We are but one month into the New Year and what a year it has been so far. Immediately following my State of Education Address a couple weeks ago, I embarked on a statewide campaign to outline my proposals to help close the achievement gap. Unfortunately, as we continue our efforts, education, yet again, finds itself squarely on the budgetary cutting block. While some claim this is the "year of education," I think it is slightly more accurate to describe it as the "year of education under threat of evisceration." I want you to know, however, that I will continue to travel the state and walk the halls of the Capitol here in Sacramento to fight for funding. Across-the-board cuts do nothing to prioritize government functions, and I intend to make the case strongly and clearly that education is, as it should be, the top priority of our state. We should not punish students for mistakes made by adults.
In spite of these fiscal constraints, the proposals I laid out, based on sound recommendations by my California P-16 (Pre-kindergarten through Higher Education) Council, represent an ambitious, comprehensive, and attainable plan of action.
Quality preschool is a major key, and my intention is to consolidate all current Title 5 programs serving preschool-aged children, thus creating the largest state-funded pre-kindergarten program in the nation. In order to provide our pre-k teachers with a road map for delivering quality to our earliest learners, I also formally released the California Preschool Learning Foundations.
Another key involves our high schools. At my request and with the agreement of the Governor, all four systems of public education in California have agreed to join 30 other states in the American Diploma Project, which works to ensure that high school graduates are fully prepared with the necessary skills to enter the world of work or higher education.
A candid dialogue about race in our schools is also long overdue, so I directed staff to include evaluations of racial and cultural issues within the existing California School Climate Survey and the California Healthy Kids Survey. I also plan to call on experts from around the nation to create top-quality professional development on what it means to be culturally responsive in the classroom, as well as work with the deans of California's schools of education to embed culturally responsive instruction in California's teacher pre-service and professional development programs.
As part of my strategies plan, I proposed a pilot program for the Long Beach and Fresno unified school districts to partner, giving them additional flexibility in exchange for their agreement to commit to additional benchmarks of progress and to learn together, model, and replicate effective practices. There is also a need to improve our collection and use of information. A grant of more than $2 million from the Gates and Hewlett Foundations to determine the kind of data our state needs to truly improve teaching, learning, and decision making both statewide and locally will help us do this. Finally, I am sponsoring legislation this year to provide more professional development in the use of data.
I have said it time and again: there is no silver bullet for closing the achievement gap. This will be an exhaustive and challenging effort, but I am confident that with your talents, experience, and support, we can accomplish great things on behalf of our students and in defense of the future well-being of California.
Honoring Teachers
Andee Aceves, who teaches third grade at San Altos Elementary School in Lemon Grove in the Lemon Grove School District (San Diego County), is one of five California Teachers of the Year in 2008.
"Mrs. Aceves is a pioneer for her family and a role model for her students," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell. "Raised by non-English speaking grandparents, she experienced the disconnect that still exists today for a great many of California's children between home and school, a place where she said she felt like an 'uninvited, but tolerated guest.' Mrs. Aceves brings to the classroom a valuable perspective that allows a better understanding of her students' needs, abilities, and challenges."
In Mrs. Aceves' application for the California Teachers of the Year Program, she wrote:
Unlike many of my colleagues who have always intended to teach and come from a long line of educated family members, I have a different perspective. I know that not all students have equal access to resources. I understand that loving, caring parents cannot always help with homework. I even recognize the strength of the unruly child who comes to school despite the chaos he/she lives in. I was that bright, skeptical, and belligerent child in the class; the student that teachers talked about with disparagement in the teacher's lounge. My personal teaching style reflects a willing acceptance and consideration of skeptical students and their families. I teach to make a difference in their perception of school and to remove those barriers that interfere with learning.
Mrs. Aceves graduated from the University of California, San Diego in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. She earned a multiple-subject teaching credential from San Diego State University in 1992, and a Master's degree in math curriculum from San Diego State University in 2003.
Woodland Star Charter School's Solar Program
The sun has been shining brightly on Woodland Star Charter School's electricity-producing solar panels. The 30 kilowatt (kW) photo voltaic system, which went online June 21, 2006, offsets all of the school's annual electricity costs. The system was designed and installed by Solar Works, a Sebastopol-based company.
With support from California's Solar Schools Program, Woodland Star Charter School received a $191,000 rebate from the California Department of Energy, which paid for 59 percent of the $323,000 installation.
Woodland Star School, a kindergarten through grade eight (K-8) public charter school located in Sonoma, is committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship, with campus-wide recycling and composting programs already in place. School leaders hope Woodland Star will become a model that inspires other public schools to "go solar." Sonoma Valley Unified School District, the authorizing district for the charter school, is now researching options to bring solar energy to other campuses in the district.
To engage students in the daily awareness that the school is producing its own electricity, seventh graders have the responsibility of checking the inverters each morning to confirm that the system is functioning properly. There is community pride that Woodland Star is "solar powered" and committed to sustainable management of resources and protection of the natural environment.
Deadlines for Summer School Meal Waivers
Hungry children cannot learn, so the California Department of Education (CDE) strongly encourages school districts to do everything possible to provide meals (either breakfast or lunch) to low-income students during the summer school session.
Please note that if school districts choose to request a waiver from the State Board of Education (SBE) of the requirement to provide a meal to all needy children each school day during the 2008 summer school session (California Education Code [EC] Section 49550), they must submit their waiver to the CDE Waiver Office by the due dates below.
The SBE meeting dates for waiver approvals will be in March and May. In order to meet the SBE March meeting date, waivers must be received by the CDE Wavier Office no later than February 13, 2008. The deadline for the May SBE meeting date is April 8, 2008.
Waiver requests received after April 8, 2008, will be returned pursuant to EC Section 49548(c). Meal waivers are not necessary for charter schools, which are exempt from the State Meal Mandate.
To apply for a summer school meal waiver, a school district must complete the Specific Waiver Request-Summer School Meal Waiver documents and return the information to the address on that form. The waiver request must also be approved by your local governing board, so please take into account how long your district's process will take. The forms are available on the Other Topics of Interest Web page [http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/lr/wr/othertopics.asp#summermeal].
Once at this Web page, select "Waiver Form for Summer School Meal Waiver and Site Information Form." Summer school meal waiver criteria (EC Section 49548) is available on the Management Bulletin 06-103 Web page [http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/sn/mb06103.asp].
For more information on the waiver form, timeline, or process, please contact the Waiver Office, at 916-319-0824. If you have any questions regarding the attachments to the waiver, or how to meet the waiver criteria, please contact Jennifer Sheldon, Child Nutrition Consultant, School Nutrition Programs Unit, at 916-322-3195 or by e-mail at jsheldon@cde.ca.gov.
125 Schools Add Breakfast
Over the past six months, more than 125 schools throughout California have added a School Breakfast Program in order to bolster their academic programs. Providing breakfast to your students is a key strategy for closing the achievement gap, which supports the California Department Education's goal of promoting academic excellence. Studies have repeatedly shown that students of all socioeconomic groups who eat breakfast attend school more regularly, improve their learning readiness, and perform significantly higher on standardized tests.
Extra, ongoing reimbursement is available above the customary federal reimbursement level for breakfast served at schools that meet the criteria for "severe need" (where at least 40 percent of the lunches served at those sites two years ago went to students eligible for free or reduced-price meals). Learn more about the School Breakfast Program on the School Breakfast Web page [http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/sn/sbp.asp].
For technical assistance about the School Breakfast Program, please contact your local Child Nutrition Consultant (CNC) at 800-952-5609. Your CNC can meet with you and/or your staff to discuss successful strategies that California schools have already implemented, including Breakfast in the Classroom, Second Chance Breakfast, and Grab-n-Go breakfast.
Germany Social Science Study Trip 2008
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell recently announced the availability of applications for an annual study trip to Germany, a professional development opportunity for a select group of high school history/social science teachers to learn more about modern German history, economy, society, politics, and culture.
Participants will be chosen to participate through a nomination and review process. The 2008 trip will take place June 15-June 27. All travel expenses are covered, excluding the cost of substitute personnel. Additional information and the application can be found on the Germany Study Trip Web page [http://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/gs/].
For more information, please contact Michelle Zumot, Germany Study Trip 2008 Coordinator, Executive Office, at 916-323-6920 or by e-mail mzumot@cde.ca.gov.
Proposition 39 Revised Regulations Get State Board Final Approval
At its January meeting, the State Board of Education (SBE) gave final approval to revised regulations governing the use of school district facilities by charter schools pursuant to Proposition 39 (November 2000). The SBE's approval culminated a two-year effort spearheaded by the Charter Schools Division, beginning with the assembling of a broadly based workgroup in January 2006.
Under Proposition 39, charter schools are entitled to the use of school district facilities to house their "in-district" students. Districts, in turn, are entitled to recover their general fund costs for the facilities used by the charter schools. However, reimbursing districts for their general fund costs for facilities is typically much less expensive to charter schools than renting or leasing facilities in the private sector.
Existing regulations provide a variety of details related to such matters as the timing of applications for the use of facilities, the calculation of pro rata facilities costs that district may charge charter schools, and payments by charter schools for over-allocated space (i.e., when a charter school occupies more space per pupil than is customary in the district).
The revised regulations targeted some issues of concern with the existing regulations, such as the alignment of certain definitions with the California School Accounting Manual. The revised regulations also modify the time line for consideration of charter schools' facilities requests. Finally, the revised regulations address in much greater depth the issue of conversion charter schools, delineating the process by which districts may modify the space allocated to such schools.
The revised regulations have been sent forward to the Office of Administrative Law for review. Approval of the revised regulations is anticipated within about two months.
For more information, please contact Greg Geeting, Administrator, Charter Schools Office, at 916-322-6029 or by e-mail ggeeting@cde.ca.gov.
The California Department of Education Receives Public Charter Schools Grant Program Approval Authority
The State Board of Education in January delegated approval authority for Public Charter School Grant Program (PCSGP) grant awards to the California Department of Education (CDE). Receiving this authority allows the CDE to expedite payments to qualifying applicants by several months. These critically needed funds assist charter school developers in the development and initial operation of newly established or conversion charter schools.
For more information, please contact Joan Strohauer, Education Programs Consultant, Charter Schools Division, at 916-319-0233 or by e-mail jstrohauer@cde.ca.gov.
William F. Goodling Even Start Achievement Results Released
The results of the William F. Goodling Even Start student and adult achievements for 2006-07 were just reported. A total of 3,112 families (3,126 adults and 4,029 children) were enrolled in 81 programs during 2006-07. The majority of the adults (93 percent) and children (88 percent) were classified as English Learners (ELs); 78 percent of the families were at or below the federal poverty level, and 86 percent of the adults did not have a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate. Most had less than a ninth grade education.
Results on pre- and post-data for the 828 children transitioning to kindergarten assessed by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-a measure of receptive vocabulary in English-indicate that EL children achieved an average gain of 13 points, which is more than triple the federal expectations of four standard score gains. English-only speaking children achieve an average of 5-point gains.
Similarly, on the Pre-K Upper-Case Letter Recognition Task (PALS) test, 715 ELs were able to identify 17 letters, as compared to English-only speaking preschoolers whose average gain was 15 letters. Both of these tests are highly reliable in predicting future reading success in the early grades.
Results for School-Aged Children (kindergarten through grade two and above) also showed that children who participated in Even Start projects are doing better than the general population, including the English Learners. By June 2007, 80 percent of 393 kindergarten students identified and 75 percent of first grade students were meeting state grade-level standards, performing at grade level in math and reading, had better report cards, higher attendance, and promotion rates. The adults are showing continuous progress in increasing reading levels, English as a Second Language, and vocational education goals.
For more information please contact the Even Start Office at 916-319-0848.
IBM Begins Work to Build California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System
IBM, the selected vendor to build the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS), is now on board! The California Department of Education (CDE), in collaboration with the California School Information Services (CSIS), will be working closely with IBM to develop and implement CALPADS. Implementation is planned for the 2009-10 school year.
The CDE, CSIS, and IBM have already held three regional CALPADS kick off meetings to reintroduce staff from local educational agencies (LEAs) to CALPADS and to solicit their input. The CDE will be convening an advisory group to solicit input throughout the development and implementation period. All LEAs can keep abreast of the project's progress through monthly CALPADS Updates, which will be posted on CDE's Web site.
The CDE strongly encourages LEAs to begin preparing for CALPADS by participating in the Best Practices (BP) Cohort Project that is administered by CSIS. This project provides incentive funding that will not only help prepare local agencies to submit data to CALPADS, but will help build sustainable local data management practices that will contribute to improved student achievement through better local data-driven decision-making.
For more information on the BP Cohort Project please visit the BP Cohort Web page [http://www.csis.k12.ca.us/shared/bp-cohort_menu.asp] (Outside Source).
State Student Identifier Enrollment, Graduates, and Dropouts Reporting Nearly Done
For the first time, the California Department of Education (CDE) will be collecting official graduate and dropout counts via the Annual Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) Maintenance. The deadline for submitting the data to the CDE was December 10, 2007. Local educational agencies (LEAs) are now busy cleaning up any data corrections that need be made before the final deadline of February 15, 2008. Congratulations to the 90 percent of LEAs that have already finished this work!
Certification of the Annual SSID Maintenance submission by the deadline is critical for your LEA because the official enrollment count will be used for official enrollment, graduation, and dropout counts. The enrollment counts will be used to calculate funding for a number of categorical programs, including SSID maintenance funding. Therefore, failure to submit this data on time will jeopardize funding.
For more information on the Annual SSID Maintenance submission and the steps that LEAs need to take, please contact the CSIS Program Office at 916-325-9260 or by e-mail at support@csis.k12.ca.us.
California Adult Education Office Receives Commendations
The California Department of Education (CDE), Adult Education Office, received an excellent review by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Adult and Vocational Education (OVAE). OVAE conducted a week-long federal monitor visit and commended the CDE for the administration and implementation of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Title II grant. The federal team of six was lead by Cheryl Keenan, national Director of OVAE. The final review included commendations, recommendations, and one minor finding regarding administrative costs and budget codes.
The team reviewed documents, reports, and historical records, interviewed staff, held focus groups with the Leadership Project staff, Workforce Investment Board partners, and agency administrators, and visited ten programs in California. The schools that received visits were Burbank Adult School, Evans Adult School, East Los Angeles Occupational Center, Belmont Adult School, West Contra Costa Adult School, Mt. Diablo Adult School, Oakland Adult and Career Education, Stockton School for Adults, Charles A. Jones Skill Center, and Elk Grove Adult School. Each school and team were given outstanding commendations.
California was commended for its positive administration of the WIA Title II grant. The federal team praised the rigor of the Adult Secondary Education (ASE) and General Education Development (GED) Test programs that were visited. They complimented the teachers as well as the intensity and duration of classes and the increased and flexible hours of instruction.
The review team met with Barbara Halsey, state director of the Workforce Investment Board, and visited classes co-located in a One Stop. California was commended on the seamless delivery of services and the planning that was evident in long-term partnerships in the field and at the state department.
Cheryl Keenan commended the State of California on its support of the adult education program. The team was impressed with the professionalism of adult education in California and attributed it to the credentialing process, professional development opportunities, quality instructors and instruction, and a general sense of pride that was evident in every program that received a visit. The team commented on the size and uniqueness of California's adult education programs and the number of students served.
For more information, please contact Debra G. Jones, Administrator, Adult Education Office, at 916-323-5074 or by e-mail djones@cde.ca.gov.
High Schools Invited to Apply for IMPACT Program Aimed at Saving Lives
Motor vehicle collisions are the leading killer of teenagers, and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is determined to make an "impact" on young drivers by issuing a statewide challenge to save their lives. Funded by a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, through the state Office of Traffic Safety, the California High School Seat Belt Challenge, or IMPACT, is a four-week program to educate teens on the risks and consequences of not wearing a seat belt.
IMPACT encourages local high schools to challenge other high schools in their city or county to see which school can most improve seat belt use among students. Seat belt surveys will be conducted by the CHP to determine who has the highest overall compliance, and which school showed the most improvement. Certificates will be awarded to successful schools.
In California last year, 236 teenagers between the ages of 14 years old and 18 years old were killed in collisions. Of those teen fatalities, 42 percent were not wearing a seat belt. High schools wishing to participate in the program may apply through their local CHP office for a mini-grant of up to $9,999.99 to fund their program.
To locate a CHP office please visit the CHP Divisions and Offices Web page [http://www.chp.ca.gov/depts_divs_offs/index.html#offs] (Outside Source).
National Missing Children Poster Contest Open to California Fifth Graders
It is estimated that more than 1.3 million children are reported missing across the country each year. The good news is that most of these children return home safely. Sadly, many are never recovered.
Each year, the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) celebrates the safe recovery of missing children at the National Missing Children's Day Ceremony. The Attorney General presides over this National event, which commemorates the valiant efforts of law enforcement officers, private citizens, and youth in protecting our children. This annual event also includes a national poster contest for grade five students highlighting its efforts to reunite children with their families.
Last year, the USDOJ received entries from 23 states and the District of Columbia, representing hundreds of entries from across the country. Each state is invited to hold a statewide competition and select one winning poster to submit to the USDOJ for the national award.
Each school as well as local school districts must conduct its own competition. Winning entries from the local schools and school districts will be included in a statewide competition that will be judged by the local Clearinghouse Manager, which will then submit the winning poster to the national contest.
The deadline for schools to submit posters is March 14, 2008. For more information, please contact Gayle Hirahara, Program Supervisor, California Missing Children's Clearinghouse, at 800-222-3463 or by e-mail at gayle.hirahara@doj.ca.gov, or Anthony Gonzalez, Education and Outreach Manager, Child Quest International, Inc., at 408-287-4673 or by e-mail at agonzalez@childquest.org.
Contest materials and additional information are available on the National Missing Children's Day Poster Contest Web page [http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/programs/postercontest] (Outside Source).
Diagnostic Center Central Establishes Autism Forum
The Autism Forum of Central California, developed by the Diagnostic Center, Central California staff, was designed to provide a venue for distributing and discussing recent decisions from the California Department of Education as well as to provide an opportunity for specialists in the field to share and learn from one another. The forum also provides an opportunity to discuss methodologies and service delivery models and to facilitate a foundation for understanding variable district philosophies. District administrators selected approximately 100 specialists, including special education teachers, psychologists, speech therapists, and administrators, to participate in the Autism Forum.
At the first meeting held last fall, participants enthusiastically shared demographic information from their districts, and collaboratively established future priorities for Autism Forum meetings. Top priorities for collaborative discussion and review in the future involve current research, methodologies, strategies, social skills development, transition, assessment, and data collection.
Presentations at the second cadre meeting, held in January, involved "Evaluating Research" by Dr. Susan Clare and "Review of a Mega Study on Social Skills Training" by Bev Long. Participants also brainstormed ideas for an Autism Forum component to the Diagnostic Center Central's Web site. Members have been very enthusiastic about the Autism Forum and appreciative of the Diagnostic Center's efforts to facilitate and support a network of educators committed to providing quality educational opportunities for all students, including those with autism.
The California State Teachers' Retirement System Turns 95 This Year
County offices of education and school districts will soon receive a copy of the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) 95th Anniversary Calendar Poster. If you have not seen it and would like a copy, send an e-mail to the CalSTRS Communications Division at Communications@CalSTRS.com.
Creation and distribution of this calendar kicks off recognition of the decades of service CalSTRS has provided to its members-California's teachers and administrators. On July 1, 1913, CalSTRS began with 120 teachers. Now there are more than 812,000 members. The CalSTRS posted a 21.0 percent return on investments, adding $26 billion to the fund with $170.4 billion in assets as of June 30, 2007. As the nation's second-largest public pension fund, it doubled its portfolio in four and a half years following the U.S. stock market's steep decline in October 2002.
