Category: NEWS & EVENTS
Friday Feature – Enhancing Your LCAP: Tools for Improvement
CCEE Connection (February 2024)
News & Announcements
Project CLEAR (California Literacy Elevation by Accelerating Reading)
Project CLEAR builds capacity in implementing and accelerating literacy development in districts across the state. Educators can participate in one of two levels of professional learning offered through Project CLEAR – Teacher Leaders and Teachers. Participation is fully funded through Project CLEAR! For more information, see Project CLEAR’s webpage on our Learning Acceleration System Grant Website.
Project CLEAR’s Two-Unit Graduate Assessment Course
Project CLEAR now offers a two-unit graduate assessment course for interested teachers and administrators! The grant-funded coursework provides an overview of early literacy assessments in phonics, reading, and writing. The course is also designed to assist district and school leaders to develop, or redesign, a literacy acceleration plan to incorporate into their Local Control and Accountability Plan. For more information about this opportunity, please see Project CLEAR’s webpage.
Interested in Joining CEI?Applications to join the Cohort V of the Community Engagement Initiative opened in mid-January. This peer-led initiative brings together LEAs from every corner of the state to learn together about community engagement strategies and practices that strengthen relationships that affect student outcomes. Interested LEAs can find more information and apply at www.californiaengage.org/joining-cei
In Case You Missed It
Direct Technical Assistance Request for Proposal
CCEE is looking for respondents who can support partner LEAs in implementing State priorities. Further information is included in the Request for Proposal.
Looking AHEAD
California Collaborative for Learning Acceleration – 2024 Summit
Registration is open for the 2024 California Collaborative for Learning Acceleration (CCLA) Summit! The CCLA Summit is an inclusive hybrid space for educators to gain knowledge and deepen understanding of learning acceleration to reinvigorate classroom instruction to improve student outcomes. Both in-person and virtual participation options are offered.
Please join us on Saturday, March 16, 2024 from 8:30 am – 2:30 pm by registering here.
February Resources
- Direct Technical Assistance handout
- New CEI Learning Modules
- UDL for Educator Empowerment
- Microlearning Modules
- Statewide System of Support Resource Hub
About the Teaching, Learning, and Leading Center (TLLC)
Our 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.
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
Inspiring Change through Direct Technical Assistance
By Matt J. Navo, Executive Director, CCEE
CCEE’s Just Cause to “inspire change” is central to our established purpose as an organization. Our collaborative approach emphasizes the power of partnerships and the collective strength that comes from working together. We leverage improvement science and equity-centered practices such as the Seven Circle Model to build initial and ongoing relationships that will sustain the work moving forward. Through our collaborative efforts in Direct Technical Assistance (DTA), the Teaching, Learning, and Leading Center (TLLC) leverages these practices to inspire change as they work alongside Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) in their collaborative improvement journeys. One of the objectives of DTA is to:
Advise and assist County Offices of Education (COEs) & Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) in need of targeted assistance in achieving their LCAP goals by effectively meeting the needs of students historically underserved.
TLLC, led by Dr. Stephanie Gregson, Deputy Executive Director, is dedicated to addressing the specific needs of LEAs under the umbrella of DTA. Below you will read more about DTA and the various levels of support TLLC provides in efforts to inspire change within the educational system.
What is Direct Technical Assistance?
By Stephanie Gregson, Ed.D., Deputy Executive Director, CCEE
Direct Technical Assistance sounds very formal and what you would expect from Education Code. Yet, Direct Technical Assistance, as our team at CCEE views it, is anything but technical – it is very much about learning and understanding together what type of support will lift the efforts in each district eligible for Direct Technical Assistance. The CCEE team approaches Direct Technical Assistance honoring the human work that is part of systems change. Our Direct Technical Assistance handout provides a brief overview of the different types of supports that can be accessed through Direct Technical Assistance but let me provide an example.
One of the districts we support asked us to review their strategic plan and collaborate on how we can amplify their actions within the strategic plan. One of the first steps after reviewing the district’s strategic plan was to conduct a crosswalk analysis with all the other plans the district was required to develop, including their LCAP. Our team worked with the County Office of Education team and district team to conduct this crosswalk analysis and help identify areas of alignment and detractors. The goal of this collaboration is to ensure focus and intentionality of all district and support actions align with the LCAP and Strategic Plan goals. Once this work is completed, all have a shared understanding of the goals, strengths, and areas of support. This approach provided the opportunity for all to learn and grow together and move forward with coherent intentions.
This is just one example of support provided through Direct Technical Assistance and there will be a few more examples throughout this newsletter. As our Executive Director mentioned, we are here to lift up and inspire change within our educational system. We are here for you.
Bolstering Supports in Partnership
By Rocio Gonzalez-Frausto, Assistant Director of the Teaching, Learning & Leading Center, CCEE
The CCEE DTA team may engage in a DTA partnership with districts, the County Office of Education, and GEO leads through various modes, as seen in Figure 1. As the modes progress, CCEE’s DTA support is intensified. Regardless of the mode, quality improvement practices are leveraged. In a Cooperative Facilitation partnership, the CCEE works with the district and COE leadership team from design to implementation of a targeted project or to serve as a launch to a District goal with the support of the COE as part of Differentiated Assistance (DA) it provides to the district.
For example, a district office could be working to implement its goals and initiatives with little consistent success. The CCEE, in this partnership, will leverage the COE Differentiated Assistance to identify the root cause. CCEE will co-facilitate Continuous improvement-driven sessions with the COE and District to support the district leadership in identifying the LCAP and instructional plan(s) alignment and immediate next steps. As part of the identified support, CCEE can provide leadership quality improvement coaching to targeted individuals on the team and serve as a connector to other supports found in the CA Statewide System of Support. The duration of the Cooperative Facilitation partnership will vary but will generally be a year at most. This example is one way a Cooperative Facilitation partnership may manifest between agencies.
Figure 1: DTA’s Spectrum of Support
Establishing Systemic Coherence through the SIR
By Erik Swanson, Senior Advisor of the Teaching, Learning & Leading Center, CCEE
The Systemic Instructional Review (SIR) is the most intensive level of support provided by CCEE’s Direct Technical Assistance (DTA) to local educational agencies. It involves an in-depth analysis of the district’s instructional systems, aiming to support district leadership in enhancing academic progress and social-emotional growth for every student.
Grounded in Fullan & Quinn’s Coherence Framework and quality improvement principles, the SIR process focuses on providing clear direction, fostering collaborative cultures, deepening learning, and securing accountability. During “Phase 1,” the CCEE collaborates with the LEA and COE teams to understand their specific needs and goals for achieving student success.
For “Phase 2,” various data gathering methods, such as school visits, focus groups, empathy interviews, and instructional crosswalks are employed during the process. This inclusive approach involves educational partners at multiple levels, including students, families, teachers, school site staff, administration, governance members, and district office leadership.
Following thorough data collection and analysis, in “Phase 3,” the CCEE continues to work closely with the LEA and COE to develop and support the implementation and sustainability of improvement strategies. The ultimate goal is to create a comprehensive Pre-K through 12 analysis of the LEA’s instructional systems, encompassing academic and social-emotional aspects, and ensuring the effective implementation of teaching, learning, and leading practices. This collaborative effort is designed to prepare every student to thrive as their best selves.
For more information on the SIR and the Coherence framework, visit the Teaching, Learning, and Leading Center’s SIR webpage.
Intensive Assistance Model
Rising from the Margins
Rising From The Margins is a compelling podcast series that explores the transformative journey of California’s economically challenged schools through the lens of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence’s Intensive Assistance Model (IAM) pilot project. You can listen to the podcast now.
Reimagining Education: Insights from the Frontlines of School Transformation
CCEE, in collaboration with LEAs and partner organizations, will be hosting “open door” sessions to share best practices, tools/resources, and strategies to support student learning. These sessions will provide opportunities for county office and/or district staff to listen and learn from other LEAs across the state, and connect further, if interested. Those who express interest in connecting further will be invited to join a smaller, more intimate “Special Interest Group” session, in which the presenting LEA will be available to listen, share, and help participants with their questions or concerns related to the topic.
Join three exceptional school principals and teacher leaders for an inside look at how they are reimagining education at their schools. Through the IAM pilot, these educators have implemented powerful new strategies – centered on teacher collaboration and meeting individual student needs – that are delivering remarkable results.
Please join us on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 from 3-4 PM for an Open Door Session with Madera Unified School District.
Click here to register for this session.
Friday Feature – Podcast: Inglewood USD Success Tips
CCEE Connection (January 2024)
News & Announcements
Open Door Sessions
CCEE, in collaboration with LEAs and partner organizations, is hosting “Open Door” sessions to share best practices, tools/resources, and strategies to support student learning. These sessions provide opportunities for county office and/or district staff to listen and learn from other LEAs across the state.
Below are archived materials from past Open Door Sessions:
Please check our Events Calendar or follow CCEE on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on upcoming Open Door sessions.
LEA Spotlights
The Spotlights Project aims to celebrate some of the innovative, inclusive, and shareable practices that LEA teams have implemented to improve outcomes for students across our state. Each Spotlight organizes the successes, challenges, and lessons learned in a way that calls attention to emerging practices, reproducible strategies, and applicable resources, in hopes of introducing accessible points of conversation for other LEAs looking to resolve similar issues.
Below are three recently published Spotlights. Click on the links below to learn more about the innovative practices taking place in these LEAs.
Districts across California are partnering with Scaling Student Success to develop graduate profiles that more equitably and holistically redefine student success, transforming how they support students in developing the skills, competencies, and mindsets needed to thrive in college, career, and life.
Hope ESD‘s commitment to transparency and data-driven decision-making is empowering students to own their educational journey, nurturing a community of lifelong learners.
Federal Terrace Elementary School participated in CCEE’s Intensive Assistance Model Project, receiving intensive onsite support from Solution Tree to redefine collaboration and transform their Professional Learning Community.
About the I3 Center
The Innovation, Instruction, and Impact (I3) Center implements a statewide approach to improving LEA capacity by collaboratively developing, delivering, sharing, and spotlighting practices that have demonstrated the power to improve outcomes for students.
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
By Matt J. Navo, Executive Director
Having a statewide view helps our organization better understand what’s working and what’s not working. This is particularly important when it comes to how educational professionals engage best for professional learning. Time and time again, we hear two desires: 1) we want to learn from our peers and 2) we want to see how others are doing “it” – “it” being whatever it is we are trying to learn. This newsletter explores the various learning networks and peer-to-peer learning opportunities being used to support educators’ desires to learn.
Learning Networks: Fostering Collaboration, Including the New I3 Learning Network Resource Hub
By Ingrid Roberson, Assistant Director of Research Learning
On November 15th, the Innovation, Instruction, and Impact (I3) team hosted our first Cross-Network Convening, bringing together 19 districts and counties from across the state who are engaged in our African American Student Success Network, Data Research Learning Network (DRLN), and our newly added Universal Design for Learning Network. The theme for the convening was Street Data: Making Data Meaningful to the Lives of Students, Teachers, & Families.
At the start of the Convening, participants listened to district and county experiences with street data from Dr. Kimberly Hendricks-Brown (Fresno USD) and Fawn Nielsen (Imperial COE). Attendees then had network-specific time to learn more about Street Data in the context of their network learning. For example, in the DRLN, districts and counties conducted a data inventory at the satellite, map, and street data levels for their Innovation Projects. The event culminated in a showcase where each district and county shared their Problems of Practice, highlighting ideas and insights on how street data might enhance progress monitoring and measuring impact.
To foster continued cross-network connections, I3 is excited to launch the I3 Learning Networks Resource Hub. The Hub provides a one-stop shop for resources emerging out of learning network projects from districts and counties representative of the state of California. For example, the Hub includes teacher and student surveys created by the Center for Assessment focused on formative assessment practices that foster student agency from the DRLN’s Rincon Valley Union School District. As one learning network member shared at the convening, “Cross networks are the safety nets we all need when we work to lead,” capturing the supportive spirit of collaboration.
Focusing on African American Student Achievement: Addressing the Growing Gap
By Sujie Shin, Deputy Executive Director &
Italo Ciccarelli, Program Specialist
Amidst the ongoing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, district leaders are grappling with its disproportionate impact on minority and at-risk student groups, notably exacerbating the pre-existing achievement gap for African American students.
Examining these challenges is the focus of the African American Student Success Network (AASSN), who, in collaboration with the California Association of African-American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA) is engaging in shared cycles of inquiry to better understand the gaps in access, opportunity, and outcome for African American Students. The participating district and county office teams have come together around a common area of focus, collectively addressing implementation challenges, and distilling and disseminating lessons learned and best practices.
LEA Learning Networks: Recognizing and Amplifying Success
The seven Local Educational Agency (LEA) teams have been testing systems change processes over the past two years to improve learning, achievement, and educational attainment outcomes for Black students.
By establishing deep trusting relationships with partnering school district, and county office leaders to participate in shared cycles of inquiry, the networks create a platform for collaborative problem-solving centered on a common area of focus. This collaborative approach aims to address specific problems of practices (PoP) in our African American Student achievement and related strategies to improve student outcomes and reduce the achievement gap. For instance, the AASSN participants are actively working on strategies such as improving career and college readiness for Black students in the Central Valley, decreasing the overidentification of African American students in Special Education, enhancing Math CAASPP standards for African American students in the 6th grade, and mitigating the overrepresentation of African American male students receiving non-passing grades in core classes.
During this second-year cycle, participants have focused on delving deeper into implementation and data monitoring to study the effects of the proposed strategies and learning from it. Some LEAs already show promising signs of their implemented strategies coming to fruition. For example, Lynwood USD is showing a 17% reduction in Ds and Fs in core classes for male African American students in grades 9 to 12 (2023-24 AASSN Handout) from their baseline in SY 2021-22. The San Diego County Office of Education has seen a promising 19.8% reduction in chronic absenteeism rates among African American/Black students across the four Community Schools Program sites tested (CCEE & San Diego COE, CERA 2023) in the same period. We are excited to continue partnering with our network leaders as they actively contribute to dismantling systemic barriers and fostering a more inclusive, accessible, and equitable educational landscape for African American students.
Inspiring & Realizing a Whole Child Vision Through Graduate Profiles
By Dorcas Kong, Senior Specialist of Executive Projects
California’s LCFF Priorities/Whole Child Resource Map illustrates how the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) priorities align with whole child resources and supports to “ensure that ALL students are healthy, safe, engaged, challenged, and supported.” However, to create comprehensive, integrated systems of support that effectively serve the needs of the whole child, local educational agencies (LEAs) require the partnership and support of the broader educational community. It’s through their collective purpose and responsibility to support students’ learning, development, and well-being that drive the transformative changes needed to better serve its students, families, and communities.
Check out the Community Engagement Initiative (CEI)’s learning module on
Community Partnerships for Systems Change!
LEAs across California are modeling how to meaningfully engage their communities in developing and implementing a graduate profile, also known as a learner portrait, to serve as a locally-defined whole child vision that:
- redefines student success in a way that promotes equitable student outcomes,
- cultivates student agency, and
- prioritizes the skills and competencies to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.
By centering the voices of students, families, educators, and community members in the design of what will eventually become the LEA’s guiding compass, the graduate profile becomes a community-driven promise to its students. It begins to serve as the “why” behind decisions to determine what they’re doing and how they’re helping students foster the skills, competencies, and mindsets articulated in the graduate profile — placing students at the center of all their efforts.
Scaling Student Success has partnered with several California school districts through its Reimagining California Schools Innovation Pilot to develop and operationalize a “unique, locally-developed graduate profile,” guiding them through the journey of moving from “poster to practice”. As these districts embark on their graduate profile journeys to transform student learning, CCEE will be capturing their stories through our LEA Spotlights series, capturing their experiences, challenges, and lessons learned, in hopes of inspiring other LEAs to join the movement in redefining what it means to be a college- or career-ready student in California.
If you are interested in learning more about this work, or would like to share your LEA’s story, please contact Dorcas Kong at [email protected].
Friday Feature – New Release Alert: Unveiling Episode Two-Part I featuring Inglewood Unified School District!
Friday 5 – Enhance Your Educational Impact: Explore Modules The Community Engagement Initiative Series!
CCEE Connection (December 2023)
News & Announcements
Community Engagement Initiative Releases In-Depth Online Training Series
The Community Engagement Initiative has developed a comprehensive online curriculum designed to enhance community engagement in educational settings. These modules cover crucial topics, including:
- Site Leadership: Strategies for leading with vision and inclusivity.
- Partnering with Members of the Community: Building effective collaborations for mutual benefit.
- Parents as Equal Partners: Engaging parents in the educational process, acknowledging their invaluable role.
- Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP): Understanding and implementing LCAP for better school outcomes.
These asynchronous web modules are available through the CEI’s website at www.californiaengage.org/modules
FROM THE 21ST CENTURY CALIFORNIA SCHOOL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY (21CSLA) CENTER:
The 21CSLA Center has produced 3 new research briefs. Click on the links below to learn more.
- Professional Learning Brief: Equity Centered Leadership Coaching
- Webinar Highlights Brief: Educating for a Diverse Democracy
- Policy Brief: Preparing CA Principals for the Implementation of UTK: Lessons from other states
Recruitment for 21CSLA Spring UTK Leadership Certificate courses has started.
Click here to learn more.
Are you currently serving as a principal during the 23’-24’ school year?
Help 21CSLA and the UC Berkeley Leadership Programs learn about your resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.
CCEE Statewide system of support directory
We are pleased to announce the launch of the CCEE Statewide System of Support searchable directory. This directory provides contact information for educational partners at the state, regional, county, and local LEA levels for statewide initiatives as well as provides hyperlinks to individual initiative websites for further information and resources. This is the first time all the information will be available in one location ensuring equity and access to the Statewide System of Support in improving outcomes for students throughout California.
For initiatives that have identified geographic support regions (Geographic Leads, Regional English Learners, EWIG:ELPA) once you click on a certain region/zone/lead, you will find the counties served by that lead at the bottom of the directory. If any information needs to be updated, please utilize the feedback link at the bottom of the directory and we will get the information updated as soon as possible.
Please share the directory throughout your educational networks as together we can leverage the incredible work happening throughout the Statewide System of Support. We are hopeful that this tool will impact student achievement by providing greater access to the incredible supports and services offered in the SSOS.
In Case You Missed It
“Rising from the Margins” Podcast:
Embark on an auditory journey with our inaugural podcast episode, “Rising from the Margins.” This series kicks off by showcasing the remarkable strides taken by Washington Elementary. Episode 1 takes a behind-the-scenes look at Washington Elementary in Madera and the incredible work the school is doing in partnership with CCEE through the Intensive Assistance Model. In Madera, this work is being led by principal Alberto Hernandez and Madera superintendent Todd Lyle. This series is brought to you by the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, with additional support from Parsec Education, and produced by Windsong Productions.
Looking AHEAD
California statewide system of support convening
The California Statewide System of Support lead initiatives and grant funded projects will be meeting in person in February in Monterey. This meeting is an opportunity to coordinate, collaborate, and integrate our respective work throughout CA focusing on increasing student outcomes for all our students.For more information about the Statewide System of Support, please visit the CCEE website at https://ccee-ca.org/about-the-system/
Community engagement initiative – APPLICATIONS FOR COHORT V
Applications for CEI’s next cohort of CEI partners opens soon. We invite you to apply to come together, learn, and contribute to the betterment of education through active community engagement. Come join your peers who are transforming relationships in education. Sign up today to be notified when applications open on January 18.
21CSLA RESEARCH-PRACTICE WEBINAR ON SIDELINING BIAS IN SCHOOLS FEBRUARY 1, 2023.
Learn more and register here.
December Resources
Reasons to Celebrate in the month of December:
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
Celebrating and Highlighting Best Practices from the Field
By Matt J. Navo, Executive Director, CCEE
We all aspire to enhance education by seeking innovation, simplicity, and value. However, the tendency to admire problems and dilemmas sometimes obscures the opportunities that lie before us. This newsletter serves as an avenue for seizing those opportunities, celebrating innovation, complexity, and value. The Center for Transforming Systems for Equitable Education (TSEE) is dedicated to showcasing exemplary practices from the realm of education, to empower educators to envision transformative possibilities. Our mission is to deliver on California’s promise of a quality, equitable education for every student.
Celebrating and Learning Together
By Chris Hartley, Deputy Executive Director, CCEE
As we head toward the end of the 2023 year, it is important to take time to reflect and honor our collective work to improve outcomes for children and youth in our state. Celebrating and learning of the successful endeavors from our partners is critical in supporting our integration of supports and services across districts in the state. The process of honoring and learning from one another is validating, relevant, and truly supports our goal of being learning organizations and networks.
On behalf of the Center for Transformative Systems for Equitable Education (TSEE), please accept our tremendous gratitude and appreciation for the people that design, deliver and transform practices that positively impact students. The efforts and successes in the field demonstrate the Statewide System of Support in action and shed light on strategies that lead to more coherent support from the state level to school sites.
Esparto Unified School District’s Journey to Create a Culture of Excellence: (Building a Graduate Profile with Community and Staff Collaboration as part of a Strategic Design Process)
By Christina Goennier, Superintendent, Esparto Unified School District
Esparto Unified School District (EUSD) believes that creating a well-defined graduate profile will be the cornerstone of our district’s strategic design process. A graduate profile will serve as a roadmap, outlining the knowledge, skills, and dispositions a community aspires to instill in its students. It’s not merely a document but a dynamic vision that shapes a community’s culture and pedagogy. To craft a meaningful and impactful graduate profile, it is essential to involve the broader school community and staff members. In this article, we will explore why and how we worked collaboratively with the community and staff to create a graduate profile as the starting point of our strategic design.
Why EUSD Collaborated?
- Diverse Perspectives: Creating a graduate profile is not solely an administrative task but an opportunity to harness the collective wisdom and experiences of our entire school community. Involving students, parents, teachers, administrators, and other community members ensured the profile reflects diverse perspectives and values.
- Ownership and Buy-In: When everyone has a hand in shaping the graduate profile, EUSD believes all have a sense of ownership and responsibility for its realization. This buy-in creates a more committed and motivated school culture, with everyone working together toward a common goal.
- Alignment with Community Needs: Collaborating with the community helps ensure that the graduate profile aligns with our community needs and aspirations. It will prepare students to become productive and responsible citizens within the Esparto Unified School District attendance areas and beyond.
How did we Collaborate as a small rural district?
- Use of Current Committees: EUSD utilized many of the functioning groups both inside and outside of the district to meet regularly to discuss their perspectives and contributions to the graduate profile.
- Surveys and Community Groups: EUSD conducted surveys and focus groups that exist within the community to gather input from students, parents, and staff members. These tools allowed us to collect data, ideas, and feedback systematically.
- Clear Communication: Effective communication was key to ensuring that all members of the school community were aware of the process, its purpose, and their role in shaping the graduate profile. Regular updates and feedback mechanisms were established.
- Data Analysis: We analyzed the data collected from surveys and focus groups to identify common themes and priorities. This provides a solid foundation for drafting the graduate profile.
- Finalization and Adoption: After incorporating the feedback and making necessary revisions, the graduate profile is going to be finalized. It will be formally adopted by the school board on December 13, 2023.
For EUSD, creating a graduate profile is a crucial starting point for our district’s strategic planning process, as it defines the desired outcomes of education. By involving the community and staff in this endeavor, a culture of shared responsibility, ownership, and collaboration will be cultivated. A well-crafted graduate profile, born out of a collective vision, will guide the district toward educational excellence and prepare our students for success in an ever-evolving world. It’s not just a document; it’s a living testament to the commitment of the entire school community to provide the best possible education for their students.
Resources to improve student outcomes developed by the capital central foothill area consortium (CCFAC)
By Gabrielle Marchini, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, Accountability, El Dorado County Office of Education and Graciela García-Torres, Region 3 English Learner Specialist, Sacramento County Office of Education
The Sacramento-Placer Geo Lead Area, also known as the Capital Central Foothill Area Consortium (CCFAC), serves fourteen county offices of education that include Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sierra, Sutter, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba. The CCFAC has established a huddle structure that provides an opportunity for leaders from across the region to collaborate, share promising practices, and develop resources based on areas of focus. Two of these huddles include the Data Huddle, led by Gabrielle Marchini, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, Accountability at the El Dorado County Office of Education, and the English Learner (EL) Huddle, led by Graciela García-Torres, Region 3 English Learner Specialist at the Sacramento County Office of Education. The resources developed by these huddles have been shared extensively at the regional and state level to support county offices of education and local educational agencies.
Data Huddle
The Data Huddle team developed the Data Use Self-Assessment tool and has conducted regional and statewide sessions on the use of this tool. Designed by educators for educators, the Data Use Self-Assessment is a valuable tool to help assess and improve data quality and strengthen data culture in a school or school district. Completion of the Data Use Self-Assessment will help teams identify areas of strength and areas that need attention. Through the use of companion documents, teams will be urged to prioritize next steps and create an action plan for improvement.
The Data Use Self-Assessment (DUSA) focuses on four components:
- Systems
- Knowledge
- Practices
- Leadership
Key features of the DUSA include:
- It’s a user-friendly tool.
- The use of a 4-point scale that simplifies completion and avoids the complexity that sometimes occurs with more complicated rubrics.
- The assessment is flexible and can be used in ways that are more likely to support the purpose of the team. For example, the team might decide to focus on only one of the four components.
- The DUSA is offered in both paper-pencil and online formats.
- The DUSA produces actionable results that are developed as a team identifies areas of strength and areas in need of attention. A user-friendly plan is provided in the DUSA Toolkit to assist a team with planning out next steps.
- The DUSA is free!
A sample of a portion of the component on Practices: The Data Use Self-Assessment Toolkit can be found at http://www.dusatoolkit.org. In addition to a complete set of tools and resources around the toolkit, two online training sessions can be accessed on the website: 1) An Introductory Webinar with basic information about the tool and a 2) Train the Facilitators Session to support implementation of the toolkit.
Feedback from users:
“I wasn’t even aware that we should have goals around data.” (From a District Leader)
“The DUSA is a platform that will create a throughline for all DA processes.” (From Imperial County Leadership)
For more information, please contact Gabrielle Marchini at the El Dorado County Office of Education at [email protected].
English Learner (EL) Huddle
The English Learner (EL) Huddle is a team of regional leaders focused on supporting programs and services for English learners. The EL Huddle works to identify the needs of English learners, multilingual students, and staff, and implement research-based strategies to meet the needs of EL students. In addition, the EL Huddle participates in activities and discussions to further refine practices and procedures that guide teams in improving outcomes for Multilingual-English learners. The EL Huddle identified supporting English learners with disabilities as an area of improvement.
In the CCFAC, 96,771 students are identified as English learners. Of those represented, 15,435 students are also identified with a specific learning disability. In four of the fourteen counties in the CCFAC, the percentage of dually identified students is above 20 percent. Members of the EL Huddle embarked on a journey to utilize Improvement Science tools to identify a specific problem of practice and develop a change idea. Through careful analysis of data, empathy interviews, and a continuous improvement mindset, the team developed a process map which allows users to follow the steps to reclassify dually identified students with mild and moderate disabilities. The team consulted with several divisions from the California Department of Education (CDE) expert groups from the System of Support, such as the Regional English Learner Specialists (RELS) and Imperial County SELPA, to review the process map before launching. The empathy interviews with local education agencies were conducted to finalize the process. The process map includes tools that offer the careful analysis and guidance needed to exit students from English learner classification.
The process map creates a pathway that allows for timely reclassification and complements what the Imperial County SELPA currently offers. The team developed a graphic representation of the developmental process and process map. Since the initial launching of the Reclassification Process for Dually Identified Students with a Mild or Moderate Disability, more than 1,500 educators have accessed the process map virtually. CCFAC has conducted three in-person sessions and one virtual statewide level offering, with more than 400 in attendance. The Huddle’s next steps include recording a workshop and developing a professional learning module that demonstrates the collaboration between English learner and Special Education experts, as they utilize the process map. In the next few months, huddle members will work with local districts, who elected to use the process map, to continue to improve reclassification rates of dually identified students. For more information, please contact Graciela García-Torres at the Sacramento County Office of Education at [email protected].
