CCEE Connection (Winter 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.

Click on the links below to register for upcoming Open Door sessions.

  • Leading with Clarity: How Health and Attendance Guidance Drives School Success (11/19/24 at 3:30pm) – Register here!

Missed a session? Below are links to 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 all our offerings.

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 recently published Spotlights. Click on the links below to learn more about the innovative practices taking place in these LEAs.

Santa Barbara USD installed solar panels and microgrid systems to strengthen its resilience against wildfires, mudslides, and earthquakes.

Da Vinci Charter Academy in Davis JUSD integrated its graduate profile with project-based learning for real-world success.

Rincon Valley USD prioritizes formative assessment and mathematical learning progressions to answer three questions: 1) Where are our learners? 2) Where do we want them to be? 3) How do we get them there?

San Carlos SD partnered with a community-based organization to mitigate and prepare for storm-based flooding.


Featured Resources
  • Local Assessment System Review learning path & accompanying tool – Developed in partnership with the Center for Assessment, these resources guide school/district teams in conducting a review of their assessment system.
  • Listen to the most recent episode of CCEE’s Rising from the Margins Podcast! Through heartfelt stories and powerful examples, this episode highlights how Bakersfield City School District is leveraging the Community Engagement Initiative (CEI)’s resources to not only meet LCAP goals but to transform the educational experience for students and their families.
  • The UDL Data Toolkit was developed from the insights and recommendations outlined in the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) memo, emphasizing the need for comprehensive data collection and evaluation to enhance the effectiveness of UDL practices. One of the core concepts highlighted is the importance of gathering data at different levels—referred to as large, medium, and fine grain data—and triangulating this information to gain a holistic understanding of the impact on students, educators, and the broader educational system. This toolkit was collaboratively designed with educators and experts from organizations like Supporting Inclusive Practices (SIP), the California Coalition for Inclusive Learning (CCIL), and Open Access, ensuring it is grounded in practical experience and research. It offers a structured approach with guidance, tools, and resources to support local education agencies in tracking progress, making data-driven decisions, and continuously improving UDL implementation to foster inclusive and effective learning environments.

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

Chronic absenteeism is a significant barrier to student success, impacting academic achievement, engagement, and overall well-being. Schools and districts can address this challenge by implementing actionable strategies that foster student attendance and improve outcomes. By creating a supportive school environment, engaging families, and using data to identify and address attendance issues early, school and district teams can make meaningful progress in reducing absenteeism. This approach not only drives students to attend school regularly but also sets the foundation for long-term academic success and positive student outcomes. The Innovation, Instruction, and Impact (I3) Center led by Deputy Executive Director Sujie Shin, is sharing the findings that can help you decrease chronic absenteeism rates in your local educational agencies (LEAs).


Rebuilding Connections: Addressing Chronic Absenteeism through Community & Family Engagement

By Sujie Shin, Deputy Executive Director, I3 Center

I don’t think any of us who work with schools disagrees that chronic absenteeism continues to be a challenge for our schools, especially for students who have additional challenges–learning, economic, socioemotional, and family. What we continue to struggle with is what we can do to increase attendance, especially for students and families who may appear to be disengaged. A lot of commentators in the media and in our communities have reflected that “parents/families’ relationships with schools has changed” since the pandemic, and thrown up their hands at the idea that a school or district system can change the outcomes of a broader sociological shift.

There is truth to the idea that our relationships with in-person schooling have shifted since the pandemic–the rise of remote work and learning environments attests to this. But we also see a correlation to decreases in socioemotional well-being as a result. Our Chronic Absenteeism Bright Spots project aimed at looking at those communities where we saw not just a decrease in chronic absenteeism, but an increase in socioemotional well-being, community engagement, and even academic success as a result of the work that school and district teams were doing to redefine what the relationship between school and families looks like in 2024. Join us as we continue to navigate this space with our partners.

Chronic Absenteeism Resources

Chronic Absenteeism Bright Spots Open Door series

  • Leading with Clarity: How Health and Attendance Guidance Drives School Success (11/19/24 at 3:30pm) – Register for the third and final session in this series! This session will explore how clear health and attendance guidance can be a game-changer in improving student attendance, where you’ll discover how schools can enhance their culture by prioritizing the health and well-being of students, families, and staff.

Shifting Mindsets on Chronic Absenteeism Open Door series

Other Resources & Publications

Note: Audio summaries were generated using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. While we strive for accuracy, please note that AI may not fully capture the nuances of the content. For the most comprehensive understanding, we recommend reading the full brief.

Chronic Absenteeism Bright Spots Factsheet (July 2024) – Learn about the approaches and conditions implemented by three districts that collectively helped get more kindergarteners back into the classroom and ready to learn!

Spotlight on Cypress School District – Learn how this district tackled chronic absenteeism by implementing robust data practices, cultivating trusting relationships with families, shifting mindsets, and establishing targeted communication channels with parents.


Kicking off the School Year with Attendance Works!

By Hedy Chang, Executive Director &
Catherine Cooney, Director of Communications, Attendance Works

As the new school year gets underway, getting kids to attend school regularly is more important than ever, especially with today’s high levels of chronic absence. New research reveals that very high absenteeism doesn’t just impact individual students, it impacts everyone in the community by interfering with a school’s overall functioning as well as teaching and learning. Listen to the podcast.

Our work shows us how vital relationship building – with families and students – is to making progress on absenteeism. In a podcast, Learning Heroes’ Eyal Bergman explains how family engagement can build relationships with families who then feel a part of the school community. We’ve collected a variety of resources for educators that promote positive engagement, relationship building and a sense of community that leaves everyone feeling like school is a place they belong.

Communicating clearly and often with families is essential. A new study from the Ad Council finds that parents/caregivers responded more favorably to messaging with a positive tone and a focus on the benefits of consistent in-person attendance. Read our blog post about the study takeaways and find a new messaging toolkit.

We just wrapped up the 2024 Attendance Awareness Campaign with the slogan Be Present, Be Powerful! The AAC’s four webinar series focused on the role everyone can play in creating positive conditioning for learning – teachers, principals, community partners and superintendents. If you missed a webinar, plan a gathering with colleagues and download the webinar recording, presentation slides and discussion guide. And don’t overlook our posters, badges and social media materials that are available for use throughout the school year.

CCEE Connection (Fall 2024)

News & Announcements

Community Engagement Initiative 1.0 Final Report

Highlighting the first phase of the Community Engagement Initiative (CEI)’s accomplishments and impact, the CEI 1.0 Final Report demonstrates significant accomplishments and lays the groundwork for future development. The report is a testament to the collective efforts of LEAs in building capacity, fostering trust, and improving outcomes for our students through robust community engagement. The CEI team is excited to build upon this work and continue to provide resources and support to strengthen community engagement across the state.

The IEP Expert Panel

The IEP Expert Panel, facilitated by CCEE, has concluded its work as outlined in the Budget Act of 2022 AB 154, Section 32, culminating in a final written report that includes a proposed CA IEP template and recommendations for implementation. The final report was sent on June 28, 2024, to the relevant policy committees and budget subcommittees of the Legislature, the Executive Director of the State Board of Education, and the Director of Finance.

System of Support Core Working Group Report

The SSOS Core Working Group report was released Thursday, July 11th. This report has been a collaborative, two-year effort made possible by the incredible commitment of time and energy of a variety of diverse educational leaders across the state.

Leadership Institute

The CCEE, in collaboration with the Small School Districts Association (SSDA), is excited to kick off another year of the Leadership Institute! This year we will continue to focus on communication, leadership, and networking. Register today!

In Case You Missed It
Rising from the Margins 

This compelling podcast series 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.

Looking AHEAD
Online Literacy Courses Virtual Community of Practice

Looking for a way to supercharge your literacy teaching skills? 

Contra Costa County Office of Education invites educators statewide to dive into our no-cost online courses with Project ARISE and engage in a virtual community discussion. Join this dynamic opportunity to discuss classroom implementation, share insights, and discover concrete examples alongside peers. This is your chance to enhance your learning experience and bring innovative practices into your classroom. Ready to make an impact? Join us on this exciting educational journey! 

Click here for more information on registration, topics, and schedule.

OPEN DOOR SESSION

Is extreme heat on your school playgrounds becoming an increasing challenge? Join us on September 10 from 2 to 3 PM to discover how the Pasadena Unified School District and Long Beach Unified School District have tackled this challenge by greenifying their schoolyards. (Registration link)

Resources

LCAP Resource Hub

A collection of resources, tools, webinars, videos, and data dashboards developed by County Offices of Education across the state to support local education agencies in developing LCAPs that promote data-informed goal setting, collaboration, engagement, transparency, continuous improvement, and equity.

SSOS Resource Hub 

With this tool, County Offices of Education, districts, charter schools, Special Education Local Plan Areas, and other educational partners, can find information about state-funded initiatives and resources to employ best practices, facilitate improvement plans, and improve student outcomes.

Levers Assessment Tool

This tool for systems change walks you through six foundational components that will identify in what areas your LEA is doing well, opportunities for improvement, and it will help your LEA determine where best to start system improvement efforts.


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

What is the Work of the CCEE?

By Matt J. Navo, Executive Director, CCEE

Many educators ask the above question and the answer is broad in scope but narrow in focus. The CCEE is charged with understanding local educational needs in California and aligning those needs with its efforts. This alignment ensures that Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) receive support and services from the CCEE and the Statewide System of Support (SSOS) to meet their Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) goals. 

By identifying and addressing unique universal, targeted, and intensive supports, resources, and services, the CCEE and SSOS can help bridge achievement gaps, enhance equity, and promote student success across the state. 
If you are an educator, learning about the SSOS and CCEE is essential. To learn more, please see the following links: CCEE and SSOS.


Being Intentional and Focused – It’s Not Easy!

By Stephanie Gregson, Ed.D., Deputy Executive Director, CCEE

As we gear up for another school year, it’s time to embrace the noble art of staying focused, especially when it comes to LCAP goals. Staying focused and intentional in our actions is not merely a strategy but a mindset and it’s hard to shift. It’s extremely difficult to shift mindsets amidst new initiatives and evolving policies. This shift requires a blend of courage, determination, intentionality, and perseverance.  The courage to ask yourself and your team: are all our initiatives, strategic plans, and LCAP goals aligned? How do we know what we are doing is working? Do we have the courage to let go of those actions that are not improving outcomes for students? The determination, intentionality, and perseverance to let go of those actions not improving student outcomes and to stay focused on what is improving outcomes for students. This isn’t easy but it is what our students deserve from us.


The Hard Work of Staying Focused

By Craig Wheaton, Professional Expert, CCEE

Distractions! They come from all directions. In the day-to-day work of improving student outcomes, addressing distractions without derailing district initiatives and goals is much harder than it may appear. 

Mount Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD), as outlined in the district’s Local Control Accountability Plan, has focused on accelerating Math learning for the last several years. This focus has resulted in system alignment, changes in classroom instruction, and a renewed emphasis on instructional leadership. You can see a difference in professional development, instructional practices, in principal leadership, and in overall district coherence and system efficacy. 

What we have learned in working with MDUSD is that it is easy to get caught up in the next “important” area of need, there are so many. They can be a distraction. The hard work is to stay focused so that the improvements that are in place are sustained, replicated, and expanded.

Stay focused on system improvement, establish conditions needed for sustainability, document improved student outcomes before moving onto another area for improvement. The key is to develop a system capable of continuous improvement, not to tackle so many goals that you don’t achieve any of them. Avoid distractions!


Continuous Improvement & Accountability: Embracing Familiarity, Flexibility, & Functionality

By Sandy Pugliano, Assistant Director of Continuous Improvement & Accountability, Santa Clara County Office of Education

Santa Clara County Office of Education’s Differentiated Assistance model is grounded in three core principles: Familiarity, Flexibility, and Functionality

Familiarity – Building trusting relationships with LEAs is accomplished by providing each eligible district with a dedicated DA Coach. The coach works closely with the district’s improvement team to guide the improvement process. This same coach supports the district as they develop their Local Control & Accountability Plan. This integrated approach helps the district implement a cohesive approach across DA & the LCAP. 

Flexibility – DA support is provided through quarterly DA Improvement Networks (DAIN) monthly 90-minute coaching calls and monthly 30-minute Huddles. The content of DAIN meetings is explicitly designed based on the expressed needs and focus areas of our districts. The individualized coaching & huddles allow us to customize guidance and address specific challenges and opportunities as they arise.  

Functionality

SCCOE has created a Differentiated Assistance Hub which is a curated collection of resources that LEAs can use on-demand. Additionally, we are launching three Community of Practice opportunities focused on Attendance, ELA, and Suspension. The CoPs will support cross-district collaboration as they work towards a common goal.  

Meaningful, impactful, and tailored support to meet the needs of each district is central to our work.


Accelerating Excellence: Insights and Opportunities from the Learning Acceleration System Grant (LASG) 

The LASG offers evidenced-based professional education for educators that can support learning acceleration, particularly in mathematics, literacy, and language development to enable all students to make strong and rapid progress towards mastery of knowledge and skills. As we embark on our fourth year of the grant, we invite you to dive into our dynamic new professional learning opportunities, explore valuable lessons learned, and uncover compelling data showcasing the LASG’s profound impact on educators, students, and educational systems alike. Join us on this journey of innovation and achievement!

LASG Evaluation: Year 3 Insights

Dive into the latest findings from the LASG Evaluation Team! This executive summary memo, focusing on data collected during 2023–24, builds upon previous findings to illuminate progress toward grant goals. Following on from the second-year interim memo, this report delves deeper into how the LASG is transforming educational practices and student outcomes. Explore our data-driven approach to innovation and equity in education.

Seize Professional Development Opportunities with the Learning Acceleration System Grant!
Save the Date for the 2024-2025 CCLA Virtual Math and Literacy Workshops and Third Annual Summit!
CCLA is excited to announce dates and topics for professional learning opportunities during the 2024-2025 school year. CCLA will be offering free, virtual, math and literacy workshops that focus on evidence-based methodologies for learning acceleration. All California educators are invited to join, as we continue working and learning together to accelerate learning for our students.

Please visit the CCLA website for more information on registration and their workshop schedules.

The CCLA Summit is an inclusive space for educators to gain knowledge and deepen understanding of learning acceleration to reinvigorate classroom instruction to improve student outcomes.

Join us to:
– Create accelerated learning opportunities that are engaging, culturally relevant, and personalized to build student agency
– Utilize effective formative assessment strategies to know where your students are and where they are going
– Design transformative experiences that value and elevate moments with students
The Rural Math Collaborative: Empowering Educators with PD Aligned with the New Math Framework
Discover free asynchronous modules on the 2023 California Mathematics Framework! Explore the Rural Math Collaborative’s current offerings which include an overview of the framework and Number Sense for TK-Grade 2. Stay tuned for more modules coming in 2024-2025!

To learn more about how the Rural Math Collaborative transforms math education in  small, rural LEAs read, Rural Math Collaborative: Providing tailored programs and strategies to boost math achievement
Unlocking Potential: Project CLEAR Literacy Intervention Opportunities
Deepen your knowledge about how to implement comprehensive literacy strategies and assessments in schools and K-12 interventions for students who have reading, writing, and language-based needs. Project CLEAR is currently accepting applications! Explore their various offerings here or complete their interest form to learn more!

CCEE Connection (April 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.

Click on the links below to register for upcoming Open Door sessions.

Missed a session? Below are links to 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 all our offerings.

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.

Miwok Middle School, located in Sacramento City USD, harnessed the power of student survey data to cultivate a culture of belonging and connectedness — with an explicit focus on equity.

Lost Hills UESD leveraged community schools as a catalyst for collaboration among neighboring small districts, focusing on shared learning and resource pooling to enhance student outcomes.

Los Angeles USD launched its Black Student Achievement Plan, a comprehensive initiative that aims to address the need for culturally responsive curriculum and instruction, community-based partnerships within the Black community, and increased staffing to support the academic and social-emotional needs of Black students.

2024-25 Leadership Institute

Register for the 2024-2025 Leadership Institute! The Leadership Institute will kick off in person on July 21, 2024 in Newport Beach, CA.

The ultimate goal of the Leadership Institute is to create networks and support systems for small school district leaders so they can gain the skill set and confidence needed to effectively lead their districts.

Click here for a flyer.

21csla research-practice webinar

Mark your calendars for the upcoming 21CSLA webinar scheduled for May 15th from 3:30-4:30 PM PT via Zoom. Join us as we welcome Professor Tyrone Howard from UCLA School of Education & Information Studies. Dr. Howard will delve into the themes of his recent publication, ‘Equity Now,‘ providing invaluable insights on fostering equity and inclusivity in educational settings. Register for the webinar today!


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

Learning is the cornerstone of growth and progress in education, shaping individuals, communities, and organizations alike. Within our Innovation, Instruction, and Impact (I3) Center’s learning networks, leaders from local educational agencies (LEAs) share invaluable insights on the transformative power of learning.

From collaborative intelligence to hands-on experiences, they emphasize the profound impact of continuous learning. Partners echo this sentiment, emphasizing the crucial role of education in fostering climate sustainability. Spotlighting institutions like Miwok Middle School, Lost Hills UESD, and Los Angeles USD underscores the tangible results of prioritizing learning initiatives. As we anticipate upcoming Open Door sessions and reflect on past ones, we’re reminded of the ever-evolving journey of knowledge acquisition and its endless possibilities for improvement and innovation.


Harnessing the Power of Collective Learning to Foster a Culture of Inquiry and Innovative Change

Most educators, if not all, have come into this profession because they recognize the value of learning. Whether they’re teaching in bustling classrooms or engaging in virtual learning spaces for their own professional growth, educators are continuously enriched by the collective knowledge and experiences of their students, colleagues, and the many voices shaping their educational journey. Through CCEE’s learning networks, we strive to create intentional learning communities where these educational leaders can lean into the power of learning as active learners who are committed to improving the practices, programs, and systems in their local educational agencies (LEAs). District and county office leaders learn with and from one another, as they embrace each other’s diverse perspectives and experiences to shape innovative solutions that continue to be refined through data-driven iterative processes.

We asked LEA leaders in each of our learning networks to reflect on their own journeys of learning and leading to ultimately improve outcomes for students. They share their thoughts below.

By Tracy Thompson, Executive Director of Juvenile Court and Community Schools, San Diego COE

I’m delighted to announce that the partnership between the San Diego County Office of Education, Juvenile Court and Community Schools (JCCS) team, and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) has proven immensely valuable to our organization, particularly in our efforts with the county’s most marginalized students. This enriching journey has highlighted the critical need to not only analyze and discuss data but to also utilize these insights to create meaningful change. Participation in this network and collaboration with local educational agencies (LEAs) statewide have provided our team with vital support, leadership, and encouragement from colleagues facing similar challenges and sharing the same goals. While we recognize the importance and tremendous opportunity presented by this partnership, we also understand the struggle, especially when progress is slower than anticipated, necessitating pivot and persistence. We’ve discovered this partnership to be a safe environment for honesty, courage, and continual growth, benefiting our students and society as a whole. While acknowledging that change takes time, we’re reassured that we’re not alone, and meaningful progress relies on our collective action.

By Kit Bragg, Director of Assessment, Research, & Evaluation, San Ramon Valley USD

Participating in the Data Research Learning Network (DRLN) has been incredibly rewarding. The focused and action-oriented process by which the CCEE/DRLN conducts research is evidence-based and results-driven. My work was pushed so much further under the guidance of the network team. Beyond that, the collaboration across the network elicited new thinking and new direction in my action plan. The opportunity to collaborate and present with team members further broadened my own research and affirmed the efforts driven by our plan. I most enjoyed learning from my colleagues about data literacy tools created within the network. My focus was wholly on dashboarding for the purpose of intervention tracking. Seeing the tools developed by my colleagues to increase data literacy pushed my thinking and allowed me to design some staff professional development differently.

By Tim Reid, Director of Pupil Services, Nevada Joint UHSD

Being part of the UDL network reinforced the value of collaborative support among leaders, emphasizing the need for a collective effort in driving effective change. This has been a pivotal lesson in understanding the multifaceted nature of educational leadership and the importance of shared experiences and strategies among peers. My key takeaway is the realization that there’s no singular method to effectuate significant change. The diversity of approaches, enriched by the collective wisdom and creativity of the network, underscores the dynamic nature of educational leadership. This collaboration offers a unique opportunity for mutual support, allowing us to share insights and challenges. Moreover, it prompts us to ask targeted questions that lead to the refinement and improvement of our practices.

As LEAs engage in our learning networks, we are curating tools, resources, and artifacts that come out of their projects, in hopes that it can be a jumping off point for other LEAs hoping to embark on their own learning journeys. We updated the Learning Networks Resource Hub with new additions so make sure to check it out!


Is Your School Climate Ready?

By Ingrid Roberson, Assistant Director of Research Learning

As Earth Day this April 22nd reminds us of our rapidly changing climate, CCEE has partnered with UndauntedK12 and Ten Strands, two organizations dedicated to assisting K-12 public schools in acting on climate adaptation, mitigation, and education. UndauntedK12 and Ten Strands are currently conducting a statewide survey to gather model tools and resources aimed at supporting school infrastructure, climate resilience, adaptation, and decarbonization.

The initiative will kick off with the first of three Open Doors sessions scheduled on April 26th, focusing on “Schools and Climate Impact Emergencies” (registration link). Additionally, for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, CCEE, UndauntedK12, and Ten Strands plan to share stories and resources from school communities across California. These tools will aim to empower schools, districts, and counties to drive action towards climate adaptation, mitigation, and education. A policy and practice brief will accompany the toolkit, featuring a summary of findings, resource links, spotlight stories, and policy recommendations.

CCEE Connection (March 2024)

News & Announcements
Interested in Joining the community engagement initiative (CEI)?

Applications to join the Cohort V of the Community Engagement Initiative are due March 15, 2024. 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 here.

In Case You Missed It
project arise free professional development opportunity

Project ARISE partners have developed a series of self-paced online courses that offer a whole-child approach to literacy instruction. Engage in content addressing executive functions, research informed best practices for reading instruction, and a process for intensive intervention. This professional learning opportunity is free to all California educators. Project ARISE is led by Contra Costa County Office of Education and supported by California Department of Education. Enroll for courses here.

Equity leadership now! a new podcast by the 21Csla state center

Tune in to Equity Leadership Now!, hosted by 21CSLA, where we engage in conversations with leaders committed to equity in education, spanning from PreK to university settings. We explore their innovative ideas and compelling work to realize individual, social, and environmental justice at the intersection of research, policy, and practice — because our democracy depends on it. 

Listen today to “Orchestrating a Community of Diverse Educational Equity Leaders” featuring Rebecca Cheung, Assistant Dean of the Berkeley School of Education and Director of 21CSLA State Center. In this episode, Dr. Cheung delves into her leadership journey and discusses the crucial intersection of equity, leadership, and public education with Professor and 21CSLA Chair Jabari Mahiri. Listen to ELN! now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and more.

CCEE “OPEN DOOR” sessions

Join our “open door” sessions where educational practitioners share innovative ideas and best practices from the Whole Child Design Framework. Connect with peers across the state, and explore opportunities for further engagement. Visit our site to watch recordings of past sessions or click the events calendar button in the navigation for upcoming sessions.

Looking AHEAD
UPCOMING CCEE OPEN DOOR SESSIONS

3/14: Increasing Intervention Efficacy Using Data Dashboards

A data dashboard can be a powerful tool when considering how to track the effectiveness of program implementation and efficacy. There are a myriad of factors to consider when deciding what dashboarding can provide your LEA. In this Open Door session, San Ramon Valley USD will share how to link data dashboarding with progress monitoring to increase intervention efficacy. Click here to register.

3/26: Balanced Assessment Systems in Action: Fostering Formative Assessment Practices With Mathematical Learning Progressions

This Open Door session explores the implementation of Balanced Assessment Systems, particularly Formative Assessments in mathematics, through Rincon Valley Union School District’s journey leveraging mathematical learning progressions from the Ongoing Assessment Project (OGAP) and utilizing progress monitoring tools such as teacher and student surveys and classroom walk-throughs to foster inclusive mathematical instruction. Click here to register.

register for the ’24-’25 Leadership institute

Register for the ‘24-’25 Leadership Institute. The Leadership Institute will kick off in person July 21, 2024 in Newport Beach, CA. 

The ultimate goal of the Leadership Institute is to create networks and support systems for small school district leaders so they can gain the skill set and confidence needed to effectively lead their districts.

Project arise spring workshop series

Project ARISE, led by Contra Costa County Office of Education, invites California educators to our Spring Workshop series.  These virtual professional learning sessions will include:

  • For Executive Functions, Context Matters from the Center for Whole-Child Education
  • Effective Foundational Skills Instruction from TNTP
  • Intensifying Interventions for Students from the National Center on Intensive Intervention

See Workshop Flier.

See Workshop Registration.

March Resources
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.

About the Transformative Systems for Equitable educational outcomes center (tSEE)

The Center for Transformative Systems facilitates a common integrated vision for the Statewide System of Support for the development of coordinated, equitable, educational student outcomes.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S CORNER

New Beginnings: What can happen when we imagine something new?

By Matt J. Navo, Executive Director, CCEE

Our state has invested millions of dollars into our schools and statewide systems over the last 4 years. The investments were pursued in hopes of building innovative approaches to improving educational outcomes for our students.

In addition to all the investments that create new ideas, sometimes doing something new involves simply a new approach or even reducing ideas to focus on a few key opportunities.

The Center for Transformative Systems for Equitable Educational Outcomes (TSEE) did just that on February 20, 2024.  For the first time in California’s history, every state-funded initiative with statewide impact was brought together in hopes of establishing a new way of coordinating, collaborating, and integrating services and supports across the state.

This newsletter takes advantage of the opportunity to highlight new beginnings in state transformation.


Statewide System of Support (SSOS) is beginning to build the Interagency Collaboration envisioned by the State

By Chris Hartley, Ed.D., Deputy Executive Director, CCEE

As we celebrate and embrace new beginnings and the energy the Spring season brings all our educators throughout the state of California, the Center for Transformative Systems for Equitable Educational Outcomes (TSEE) is excited to bring you this newsletter. Together, we can harness the symbolism of Spring to cultivate a brighter, more interconnected future for all students.

This narrative directly aligns with our most recent event involving all lead agencies in the SSOS. For the first time, all state-funded initiatives that have a statewide impact were assembled in the collective pursuit of building interagency collaboration and integration of services and support statewide.

The Statewide System of Support Collaboration Convening, with over 110 participants making up over 25 state initiatives, was an opportunity to learn, grow, and share unique expertise and resources. 

Participants connecting with lead initiatives at the gallery walk to learn more about specific offerings and resources on day two of the convening.

State agency partners pulled together to organize and facilitate the event. Big thanks to CCEE Board President, Dr. Cynthia Glover-Woods and CCEE Executive Director, Matt Navo for the excellent opening day remarks and to all the presenters who made this an outstanding event.

Special thanks to our state agency partners that made this event possible. Pictured from left to right: Felicia Novoa, Anissa Sonnenburg, Michelle Valvidia, William McGee, Chris Hartley, Jasmine Hennessy, Melissa Hodgson, Mindy Fattig, Dr. Cynthia Glover-Woods, Sara Pietrowski.

Just as Spring encapsulates the possibility of transformation, so do the efforts and dedication of educators throughout the state.


Embracing New Opportunities to Learn and Grow: Ensuring Equity in Access with the Statewide System of Support (SSOS) Online Tools

By Mindy Fattig, Senior Advisor, Statewide System of Support, CCEE

How do we ensure equity in access to all of the state funded resources, supports, and services across the state so educators know where to go and how to access resources without solely relying on who they may know in the system? This is a question that CCEE has been working on with our educational partners in the field over the past few years. As a result, goals with very specific strategic actions were identified to create tools that provide ease of access to all of the SSOS state funded resources available to educators that are designed to support improving outcomes for students.

These are just two of the many tools created which you can access with the links or QR codes below.

Levers for System Change

The Levers for System Change tool is designed for LEAs to assess the quality of their educational infrastructure in order to improve outcomes for ALL students, inclusive of serving students with disabilities. LEA teams evaluate, document, and progress monitor the status of implementation of the six fundamental components necessary for a successful LEA. 

CCEE Statewide System of Support Resource Hub

Discover a wealth of universal resources aimed at enhancing student outcomes and supporting educators! With over 30 statewide projects, grants, and initiatives, there is a new one-stop website designed to provide equity in access to valuable tools for educators. There are 130+ universal resources aimed at supporting districts, county offices, and charter schools, and this number will continue to grow! From webinars, to toolkits, to self-assessment frameworks, all resources are aimed to help educational partners improve outcomes for students. 

To learn more about the various online tools the System of Support has to offer, see the document below, or click here. We hope these tools will help educators across the state, to learn and grow together.


Revised CSTP Provides CEI with New Opportunities to Develop Teacher Capacity

Brittany Mabe, Ed.D., District Advisor, Community Engagement, San Diego County Office of Education

Take a moment to think about the last fifteen years and all that has transpired in the world of education and beyond. From technology advances to global pandemics to AI, the classrooms of today look vastly different from those of fifteen years ago. Knowing this, it is exciting that revised and updated California Standards for the Teaching Profession, CSTP, were approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) in February. The prior version of the CSTP, used by public school teachers K-12 statewide, were approved in 2009 and have been used to guide professional development, evaluation, and teacher induction programs for the last fifteen years. The goal of these revised standards, as outlined in the Information/Action Item presented to the CTC (2024), is to “enable teachers to meet the needs of all learners (collective), each learner (individual), and every learner, including but not limited to specifically historically and persistently underserved students.”

These new standards bring about many new opportunities. While the overarching six domains of the standards remain the same, included among the changes to the standards themselves is a stronger focus on family and community engagement and developing “positive and reciprocal family and community connections” (CTC Information/Action Item 4B, 2024). The new standards address the goals of the family and the community and ask teachers to implement evidence-based principles of engaging families to best meet the needs of all learners. One way that districts and charters across the state of California can deepen their community engagement practices and their understanding of these principles is through participation in the Community Engagement Initiative (CEI), a component of the Statewide System of Support charged with building peer-to-peer partnerships and deepening an understanding of authentic engagement. The revised standards provide the CEI an opportunity to collaboratively support educators in the classroom, ultimately strengthening community engagement and improving student outcomes.


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

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

Headshot of Rocio Gonzalez-Frausto

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.

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.

Scaling Student Success, A California Partnership

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

Headshot of Matt Navo

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].

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.

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

Headshot of Matt Navo

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:

  1. Systems
  2. Knowledge
  3. Practices
  4. 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].


CCEE Connection (November 2023)

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

The two-unit graduate assessment course provides an overview of early literacy assessments in phonics, reading, and writing. For those who are considering the Teacher Leader or Teacher pathways, this course would offer an introduction to the opportunities sponsored by Project CLEAR, along with allowing time for district and school leaders to develop, or redesign, a literacy acceleration plan to incorporate into their Local Control and Accountability Plan.

California Collaborative for Learning Acceleration – Math and Literacy Communities of Practice (CoPs)

The California Collaborative for Learning Acceleration (CCLA) in partnership with the CCEE and six County Offices of Education (COE) will be creating an inclusive space for collaboration and learning for educators across the state through a Community of Practice (CoP). 

You can find more information using the flyers below: 

Literacy

Mathematics

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.

Universal PreK Resources

Looking AHEAD
Winter/Spring 2024 Courses Toward the  21CSLA UTK Leadership Certificate 

The next no-cost, university credit-bearing course toward the UTK Leadership Certificate will be Equity Centered Leadership Practices to Support, Integrate, and Align Transitional Kindergarten (TK).

This course will investigate and understand the instructional leadership practices related to preschool through third grade (P–3) education, including how to develop and enact a PK–3 vision, align and integrate Universal Transitional Kindergarten into the CA educational system, and implement strategies to build professional capacity through a culture of continuous improvement. With a focus on issues of educational inequality, course content and assignments will focus on ameliorating and improving public education with a P–3 focus.

For more information or to enroll, visit: https://21cslacenter.berkeley.edu/utk-leadership-certificate Questions? Email us at [email protected]

California Collaborative for Learning Acceleration Summit

Save the Date for the CCLA 2023-2024 Summit! This year’s theme is Students First: Every Moment Matters and will feature virtual and in-person options.

Tuesdays @ 2 Webinar Series

Following the adoption of the 2024–25 LCAP template and instructions the CDE will be providing a series of training webinars. For information, please visit the Tuesdays @ 2 Webinar Series web page.

November Resources
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

How Do We Fix Schools?

By Matt J. Navo, Executive Director, CCEE

Headshot of Matt Navo

This is a question that has plagued educational practitioners and policymakers alike for years. The answer in short…we don’t! We don’t fix schools, we don’t fix people, and we don’t fix students. There’s not a compliance document, accountability document, or strategic plan that I have met that can fix schools. Rather, I would argue we help schools learn to improve, we help people to learn to improve, and we help students learn to improve. The only thing that can address the issues public schools are facing is the people in the buildings coming together for deep collaboration and problem-solving.  

In this newsletter, you will read about how our Teaching, Learning, and Leading Center (TLLC) is working with County Offices and state lead partners to support LEAs in learning to improve.


It’s Fall! A Time for Reflection and Planning

By Stephanie Gregson, Ed.D., Deputy Executive Director, CCEE

The fall is a time for us to cozy up in our sweaters and have our hands wrapped around warm beverages. I would also say the fall is a time to reflect, especially for district and school site teams.  The school year is well underway and spring is just around the corner. How can your school team come together in an authentic way to reflect on all they have accomplished and where they want to continue to improve?  As Executive Director, Matt Navo, shared we don’t fix schools, we don’t fix people, we don’t fix students. We do, however, help school teams learn to improve, we help people learn to improve, and we help students learn to improve. How do you want to improve? 

This fall is a time to reflect and start planning for the next Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) cycle. The new three-year LCAP cycle planning begins this year, and it is the time to bring your school community together to reflect and identify where you want to improve together. This is the time to have open conversations about what’s working and what isn’t. Reflection and planning are the cornerstones of a successful Local Control Accountability Plan. They enable schools to learn from the past and strategically navigate the future. Through these practices, schools and districts can create a comprehensive LCAP that meets the unique needs of all students fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

Our team is here to support and you’ll find this newsletter includes various resources and support on reflection and the upcoming changes expected for the LCAP.


The Power of Reflection, Together

By Jennie Wright, Ed.D., Assistant Director of the Teaching, Learning & Leading Center, CCEE

“Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful” (Wheatley, 2002). Much has been written about the power and importance of reflection, particularly self-reflection. There is also great power in reflecting together. To improve our systems to better serve our students and communities we must constantly strive to get better at getting better. This takes robust collaboration and internal accountability culture grounded in reflection, together.

Jenni Donohoo’s (2013) collaborative inquiry, which, like improvement science, is about learning and reflecting through four phases of a Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle. There is no one path forward for everyone, if there was, we’d all be doing it already. Reflection, which lies in all four phases of the inquiry cycle, but particularly in the study and act phases is essential. Without engaging in all four phases we are not engaging in collaborative inquiry. It takes discipline through the four phases of inquiry to learn and reflect together so that the path forward reveals itself. Through disciplined rapid cycles of inquiry coupled with strong internal accountability at every level of the system, we create feedback loops and reflection so that the system and every level within it continuously improves. 

It is much easier to look out the window than in the mirror but when we can be bold and brave enough to sit in a reflective space together, we can learn so much about ourselves, our practice, our students, and the needs of students, schools, and school systems.

References

Donohoo, J. (2013). Collaborative Inquiry for Educators: A Facilitator’s Guide to School Improvement. Corwin.

Wheatley, M. J. (2002). It’s an Interconnected World, Shambhala Sun, April, 2002.


A reflection on applying system improvement levers to the LCAP

By Matthew Roberts, Ed.D., Senior Advisor, CCEE & Joshua Strong, Administrator of the System of Support Office, CDE, Instruction & Measurement Branch

“Every system is perfectly designed to achieve exactly the results that it gets” is a phrase commonly used in system(s) improvement language. The words imply that design has more to do with system outcomes than simple intentions for system outcomes. Designing transformation in a district requires leaders to consistently think, reflect, and act in ways that drive continuous improvement across the entire organization. Getting to that point though takes reflection on current district priorities. How many priorities does your district have? Are priorities designed to solve problems rooted in the local data or do we stay flat in the data and act like it somehow moved? Do they fit an overall design for success in student outcomes? Do priorities capture the voice of those closest to students?

As districts measure the impact of current LCAP goals and begin engagement for the new LCAP cycle, consider applying the Carnegie Foundation’s Four Levers of Transformation (2020) to help inform the development of goals for the new LCAP cycle beginning 2024-25. The Four Levers include: 1) promote radical alignment across goals and plans to create a coherent, holistic design that places student success at the center, 2) build an improvement culture that opens voice and agency while holding everyone to high expectations, 3) develop everyone’s improvement capabilities to build the collective muscle that it takes to urgently do the hard work, and this means investing in people and building collaborative time, and 4) invest in improvement infrastructure that promotes collective learning, increases analytic capacity, and empowers decision-making.

In November 2023, the State Board of Education will consider revisions to the 2024-25 LCAP template including the following:

  • Streamlining of the Plan Summary and Engaging Educational Partners sections of the LCAP
  • Inclusion of tables in the Engaging Educational Partners and Increased or Improved Services for Foster Youth, English Learners, and Low-Income Students sections of the LCAP
  • Addition of a requirement for school districts, county offices of education and charter schools that receive Local Control Funding Formula Equity Multiplier funding to include one or more goals within the LCAP
  • Addition of a requirement for school districts, county offices of education and charter schools that are eligible for technical assistance and/or that have received the lowest performance rating on one or more state indicators on the California School Dashboard for (1) a school within the LEA, (2) a student group within the LEA, and/or (3) a student group within any school within the LEA to include specific actions in the LCAP

References

Berwick, Don. (March 3, 2015). [Keynote Speaker Presentation]. Carnegie Foundation Summit on Improvement in Education. San Francisco, CA, USA. https://www.carnegiefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2015_Summit_Program.pdf

Dixon, C.J., & Palmer, S.N. (2020). Transforming Educational Systems Toward Continuous Improvement: A Reflection Guide for K–12 Leaders. Stanford, CA: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.


Intensive Assistance Model

We invite you to hear the reflections of the Federal Terrace Elementary team in Vallejo City Unified School District and their journey with the Intensive Assistance Model. They are deepening their understanding and practices of authentic collaboration focused on student results.

CCEE Connection (October 2023)

News & Announcements
Request for Proposals

Development and Delivery of Resources and Services to Support Professional Learning Activities for Local Educational Agencies

  • Proposals Accepted Through: October 30, 2023 at 4:00pm PST
Balanced Assessment System pilot

In January 2024, CCEE will be launching a Balanced Assessment System Pilot, where selected LEAs will pilot a micro-course and toolkit, designed to support them in creating balanced assessment systems. This opportunity is a right fit for LEAs wanting to conduct a review of their current assessment systems, especially if deciding whether to make further investments in interim and/or curriculum-embedded assessments.

Interested in learning more? Register for a virtual informational session on Monday, October 16 from 1-2pm PST. If you’re not able to make the informational session, the archived recording will be posted on CCEE’s website following the session.

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 two recently published Spotlights. Click on the links below to learn more about the innovative practices taking place in these LEAs.

To recruit and retain a teacher workforce that better reflects their student population, Pittsburg USD employed a multi-pronged set of strategies anchored around collecting input and feedback from the broader school community, grounded in data, and focused on creating an inviting culture that celebrates the community and the students they serve.

Fresno CSS sought to alleviate the burden on their LEAs that resulted from the influx of plans and deadlines in response to the pandemic and its relief efforts by rooting their work in improvement science to address a specific problem through smaller, measurable changes to make a meaningful impact.


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
Return on Investment (ROI) in Education

By Matt J. Navo, Executive Director

Headshot of Matt Navo

In 2021, in response to the needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Legislature funded Assembly Bill (AB) 86. The purpose of AB 86 was to provide support to local educational agencies (LEAs) in maximizing positive pupil outcomes and most effectively using funds. Basically, maximize the most effective use of funds to support students and see a return on investment (ROI).

CCEE is responsible for providing support to LEAs in maximizing positive pupil outcomes with the most effective use of funds to implement learning recovery programs. We do this by designing and implementing initiatives that explore problems of practice and emerging/best practices in the field to develop and share high quality, relevant, and usable lessons learned to support sustained improvement for students by June 30, 2024.

Under the direction of Sujie Shin, Deputy Executive Director, and Dr. Ingrid Roberson, Assistant Director of Research Learning, CCEE has elevated the work of LEA best practices to identify and share the best investments for the return on the investment of student outcomes.

This newsletter highlights some of this work and how to get involved.


Navigating Continuous Improvement Through Street Data

By Sujie Shin, Deputy Executive Director

Headshot of Sujie Shin

In education, we talk a lot about “data.” We espouse “data-driven” decision-making, have an abundance of data walk protocols; we spend much of our collective time and effort in collecting and reviewing data – test results, attendance files, disciplinary records, survey responses…it goes on. But what we don’t often ask ourselves is, “Is this the right data?”

When I was a classroom teacher, I started the year with my student roster, which was always accompanied by the final grades and their standardized test scores from the prior year. We sat in grade-level teams, sorting our students in reading/math groups according to their annual test results, and started developing our instructional plans around this data.

What I soon realized was that those standardized test results often had little relationship to what kind of support my students needed, what literacy or numeracy concepts they understood or were struggling with, and definitely showed me nothing about who they were as people. I got that through my classroom tests, formative assessment practices, getting-to-know-you interviews, and watching them interact with each other and their work.

This is not to say that standardized assessments aren’t meaningful. They tell us a lot about patterns of achievement across our students, illuminating next steps for further inquiry we might need to take to understand what our students are struggling with and where there may be larger gaps in instruction and support. But as Shane Safir and Jamila Dugan exhort us to do in Street Data, we need to get beyond only ever looking at satellite data in a systematic way, but push ourselves to examining map- and street-level data in order to both understand and act upon the needs of students.

We are so privileged to be working with a cohort of school district and county office teams who are tackling these questions of “what data?” and “for what purpose?” as they look at their internal systems for reducing chronic absenteeism, improving access and outcomes for Black students, developing internal progress monitoring dashboards, and implementing the principles of Universal Design for Learning across their classrooms.

Join us as we continue to learn with them!


Data Dashboards: The Promise of Enhanced Data, Discussions, and Decisions

By Ingrid Roberson, Assistant Director of Research Learning

Data dashboards represent a significant investment in educational technology by districts and schools. Data dashboards promise enhanced data for real-time discussions and decisions by end-users, that is, educators. CCEE’s Data Research Learning Network (DRLN) includes three districts engaged in innovation journeys with the adoption and implementation of data dashboards.

The DRLN promotes the progress monitoring of data dashboards through user statistics, that is, map data that provides a more focused direction for inquiry and action. In August, Dr. Allan Taing and Dr. Nhi Hang conducted a User Statistics Workshop for DRLN districts, covering such topics as active vs. passive use measures, as well as web traffic measures (e.g. page views, total visits, length of stay, file downloads, traffic sources, etc.). The Measuring User Statistics: Tracking Engagement of Data Dashboards resource is a good example of tools shared with districts. All three districts are now progress monitoring data dashboard use on a monthly basis.

One example is Sanger Unified School District (SUSD). Assessment leaders are collecting and analyzing user statistics such as login counts, average logins, and percent of users logging in as a measure of uptake over the last three years. SUSD is complimenting this map data with street data by conducting empathy interviews with end users to better understand their experiences with data dashboards. Through a combination of map and street data, SUSD is customizing additional supports based on trends across the district, school, and grade-levels. Given the incredible amount of investment in Data Dashboards, DRLN districts, such as Sanger Unified, will be sharing lessons learned at upcoming conferences in November and December (see below for conference list).


The UDL Network

By James McKenna, Assistant Director of Professional Learning & Leadership Development

Headshot of James McKenna

It’s no secret that the work of advancing equitable education opportunities for students is hard, lengthy, and often messy work. The opportunity to collaborate, share ideas, get feedback, and draw strength from a like-minded community can be a powerful force — for students, for teachers, and for school and district leaders. That’s why CCEE has expanded its support of learning networks to the work of implementing, and measuring the student impact of, Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

Working with partners in three state grant initiatives — the California Coalition for Inclusive Learning (CCIL), Open Access (OA), and Supporting Inclusive Practices (SIP), we have gathered three districts, diverse in demographics and geography but united in the pursuit of inclusive education for all. These districts are:

  • Davis Joint Unified School District
  • Nevada Joint Union High School District
  • Poway Unified School District

Over the course of the 2023-2024 school year, these districts will examine problems of practice related to the implementation of Universal Design for Learning. Engaging in data-driven collaborative inquiry, they will implement initiatives to address these problems and take formative and summative data to monitor and evaluate impact. These indicators include benchmark assessments, student engagement, teacher efficacy, teacher practice, and more. We look forward to sharing their journey with you in our June summary report.


Using Street Data to Measure ROI of Statewide Professional Learning Initiatives

By Allan Taing, Senior Manager of Research & Impact Analysis

Program evaluations employ social science research methods to assess the design, implementation, and effectiveness of social programs (Rossi et al., 2019). In 2021, the state invested $75 million to establish three grant programs led by county offices of education to enhance the educator professional learning infrastructure within the Statewide System of Support. External program evaluations are embedded in these professional learning initiatives for learning acceleration, literacy, and open educational resources to support an innovative, rigorous, and analytical examination of these projects to determine the impact and effectiveness of these investments on educator practice and student outcomes. In other words, these program evaluations are trying to measure the return on investment (ROI) for these three projects.

The three program evaluation teams are moving into the second year of their evaluations, concluding their initial planning evaluations and moving onto formative evaluations for these projects. Investigating and determining the impact of these projects on educator practice and student outcomes requires a “Street Data” research approach. Measures of student impact — including results on the California School Dashboard — are satellite data answering the “what”. In addition, program evaluators leverage map data and street data through surveys, focus groups, document reviews, and observations, to answer the “why” and “how”. CCEE has created a Statewide Evaluation webpage to serve as a repository as program evaluation teams release their findings and recommendations.

To support program evaluation teams in this work, CCEE hosts bi-annual evaluation convenings to bring program evaluation teams, state agency partners, and other evaluation, program, and policy stakeholders and experts together to share findings, best practices, and lessons learned for ongoing development. The most recent evaluation convening on September 27 focused on developing a shared vision and common language across teams for evaluation approaches and methods for measuring student impact. Materials from this convening and prior convenings are available on the Statewide Program Evaluation Convening website.


Let’s Connect Beyond the Virtual Realm!

This fall, CCEE staff will be presenting at various conferences. If you will be attending any of the conferences below, we would love to see you there! Please let us know if you would like more information about any of these sessions.

Conference/
Presentation
Session & Presenter(s)
California Teachers Association (CTA)’s 2023 Special Education Conference
(October 6-8)
Foundations of Universal Design for LearningJames McKenna, Assistant Director of Professional Learning & Leadership Development
California Assessment Conference (CAC)
(October 9-10)
Balanced Assessment Systems: A Case Study of One District’s Journey to Rebalance their Assessment System for Improved Student Math Outcomes Ingrid Roberson, Assistant Director of Research Learning and Dorcas Kong, Sr. Specialist of Executive Projects
California’s Coalition for Adequate School Housing’s 2023 Fall Conference
(October 12-13)
The Practice of Educating Very Young Children: Curriculum Drives the Built Environment – Julie Boesch, Assistant Director of the System of Support
Ventura County Superintendent of Schools
(October 19)
Transforming Schools – Matt Navo, Executive Director
What’s Right in Education
(October 24-26)
State and National Leaders Panel: Current and Future Trends in Education – Chris Hartley, Deputy Executive Director
2023 Charter School Development Center (CSDC) Conference
(November 8-10)
Shifting Mindsets, Changing Culture: Systems that Support All StudentsDavid Toston, Sr. Advisor of Strategic Initiatives
2023 California Educational Research Association (CERA) Conference
(November 13-15)
Supporting Black Student Achievement: Lessons Learned from Year 1 of the African American Student Success NetworkSujie Shin, Deputy Executive Director and Italo Ciccarelli, Program Specialist

Balanced Assessment Systems: A Case Study of One District’s Journey to Rebalance their Assessment System for Improved Student OutcomesIngrid Roberson, Assistant Director of Research Learning and Dorcas Kong, Sr. Specialist of Executive Projects

Guiding Our Schools Forward: Best Practices For Districts Utilizing Assessment Dashboards to Improve Data Literacy and Target Student SupportsAllan Taing, Sr. Manager of Research & Impact Analysis and Nhi Hang, Program Specialist

Amplifying Community Engagement for Continuous ImprovementDavid Toston, Sr. Advisor of Strategic Initiatives
Breaking Barriers Integrated Care Symposium
(November 14-16)
Stories from the Field: Applying the Ecosystem Recommendations to Regional & Local Implementation – Chris Hartley, Deputy Executive Director and Mindy Fattig, Sr. Advisor of the System of Support
California School Boards Association (CSBA)’s Annual Education Conference
(November 30 – December 2)
Data Dashboards: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – Ingrid Roberson, Assistant Director of Research Learning and Allan Taing, Sr. Manager of Research & Impact Analysis
System Improvement Leads (SIL) Summit
(December 12-13)
CA Statewide System of Support: It is Us (Opening/Keynote) – Mindy Fattig, Sr. Advisor of the System of Support

CCEE Connection (September 2023)

News & Announcements
Earn a berkeley UTK Leadership Certificate!

Open to candidates currently in a Preliminary ASC or Clear ASC program, or who hold a Certificate of Eligibility

New opportunity for future school leaders: As California rolls out its Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) program, 21CSLA is offering future school leaders a new opportunity to develop their skills and leadership capacity. 

The UTK Leadership Certificate is a 4-unit online and synchronous program offered through UC Berkeley Extension (UNEX) and developed by the UC Berkeley-based 21CSLA, in partnership with the California Department of Education, State Board of Education, and California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. Those who complete the two 10-session courses will receive a UC Berkeley UTK Leadership Certificate. Due to funding from the California Department of Education, this program is available at no cost to eligible participants through June 2026.

  • Enroll in no-cost, university credit-bearing courses
  • Learn about UTK policy and instructional leadership in California
  • Network and collaborate with other leaders to advance equity
  • Cultivate skills and knowledge to prepare for job searches and interviews

Access more information via this website

In Case You Missed It
Leadership Institute

New participants and mentors gathered in Newport Beach to kick-off the 23’-24’ Leadership Institute (LI). The LI is a collaborative effort between CCEE and the Small School Districts Association (SSDA) to support networking and learning opportunities for new and aspiring small school district leaders. This experience was enhanced by the participation of Dr. David Arencibia from Jimmy Casas and Associates who guided us through identifying our leadership strengths. This year-long institute will pair participants with mentors who will walk alongside them through their leadership journeys.

Looking AHEAD

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 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 more specific questions.

Register for upcoming Open Door sessions by clicking on the links below:

To view archived materials from past Open Door sessions, please visit our Open Door Sessions Google Site. You can also check our Events Calendar or follow CCEE on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on upcoming Open Door sessions.

Equity Corner

Reasons to Celebrate in the month of September:

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 for One System:

By Matt J. Navo, Executive Director, CCEE

Headshot of Matt Navo

The use of the term “Statewide System of Support” (SSOS) to describe California’s state educational system that supports Local Educational Agencies, has been difficult to  understand for educational practitioners. The SSOS has been one that has been largely mis-understood, highly debated, largely confusing and in many cases mis-represented. The idea that California, as complex as it is, can organize ALL organizations, associations and legislative educational initiatives into ONE coherent system is a daunting task.  However, there is hope! We aren’t a system yet, but we are moving closer to that vision as all statewide partners, including County Offices, Geographic Leads, CCEE, State Board and the California Department of Education work to integrate and create a sense of interdependence in a system that has largely been independent. This newsletter highlights inspiring work to move our SSOS into ONE Coherent System that works for ALL students.


“One System for All Students”

By Dr. Chris Hartley, Deputy Executive Director, CCEE

Starting a new school year is  filled with excitement, promise,  sense of renewed energy,  and an unwavering commitment to provide the absolute best care and support for the children and youth we collectively serve.  In order to give our best for all students, it is important to also commit to the level of transformational change necessary to implement whole child initiatives, while staying focused and committed to continuous improvement processes and local implementation.  The Statewide System of Support (SSOS) has a myriad of resources and services that range from universal, targeted, and intensive that are available to support all Local Educational Agencies (LEA’s).  

The SSOS is rich with incredibly talented, resourceful, and experienced educators who provide relevant and meaningful services and support for LEA’s.  While tremendous support exists, the SSOS still lacks full coherence and clarity around services available and how districts can directly access the assistance that meets their unique needs.  SSOS lead agencies, statewide partners, educational and community partners have made tremendous progress in building coherence and setting the stage for the 2023-24 year as being pivotal in continuing our focused effort to collectively operate as “one system.” 

Being committed to a “one system” approach means remaining intentional around collaboration, while staying focused on making systemic connections between  programs, services and people.   A one system design is simply what is best for students and CCEE is a committed and excited partner and looks forward to an outstanding year!


A Different Way to Lead: System Improvement Leads Networked Improvement Community

By Sandra Park, Co-Founder, Improvement Collective

In most organizations, leaders are considered the experts.  They come up with solutions to problems and ask their employees to implement them.  However, this style of leadership no longer meets the complexity and fast-paced nature of today’s world.  Instead, leaders must create learning environments that draw on the expertise of everyone in their organizations and value learning through experimentation and failure.   

To do this, leaders must think and behave differently. In Transforming Educational Systems Toward Continuous Improvement: A Reflection Guide for K-12 Executive Leaders, Dixon and Palmer identify key dispositions and core practices of such leaders, who they identify as improvement leaders.  First, improvement leaders have a growth mindset and see every individual in their organization as a valuable and contributing member with the capacity to learn and develop.  Second, they are curious, humble and vulnerable; they recognize they do not have all the answers, are open to feedback and are willing to be wrong.  In addition, these leaders are comfortable with uncertainty, recognizing that learning is a messy process where answers aren’t always readily available.  They try out possible answers using scientific reasoning and rely on concrete evidence that something works before scaling it across the organization.  Finally, improvement leaders are systems thinkers who see interconnections across different departments and lines of work.  

Members of the System Improvement Leads Networked Improvement Community (SIL NIC) have begun to embrace this new approach to leadership.  Supported by the SIL, teams of Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPAs), County Offices of Education (COEs) and districts from across the state came together in September 2021 with the shared aim of accelerating learning for the 28,167 students with disabilities they serve.  They began their journey focusing on improving the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process.  

Teams of administrators, program specialists, and special education teachers from Shasta, San Luis Obispo, West Contra Costa, Sonoma, Irvine, and Clovis started by examining the IEP process in their local contexts.  With guidance from the SIL coaches, the teams approached the investigation with a sense of curiosity and an open mind to what they might discover. They also engaged in various activities designed to help leaders see the system from different angles. They created process maps to illuminate how teachers and administrators enacted the IEP process and conducted empathy interviews with teachers, parents and students to hear their thoughts and feelings about IEPs.  Finally, they mined data from individual IEP reports to illuminate potential sources of variation in IEP goal documentation and quality.  

Through the systems investigation, teams developed both a clearer and more complicated view of the IEP process. It also highlighted for leaders how little they actually knew about the intricacies of their systems, an eye-opening and humbling experience.  For example, the IEP process at individual sites varied wildly, leaving teachers to navigate it for themselves.  As a result, what was considered a high-quality IEP goal also varied.  In addition, some teams were shocked to discover the number of IEPs without documented goals when reviewing individual IEP reports.  But more problematic was the fact that they had to review a sample of reports one by one since they couldn’t easily access this data from the Special Education Information System (SEIS).  More importantly, it underscored the value and importance of systems-thinking in uncovering the contributing factors to the problem that were previously unseen.   

Continue Reading >>


Implementing UPK in your ELO-P Program

By Julie Boesch, Assistant Director, CCEE

Julie Boesch head shot

Districts are seeking support on how to implement Universal Pre-Kindergarten and integrate this age level into Expanded Learning Programs, presenting new opportunities and challenges for districts to continue to learn and grow. 

CCEE in collaboration with numerous partners including CDE, Department of Social Services, multiple County Offices of Education, non-profit organizations, and community partners, came together with a shared vision and specific tasks to create tools to communicate to the field in a cohesive, impactful, and practical way. This work included three teams:

Physical Spaces:

Objective: Identify existing resources to support the design and development of early learning spaces in expanded learning programs. This team has created a video as well as an environment checklist to support districts and those who support them. (These items will be released soon.)

Staff Capacity:

Objective:  Provide a curated and manageable set of training opportunities and resources for Expanded Learning Opportunities Program staff and the System of Support for Expanded Learning to build their capacity to serve TK-K students and families.

This group has created a slide deck which can be used for informational meetings, staff training, and communication. It will also support an improved understanding of play-based learning among ELO, some background on UPK and ELO-P, the science of learning, foundational elements of learning through play, and connections between the ELO Quality Standards and the key elements of play-based learning. They have also created an infographic which specifically highlights the importance of play-based learning and all of the learning that is going on that may not be evident to the casual observer. 

Education Code:

Objective: This group was tasked with Providing clear and concise information and guidance to the field interpreting Education Code related to health, safety, and licensing requirements.

This group has taken the Ed Code which has been emerging and created user friendly language and will be producing short videos as well as infographics and additional professional learning opportunities to both highlight and disseminate this information.