Resource Category: Governance (Research & Policy)

Open Door: Elevating School Attendance Through Meaningful Engagement

DESCRIPTION

Discover actionable strategies to address chronic absenteeism and strengthen connections within your school community in this engaging Open Door session, the first of a 3-part series. We’ll explore why chronic absence matters, as evidenced by national and state data, and dive into the critical role trust and engagement play in boosting attendance–especially post-pandemic. Through a panel discussion with Cypress, one of three Bright Spots districts, you’ll gain insights on how to build meaningful family and student engagement, rebuild trust, and implement effective strategies. You’ll also walk away with practical tools to create a supportive environment where every student feels valued.

PRESENTERS

Sujie Shin, Deputy Executive Director, CCEE

Kevin Gee, Director, School Policy, Action, and Research Center (SPARC)

Helen Duffy, Senior Fellow, Attendance Works

Tina Ochoa, Senior Fellow, Attendance Works

Jacki Teschke, Principal, Clara King Elementary

Tanya Alvarez, Teacher, Clara King Elementary

Vickie Ohlman, Administrative Assistant, Clara King Elementary

SESSION MATERIALS – Coming soon!

SLIDES

ARCHIVED VIDEO – Coming soon!

Webinar Recording

RESOURCES – Coming soon!

Open Door: Mitigating outdoor extreme heat: how schoolyard greening is critical for resilience

DESCRIPTION

This webinar on addressing extreme heat on school playgrounds highlights how Pasadena Unified School District and Long Beach Unified School District have successfully greenified their schoolyards to combat rising temperatures and create safer, more sustainable play environments for their students. Watch the recording and explore the resources to gain valuable insights and practical strategies for your own school’s climate resilience efforts.

PRESENTERS

Ria Apodaca – Director, Health Programs, Pasadena Unified School District
Jill McArthur – Farm-to-School Coordinator, Pasadena Unified School District
Ferdows Fazeli – Senior Program Manager of Facilities, Long Beach Unified School District
Mikaela Randolph – Associate Director of Regional Programs, Green Schoolyards America

SESSION MATERIALS

SLIDES

ARCHIVED VIDEO

Webinar Recording

RESOURCES
Previous Open Door on Climate Emergency and Resilience:

Green Schoolyard America Useful Links:

Extreme Hear Related Resources and Links:

California Department of Education (CDE) Resources:

Other Resources:

Data Literacy & Leadership Academy

DESCRIPTION

CCEE will be launching a Data Literacy & Leadership Academy in Fall 2024. In partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education, CCEE is developing two courses tailored to:

  1. Data analysts who are new to K-12 education or new to K-12 data
  2. Emerging data leaders looking to drive instructional change

This informational webinar provides additional information on the Data Academy, its courses, and next steps for those who are interested.

PRESENTERS

California Collaborative for Educational Excellence

San Diego County Office of Education

SESSION MATERIALS

SLIDES

ARCHIVED VIDEO

RESOURCES

Open Door: Energy and Grid Resilience: Mitigating Risk through Climate Adaptation

DESCRIPTION

This enlightening session featured innovative leaders from Yolo County Office of Education, Santa Barbara Unified School District, and Modesto City Schools. These forward-thinking districts shared their pioneering climate adaptation strategies that enhance resilience and drive significant cost savings.

Yolo County Office of Education (YCOE)
YCOE is spearheading the construction of a microgrid designed to protect their critical facilities. This project leverages Investment Tax Credits from the federal Inflation Reduction Act, showcasing a model for financial and environmental sustainability.

Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD)
SBUSD has successfully installed a microgrid that is projected to save $14 million over the next 20 years. Their approach demonstrates the long-term financial benefits and enhanced reliability that come with advanced energy solutions.

Modesto City Schools (MCS)
MCS is transforming their facilities with solar carports, EV chargers, and electric school buses. This transition is expected to make their schools energy resilient and attract $17 million in state and federal funding, setting a benchmark for sustainable infrastructure investments.

Key Takeaways

  1. Innovative Projects: Insights into the microgrid projects and sustainable initiatives of YCOE, SBUSD, and MCS.
  2. Financial Strategies: How these districts are leveraging federal and state incentives to fund their projects.
  3. Resilience Building: Practical steps to enhance the resilience of educational facilities through climate adaptation.
  4. Cost Savings: Strategies to achieve substantial cost savings while transitioning to sustainable energy solutions.


We invite you to explore the resources and archived video from this session to gain valuable knowledge and inspiration for integrating climate adaptation into your strategic planning.

PRESENTERS

Matthew Juchniewicz, Director of Operations Services, Yolo COE

Veronica Coronado, Associate Superintendent, Yolo COE

Desmond Ho, Operations and Sustainability Coordinator, Santa Barbara USD

Gilbert Blue Feather Rosas, Director of Sustainability and Adaptation, Modesto City Schools

SESSION MATERIALS

SLIDES
Video Recording

RESOURCES

  • Modesto City Schools Sustainability Website

Prepare for a New Normal: Climate Emergencies and Their Impact on Schools

DESCRIPTION
Embark on a journey through the first installment of a captivating three-part webinar series, delving deep into climate change policies and preparedness within the TK-12 Education System. Developed through a dynamic collaboration between Undaunted K12 and Ten Stands, this series promises insightful exploration and actionable strategies.

In this first session, the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) and the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) will address the increasing threat of climate emergencies to our schools and communities. Accompanied by subject matter experts from the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), we aim to provide a comprehensive perspective on this pressing issue.

Key discussion points for this session include:

  • Understanding and managing the impact of climate-related emergencies can be daunting, but you’re not alone.
  • Integrating a climate-ready mindset and resilience practices into emergency management strategies can empower school communities to adapt effectively to the challenges posed by climate change.
  • Demonstrating that achieving climate resilience in schools is feasible and essential for the well-being of our communities.

PRESENTERS

Nancy Magee – County Superintendent of Schools, San Mateo COE

Time Ware – Coordinator for School Safety and Security, San Diego COE

Joe Anderson – Staff Service Manager II ( Emergency Services), CDE

Danielle Chapman – Emergency Service Coordinator, CalOES

SESSION MATERIALS

SLIDES

ARCHIVED VIDEO

RESOURCES

Independent Study Professional Learning Network

Description

Due to the ongoing pandemic, districts are reassessing their learning options and choosing between traditional independent study and course-based independent study to meet students’ needs. The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) facilitated Professional Learning Community (PLC) from 2021 to 2023 for districts to collaborate. Independent Study Professional Learning Network (ISPLN) meetings focused on addressing independent study challenges, sharing best practices, and problem-solving. Key findings from these convenings include district inconsistencies in understanding policy recommendations, the need for quarterly meetings with State representatives, encouraging information sharing among districts, implementing outreach campaigns, and building statewide partnerships. Feedback from these independent study leads identifies key aspects of independent study policy that other districts may use to improve individual programs and the statewide initiative.

Key Findings and Call to Action

Provide clarification: Address inconsistencies in understanding and interpreting policy recommendations by offering clear guidance and support.
Establish quarterly meetings: Organize regular meetings between district leads and State representatives to ensure clear understanding of policy updates and allow for clarifying questions.
Foster collaboration: Develop and share a comprehensive list of local independent study contact information to facilitate collaboration and resource sharing among districts.
Conduct outreach campaigns: Inform county, district, and charter school independent study leads about policy changes and their impact at the local level.
Build partnerships: Strengthen partnerships with county offices of education to create a statewide professional learning infrastructure and support underserved locales.
Collect feedback: Gather input from independent study leads to identify opportunities for sharing best practices and improving the quality of individual programs and the statewide initiative.
Taking these actions will enhance independent study programs, improve student outcomes, and promote collaboration and knowledge-sharing among districts.

Launch report

African-American Student Success Network

DESCRIPTION

With the launch of CCEE’s Research Practice Partnership (RPP) initiative, five of the original CAAASA Professional Learning Network (PLN) partners have rejoined the network to continue their work to support Black student achievement through their LEA-specific problem of practice, focusing on progress monitoring activities to support the measurement of student outcomes in the coming year. 

Resources

CAAASA-CCEE RPP Handout

RESOURCE TYPE

Reports & Publications

TYPE OF AUDIENCE

Board, Site Administrator / Instructional Coach, Systems Leadership

TOPIC AREA

Systems Leadership

California Statewide System of Support for Governance Teams

DESCRIPTION

Serving the needs of our children and youth is the top priority for the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. With so many demands at the local level, it can be challenging for Governance teams to know how to align initiatives and identify the support that may be needed by administrators, teachers, and most importantly the students. This presentation provides an overview of California‘s Statewide System of Support (52074) and better understand the services and supports that are available to support districts. Utilizing the many resources created by state, regional and local agencies, Governance teams can build capacity, and improve collaboration with educational and community partners to improve outcomes for our students and their families.

PRESENTERS

Dr. Chris Hartley, Deputy Executive Director, CCEE

Mindy Fattig, Senior Advisor, CCEE

Dr. Stephanie Gregson, Deputy Executive Director, CCEE

Ed Manansala, Superintendent, El Dorado County

Stuart Packard, Superintendent, Buttonwillow Union School District

SLIDES

LAUNCH SLIDES 

RESOURCES

21st Century California School Leadership Academy (21CSLA)

System of Support Evaluation

Special Education Educator Workforce Investment Grant (SpEd EWIG)

California Coalition for Inclusive Literacy

California Dyslexia Initiative

ELRISE! English Learner Roadmap Implementation for Systemic Excellence

Early Literacy Support Block (ELSB) Grant

Regional County English Learner Specialist (RELS)

California Association of Bilingual Education (CABE)

California Early Math Initiative

RESOURCE TYPE

Media, Professional Learning

TYPE OF AUDIENCE

Board, Site Administrator / Instructional Coach, Systems Leadership, Teacher

TOPIC AREA

Governance

KEYWORDS

Lessons Learned: Resources for Championing Equity

DESCRIPTION

The California Association of African-American Superintendents & Administrators (CAAASA)’s statewide Professional Learning Network (PLN) began in the Fall of 2017, with the generous support of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE). The goal of the CAAASA PLN is to identify the inequities experienced by African American students in California K-12 schools and to address them through a systems-change approach. The CAAASA PLN has worked over the past five years to surface and share best evidence-based practices that improve the educational outcomes of African American students. It aims to uncover the policy, practice, and performance that most effectively address systemic problems and lead to improved student outcomes.

During the onset of the pandemic, CAAASA worked closely with CCEE to respond to the crisis conditions in the field of education with professional development resources and forums and venues for information sharing and support. PLN members, including the three county offices, were active in this response, co-developing resources with CAAASA. In late 2021, CAAASA had the opportunity to reconvene the original seven local educational agencies (LEAs), including their superintendent leadership, for an in-depth discussion of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our schools, our students, their families, and teaching staff and school site, district, and county leadership. Led by Dr. Alicia Montgomery, Executive Director of the Center for Powerful Public Schools, we continued these important discussions throughout the spring of 2022, recording conversations and interviews on video for CCEE highlight reels and future resource development. In this brief, each of the LEAs provides highlights of their individual trajectories, reflecting on the enormous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

LAUNCH BRIEF 

CAAASA PLN MEMBERS

  • Napa County Office of Education
  • Los Angeles County Office of Education
  • San Diego County Office of Education
  • Pittsburg Unified School District
  • Fresno Unified School District
  • Lynwood Unified School District
  • Compton Unified School District

RESOURCES

CAAASA’s Professional Learning Network Impact Report

RESOURCE TYPE

Reports & Publications

TYPE OF AUDIENCE

Governance (Research & Policy), LEA Leadership and Staff, Site Admin & Coach

TOPIC AREA

Equity

KEYWORDS

CAAASA

CCEE 2021-2022 Annual Report

Description

To demonstrate the alignment of CCEE’s work with statewide agency priorities and its effectiveness in meeting statutory obligations, CCEE redesigned its Annual Report. This end-of-year report features select initiatives from each Center to highlight how the goals and initiatives, approved by the CCEE board, were achieved.

REPORT LINKS

Governing Board Presentation Slides

Digital Magazine

Digital Magazine (PDF Version)