and,
- a collaborative three-five MTSS Plan that is being developed and implemented in alignment with our Strategic Plan and Instructional Plan.
Words cannot express the impact of the relationship between IUSD and CCEE on our brilliant students. CCEE has been a vital partner in our pursuit of equity and liberation for our students as we deliver on our promise to them.
Contact Bernadette Lucas at:
About the Teaching, Learning, & Leading Center (TLLC)
Our TLLC team works in alliance with educators to improve teaching, learning, and leadership so every student is inspired and prepared to thrive as their best self.
Meet our TLLC Team Members!
Franchesca and Sandra are valued members on our TLLC team! Read more on them below.
Franchesca Sonoyama
Program Specialist
Teaching, Learning & Leading Center
Franchesca provides programmatic and team support including process improvement, material development, and project management within TLLC. Franchesca supports the implementation of the Systemic Instructional Review (SIR).
Fun Fact: Franchesca is a legit soprano, and cheese and chocolate connoisseur! Favorites: Black truffle cheddar and a 72% dark chocolate from Ecuador.
Sandra Brandt
Administrative Assistant II
Teaching, Learning & Leading Center
Sandra recently joined the CCEE team as Administrative Assistant II in the Teaching, Learning, and Leading Center. She supports Deputy Executive Director Stephanie Gregson and works closely with the LAS Grant team assisting with administrative support.
Fun Fact: Sandra loves to travel and is saving up for another trip to Spain.