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Friday, February 26, 2016

SBE Agenda for March 2016 - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education)

SBE Agenda for March 2016 - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education):

SBE Agenda for March 2016

Agenda for the California State Board of Education (SBE) meeting on March 9-10, 2016.


State Board Members
  • Michael W. Kirst, President
  • Ilene W. Straus, Vice President
  • Sue Burr
  • Bruce Holaday
  • Feliza I. Ortiz-Licon
  • Patricia A. Rucker
  • Niki Sandoval
  • Ting L. Sun
  • Trish Williams
  • Michael S. McFarland, Student Member
  • Vacancy
Secretary & Executive Officer
  • Hon. Tom Torlakson
Executive Director
  • Karen Stapf Walters
Schedule of MeetingLocation
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time ±
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 
The Closed Session will take place at approximately 8:30 a.m. (The Public may not attend.)
California Department of Education 1430 N Street, Room 1101 
Sacramento, California 95814 
916-319-0827
Please see the detailed agenda for more information about the items to be considered and acted upon. The public is welcome.
Schedule of MeetingLocation
Thursday, March 10, 2016 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time ±
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 
Public Session. Public Session, adjourn to Closed Session – IF NECESSARY.
California Department of Education 1430 N Street, Room 1101 
Sacramento, California 95814 
916-319-0827
The Closed Session (1) may commence earlier than 8:30 a.m.; (2) may begin at 8:30 a.m., be recessed, and then be reconvened later in the day; or (3) may commence later than 8:30 a.m.

CLOSED SESSION AGENDA

Conference with Legal Counsel – Existing Litigation: Under Government Code sections 11126(e)(1) and (e)(2)(A), the State Board of Education hereby provides public notice that some or all of the pending litigation follows will be considered and acted upon in closed session:
  • California School Boards Association, et al. v. California State Board of Education and Aspire Public Schools, Inc.,Alameda County Superior Court, Case No. 07353566, CA Ct. of Appeal, 1st Dist., Case No. A122485, CA Supreme Court, Case No. S186129
  • Cruz et al. v. State of California, State Board of Education, State Department of Education, Tom Torlakson et al.,Alameda County Superior Court, Case No. RG14727139
  • D.J. et al. v. State of California, California Department of Education, Tom Torlakson, the State Board of Education,Los Angeles Superior Court, Case No. BS142775,CA Ct. of Appeal, 2nd Dist., Case No. B260075
  • Emma C., et al. v. Delaine Eastin, et al., USDC (No.Dist.CA), Case No. C-96-4179
  • Options for Youth, Burbank, Inc., San Gabriel, Inc. Upland, Inc. and Victor Valley, Notice of Appeal Before the Education Audit Appeals Panel, EAAP Case Nos. 06-18, 06-19- 07-07, 07-08 OAH Nos. L2006100966, L2006110025, L20070706022, L2007060728, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. BC 347454
  • Reed v. State of California, Los Angeles Unified School District, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell, California Department of Education, and State Board of Education, et al., Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. BC432420, CA Ct. of Appeal, 2nd Dist., Case No. B230817, CA Supreme Ct., Case No. 5191256
  • Vergara et al. v. State of California, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Tom Torlakson, the California Department of Education, the State Board of Education, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. BC484642, CA Ct. of Appeal 2nd Dist., Case No. B253282, B253310
Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation: Under Government Code sections 11126(e), the State Board of Education hereby provides public notice that it may meet in Closed Session to decide whether there is a significant exposure to litigation, and to consider and act in connection with matters for which there is a significant exposure to litigation. Under Government Code sections 11126(e)(1) and (e)(2), the State Board of Education hereby provides public notice that it may meet in Closed Session to decide to initiate litigation and to consider and act in connection with litigation it has decided to initiate.
Under Government Code Section 11126(c)(14), the State Board of Education hereby provides public notice that it may meet in Closed Session to review and discuss the actual content of pupil achievement tests (including, but not limited to, the High School Exit Exam) that have been submitted for State Board approval and/or approved by the State Board.
ALL TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE AND ARE PROVIDED FOR CONVENIENCE ONLY
ALL ITEMS MAY BE HEARD IN A DIFFERENT ORDER THAN HOW THEY ARE LISTED ON THE AGENDA ON ANY DAY OF THE NOTICED MEETING
THE ORDER OF BUSINESS MAY BE CHANGED WITHOUT NOTICE
Time is set aside for individuals desiring to speak on any topic not otherwise on the agenda. Please see the detailed agenda for the Public Session. In all cases, the presiding officer reserves the right to impose time limits on presentations as may be necessary to ensure that the agenda is completed.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY
Pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, any individual with a disability or any other individual who requires reasonable accommodation to attend or participate in a meeting or function of the California State Board of Education (SBE), may request assistance by contacting the SBE Office at 1430 N Street, Room 5111, Sacramento, CA 95814; by telephone at 916 319-0827; or by facsimile at 916 319-0175.
CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

FULL BOARD AGENDA
Public Session Day 1

Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 – 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time ±
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, California 95814
  • Call to Order
  • Salute to the Flag
  • Communications
  • Announcements
  • Report of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Special Presentations 
    Public notice is hereby given that special presentations for informational purposes may take place during this session.
  • Agenda Items
  • Adjournment

AGENDA ITEMS DAY 1

Item 01 (DOC; 2MB)
Subject: California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress: State Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Recommendations for the Expansion of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress System Assessments.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 02 (DOC)
Subject: California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress: Approval of the Grades for Which the California Next Generation Science Standards Summative Assessments Will Be Administered.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 03 (DOC)
Subject: California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress: Update on Program Activities, including, but not limited to, Smarter Balanced Assessments (Summative, Interim, and Digital Library Resources), Technology, Summative Assessment in Primary Languages Other than English, California Alternate Assessments, California Next Generation Science Standards Assessments, and Outreach Activities.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 04 (DOC; 2MB)
Subject: California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress: Approve Commencement of a 15-Day Public Comment Period for Proposed Amendments to California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Sections 850 through 864.
Type of Action: Action, Information

WAIVERS / ACTION AND CONSENT ITEMS

The following agenda items include waivers that are proposed for consent and those waivers scheduled for separate action because CDE staff has identified possible opposition, recommended denial, or determined present new or unusual issues that should be considered by the State Board. Waivers proposed for consent are so indicated on each waiver’s agenda item, and public comment will be taken before board action on all proposed consent items; however, any board member may remove a waiver from proposed consent and the item may be heard individually. On a case-by-case basis, public testimony may be considered regarding the item, subject to the limits set by the Board President or by the President's designee; and action different from that recommended by CDE staff may be taken.
Special Education Program (Educational Interpreter for Deaf and Hard of Hearing)
Item W-01 (DOC)
Subject: Request by Dinuba Unified School District to waive California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 3051.16(b)(3), the requirement that educational interpreters for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students meet minimum qualifications as of July 1, 2009, to allow Leeza Pena to continue to provide services to students until June 30, 2016, under a remediation plan to complete those minimum requirements.
Waiver Number: 8-11-2015
(Recommended for DENIAL)
Special Education Program (Educational Interpreter for Deaf and Hard of Hearing)
Item W-02 (DOC)
Subject: Request by two local educational agencies to waive California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 3051.16(b)(3), the requirement that educational interpreters for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students meet minimum qualifications as of July 1, 2009, to allow two interpreters to continue to provide services to students until June 30, 2016, under a remediation plan to complete those minimum requirements.
Waiver Numbers:
  • Hanford Joint Union High School District 24-10-2015
  • Shasta County Office of Education 27-10-2015
(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)
Special Education Program (Extended School Year [Summer School])
Item W-03 (DOC)
Subject: Request by seven local educational agenciesto waive California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 3043(d), which requires a minimum of 20 school days of attendance of four hours each for an extended school year (summer school) for special education students.
Waiver Numbers:
  • Gateway Unified School District 2-12-2015
  • Madera County Office of Education 7-12-2015
  • Oroville City Elementary School District 1-12-2015
  • San Pasqual Valley Unified School District 19-11-2015
  • Shasta County Office of Education 4-12-2015
  • South Whittier Elementary School District 10-11-2015
  • Tehama County Office of Education 12-11-2015
(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)
Special Education Program (Resource Teacher Caseload)
Item W-04 (DOC)
Subject: Request by two local educational agencies under the authority of California Education Code (EC) Section 56101 and California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 3100, to waive EC Section 56362(c). Approval of this waiver will allow the resource specialists to exceed the maximum caseload of 28 students by no more than four students (32 maximum).
Waiver Numbers:
  • Middletown Unified School District 21-12-2015
  • Poway Unified School District 7-11-2015
(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)
Charter School Program (Nonclassroom-Based Funding)
Item W-05 (DOC)
Subject: Request by Rocklin Unified School District to waive portions of California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 11963.6(c), relating to the submission and action on a determination of funding request regarding nonclassroom-based instruction.
Waiver Number: 11-11-2015
(Recommended for APPROVAL)
Community Day Schools (CDS) (Collocate Facilities)
Item W-06 (DOC)
Subject: Request by a school district to waive portions of California Education Code Section 48663(a), relating to community day school minimum instructional minutes. Two requests are from districts to waive portions of CaliforniaEducation Code Section 48661(a), relating to the collocation of a community day school with other types of schools.
Waiver Numbers:
  • Earlimart Elementary School District 3-11-2015
  • Hacienda la Puente Unified School District 22-10-2015
  • Konocti Unified School District 5-11-2015
(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)
Equity Length of Time (Equity Length of Time)
Item W-07 (DOC)
Subject: Request by ten school districts to waive California Education Code Section 37202(a), the equity length of time requirement for transitional kindergarten and kindergarten programs at the districts’ elementary schools.
Waiver Numbers:
  • Alpaugh Unified School District 15-11-2015
  • Bear Valley Unified School District 19-12-2015
  • Bear Valley Unified School District 20-12-2015
  • Coronado Unified School District 13-12-2015
  • Folsom-Cordova Unified School District 3-12-2015
  • Red Bluff Union Elementary School District 4-11-2015
  • Redlands Unified School District 8-12-2015
  • Reed Union Elementary School District 9-11-2015
  • San Miguel Joint Union School District 18-12-2015
  • San Ysidro Elementary School District 12-12-2015
  • Twain Harte School District 13-11-2015
(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)
Instructional Time Requirement Audit Penalty (Below 1982-83 Base Minimum Minutes)
Item W-08 (DOC)
Subject: Request by New Haven Unified School District under the authority of California Education Code Section 46206(a), to waive Education Code Section 46201(a), the audit penalty for offering less instructional time in the 2013–14 fiscal year for students in grades four and five (shortfall of 1,540 minutes) at district schools.
Waiver Number: 10-6-2015
(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)
Physical Fitness Testing (Physical Fitness Testing)
Item W-09 (DOC)
Subject: Requests by three school districts to waive portions of the California Education Code Section 60800(a), relating to Physical Fitness Testing, specifically to suspend body composition assessment for students in grade five participating in a statewide school-based fitness study during the 2015–16 school year.
Waiver Numbers:
  • Moreno Valley Unified School District 10-12-2015
  • Napa Valley Unified School District 11-12-2015
  • Pasadena Unified School District 9-12-2015
(Recommended for APPROVAL)
School Construction Bonds (Bond Indebtedness Limit - Unified after 2000)
Item W-10 (DOC)
Subject: Request by two districts to waive one of the following California Education Code sections 15628 or 15270(a), to allow the districts to exceed their bonded indebtedness limits. Total bonded indebtedness may not exceed 1.25 percent of the taxable assessed valuation of property for high school and elementary school districts or 2.5 percent for unified districts. Depending on the type of bond, a tax rate levy limit to $30 per $100,000 or assessed value for high school and elementary school districts or $60 per $100,000 for unified districts, may also apply.
Waiver Numbers:
  • Oak Grove Elementary School District 6-1-2016
  • Southern Kern Unified School District 3-1-2016
(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)
School District Reorganization (Elimination of Election Requirement)
Item W-11 (DOC)
Subject: Request by two local educational agencies to waive California Education Code Section 5020, and portions of sections 5019, 5021, and 5030, that require a districtwide election to establish a by-trustee-area method of election.
Waiver Numbers:
  • Anaheim City Unified School District 9-1-2016
  • Fullerton Elementary School District 25-12-2015
(Recommended for APPROVAL)
School District Reorganization (Size of Governing Board)
Item W-12 (DOC)
Subject: Request by Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District to waive California Education Code Section 5020 that requires a districtwide election to reduce the number of governing board members from seven to five.
Waiver Number: 6-11-2015
(Recommended for APPROVAL)
School District Reorganization (Timeline Requirements)
Item W-13 (DOC)
Subject: Request by Monterey County Office of Education for a waiver of portions of Education Code (EC) Section 35706, regarding the 120-day timeline between the first public hearing and action on a petition by the County Committee on School District Organization.
Waiver Number: 8-1-2016
(Recommended for APPROVAL)
Schoolsite Council Statute (Number and Composition of Members)
Item W-14 (DOC)
Subject: Request by 10 local educational agencies under the authority of California Education Code Section 52863 for waivers of Education Code Section 52852, relating to schoolsite councils regarding changes in shared, composition, or shared and composition members.
Waiver Numbers:
  • Butte County Office of Education 23-12-2015
  • Butte County Office of Education 24-12-2015
  • Butteville Union Elementary School District 6-12-2015
  • Imperial County Office of Education 5-12-2015
  • Maple Creek Elementary School District 17-11-2015
  • Mountain Valley Unified School District 14-12-2015
  • Novato Unified School District 14-11-2015
  • Potter Valley Community Unified School District 15-12-2015
  • River Delta Joint Unified School District 20-10-2015
  • Stony Creek Joint Unified School District 16-11-2015
  • Temple City Unified School District 20-11-2015
(Recommended for APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS)
State Testing Apportionment Report (CAHSEE)
Item W-15 (DOC)
Subject: Request by two local educational agencies to waive the State Testing Apportionment Information Report deadline as stipulated in the California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 11517.5(b)(1)(A), regarding the California English Language Development Test; or Title5, Section 1225(b)(3)(A), regarding the California High School Exit Examination; or Title 5, Section 862(b)(2)(A) prior to February 2014, regarding the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program; or Title 5, Section 862(b)(2)(A), regarding the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress System.
Waiver Numbers:
  • Morgan Hill Unified School District 2-11-2015
  • Ravenswood City Elementary School District 23-10-2015
(Recommended for APPROVAL)
END OF WAIVERS
Item 05 (DOC)
Subject: Approval of the Career Technical Education Incentive Grant: Grantee List.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 06 (DOC)
Subject: Pupil Instruction: Courses Without Educational Content – Approve the Finding of Emergency and Proposed Emergency Regulations for Amendments to the California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 1700.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 07 (DOC)
Subject: Pupil Instruction: Courses Without Educational Content – Approve Commencement of the Rulemaking Process for Amendments to the California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 1700.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 08 (DOC)
Subject: Revisions to the California School Accounting Manual.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 09 (DOC)
Subject: California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress: Authorize the California Department of Education to Enter Into a Memorandum of Understanding with edCount for the National Center and State Collaborative Assessment System and Test Content.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 10 (DOC)
Subject: California High School Equivalency Tests: Approve Proposed General Educational Development® Passing Test Score Adjustment.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 11 (DOC)
Subject: Approval of 2015–16 Consolidated Applications.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 12 (DOC)
Subject: Elementary and Secondary Education Act: No Child Left Behind: Approval of Local Educational Agency Plans, Title I, Section 1112.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 13 (DOC)
Subject: Recommendation for the Appointment of Barbara Murchison to the Position of State Lead for the Federal Every Student Succeeds Act.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 14 (DOC)
Subject: Approval of the Charter School Numbers Assigned to Newly Established Charter Schools.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 15 (DOC)
Subject: Consideration of Requests for Determination of Funding as Required for Nonclassroom-based Charter Schools Pursuant to California Education Code Sections 47612.5 and 47634.2, and Associated California Code of Regulations, Title 5.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 16 (DOC)
Subject: Consideration of a Request for Determination of Funding with “Reasonable Basis”/Mitigating Circumstances as Required for a Nonclassroom-based Charter School Pursuant to California Education Code Sections 47612.5 and 47634.2, and Associated California Code of Regulations, Title 5.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 17 (DOC)
Subject: Consideration of a Retroactive Request for Determination of Funding as Required for a Nonclassroom-based Charter School Pursuant to California Education Code Sections 47612.5 and 47634.2, and Associated California Code of Regulations, Title 5.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 18 (DOC)
Subject: Consideration of a Retroactive Request for Determination of Funding with “Reasonable Basis”/Mitigating Circumstances as Required for a Nonclassroom-based Charter School Pursuant to California Education Code Sections 47612.5 and 47634.2, and Associated California Code of Regulations, Title 5.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 19 (DOC)
Subject: STATE BOARD PROJECTS AND PRIORITIES. Including, but not limited to, future meeting plans; agenda items; and officer nominations and/or elections; State Board appointments and direction to staff; declaratory and commendatory resolutions; Bylaw review and revision; Board policy; approval of minutes; Board liaison reports; training of Board members; and other matters of interest; and Presentation regarding WestEd Standards Implementation Survey.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 20 (DOC)
Subject: Indicator 17 of the State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report for Special Education: State Systemic Improvement Plan.
Type of Action: Action, Information
Item 21 (DOC)
Subject: Update on Every Student Succeeds Act: Supplemental Educational Services and Public School Choice for the 2016–17 School Year.
Type of Action: Information
Item 22 (DOC)
Subject: General Public Comment. Public Comment is invited on any matter not included on the printed agenda. Depending on the number of individuals wishing to address the State Board, the presiding officer may establish specific time limits on presentations.
Type of Action: Information
ADJOURNMENT OF DAY’S SESSION
CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

FULL BOARD AGENDA
Public Session Day 2

Thursday, March 10, 2016
Thursday, March 10, 2016 – 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time ±
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, California 95814
  • Call to Order
  • Salute to the Flag
  • Communications
  • Announcements
  • Report of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Special Presentations
    Public notice is hereby given that special presentations for informational purposes may take place during this session.
  • Agenda Items
  • Adjournment

AGENDA ITEMS DAY 2

Item 23 (DOC)
Subject: Developing a New Accountability System: Update on the Local Control Funding Formula, including, but not limited to, the Local Control and Accountability Plan and Annual Update Template; the Evaluation Rubrics; Discussion on the Every Student Succeeds Act State Plan; Introduction of the California Practitioners Advisory Group; and Revised Timeline for Transitioning to the New Accountability and Continuous Improvement System.
Type of Action: Action, Information

PUBLIC HEARINGS

The first of three Public Hearings will commence no earlier than 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 10, 2016. The first Public Hearing listed below will be held as close to 11:00 a.m. as the business of the State Board permits.
After the 10 minute presentation from proponents and opponents, members of the public may provide comments. For the following public hearing items, individual speakers will be limited to one minute each.
Item 24 (DOC)
Subject: Thrive Public School: Consider a Material Revision of the Charter to Change from Transitional Kindergarten through Grade Eight to Transitional Kindergarten through Grade Twelve.
Type of Action: Action, Information, Hearing
Item 25 (DOC)
Subject: The School of Arts and Enterprise: Hold a Public Hearing to Consider a Petition to Renew the Charter Currently Authorized by the State Board of Education.
Type of Action: Action, Information, Hearing
Item 26 (DOC)
Subject: Petition for the Establishment of a Charter School Under the Oversight of the State Board of Education: Consideration of Rocketship Mt. Diablo which was denied by the Mt. Diablo Unified School District and the Contra Costa County Board of Education.
Type of Action: Action, Information, Hearing
END OF PUBLIC HEARINGS
ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING
This agenda is posted on the State Board of Education’s Web site. For more information concerning this agenda, please contact the State Board of Education at 1430 N Street, Room 5111, Sacramento, CA, 95814; telephone 916-319-0827; facsimile 916-319-0175. Members of the public wishing to send written comments about an agenda item to the board are encouraged to send an electronic copy to SBE@cde.ca.gov, with the item number clearly marked in the subject line. In order to ensure that comments are received by board members in advance of the meeting, please submit these and any related materials to our office by 12:00 Noon on March 4, 2016, the Friday prior to the meeting.
Questions: State Board of Education | 916-319-0827 
Posted by at

Nearly 1 in 4 Cal State students are going hungry, new report says | 89.3 KPCC

Nearly 1 in 4 Cal State students are going hungry, new report says | 89.3 KPCC:

Nearly 1 in 4 Cal State students are going hungry, new report says

A year-long study released by the California State University on Friday finds that 24 percent of the system’s 460 thousand students could be going hungry. The report also found that as many as 12 percent of students suffer “housing displacement” such as homelessness.
“Systems need to be implemented in every college and university in the country to find these students and ensure that they reach their full potential without worrying about where their next meal is coming from or where they will be sleeping,” CSU Chancellor Tim White said in a written statement.
Researchers said the findings are troubling, especially in a university system so large. They believe the problem has become serious over the years because of rising university tuition and cost of living, and changing demographics at the 23-campus system.
“We don’t have the same college population that we did in the 1950s. Now we have more students who are experiencing social problems related to poverty and inequity,” said CSU Long Beach Social Work Professor Rashida Crutchfield, a co-author of the report.
The impact of food and housing insecurity on college students is wide-ranging, researchers said.
“Students can’t learn if they don’t have their basic needs met,” CSU Humboldt professor of social work Jen Maguire said.
And students going through these challenges get less out of the college experience.
“If you’re worried about food or if you’re worried about housing you’re not engaging in those extra clubs or leadership opportunities or athletics because you’re having to think about an extra job or finding money to get your next meal,” Maguire said.
To bring about change, she said, the university community and the general public needs to understand that these problems are significantly more far reaching than Nearly 1 in 4 Cal State students are going hungry, new report says | 89.3 KPCC:
Posted by at

Program Improvement Corrective Action Funding - Title I, Part A-Accountability (CA Dept of Education)

Program Improvement Corrective Action Funding - Title I, Part A-Accountability (CA Dept of Education):
Program Improvement Corrective Action Funding - Title I, Part A-Accountability



  Funding may be authorized by the State Board of Education for local educational agencies (LEAs) that have been newly identified for Program Improvement (PI) Corrective Action for implementing federal corrective action and associated technical assistance requirements.

Funding Results for Cohorts 1-9
List of grant award recipients and funding amount for LEAs identified for Program Improvement Corrective Action.

Cohort 9—Fiscal Year 2015–16

PI LEAs Corrective Action Resources Funding Profile 2015-16
Provides program description, eligibility criteria, and funding for LEAs identified for PI Corrective Action.
PI LEAs Corrective Action Expenditure Reports—Cohort 9
Cohort 9 Expenditure Report (XLS)
This document contains four expenditure reports (tabs) for the following reporting periods:
First Expenditure Report: January 14, 2016, through June 30, 2016; due no later than July 15, 2016.
Second Expenditure Report: January 14, 2016, through December 31, 2016; due no later than January 15, 2017.
Third Expenditure Report: January 14, 2016, through June 30, 2017; due no later than July 15, 2017.
Final Expendiutre Report: January 14, 2016, through September 30, 2017; due no later than October 15, 2017.

Cohort 8—Fiscal Year 2014–15

PI LEAs Corrective Action Resources Funding Profile 2014-15
Provides program description, eligibility criteria, and funding for LEAs identified for PI Corrective Action.
PI LEAs Corrective Action Expenditure Reports—Cohort 8
Cohort 8 Expenditure Report (XLS)
This document contains four expenditure reports (tabs) for the following reporting periods:
  • First Expenditure Report: November 14, 2014, through June 30, 2015; due no later than July 15, 2015.
  • Second Expenditure Report: November 14, 2014, through December 31, 2015; due no later than January 15, 2016.
  • Third Expenditure Report: November 14, 2014, through June 30, 2016; due no later than July 15, 2016.
  • Final Expendiutre Report: November 14, 2014, through September 30, 2016; due no lather than October 15, 2016.

Cohort 7—Fiscal Year 2013–14

PI LEAs Corrective Action Resources Funding Profile 2013-14
Provides program description, eligibility criteria, and funding for LEAs identified for PI Corrective Action.

Cohort 6—Fiscal Year 2012–13

PI LEAs Corrective Action Resources Funding Profile 2012-13
Provides program description, eligibility criteria, and funding for LEAs identified for PI Corrective Action.

Cohort 5—Fiscal Year 2011–12

PI LEAs Corrective Action Resources Funding Profile 2011-12
Provides program description, eligibility criteria, and funding for LEAs identified for PI Corrective Action.

Cohort 4—Fiscal Year 2010–11

PI LEAs Corrective Action Resources Funding Profile 2010-11
Provides program description, eligibility criteria, and funding for LEAs identified for PI Corrective Action.

Cohort 3—Fiscal Year 2009–10

PI LEAs Corrective Action Resources Funding Profile 2009-10 
Provides program description, eligibility criteria, and funding for LEAs identified for PI Corrective Action.

Cohorts 1, 2 and 2.1—Fiscal Year 2008–09

PI LEAs Corrective Action Resources Funding Profile 2008-09 
Provides program description, eligibility criteria, and funding for LEAs identified for PI Corrective Action.
Questions:   Denise Davis (Fiscal) | ddavis@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0237
Jacqueline Matranga (Program) | jmatranga@cde.ca.gov | 916-445-4905

February

Charter schools take "Excellence Pledge" [] External link opens in new window or tab. 
The San Diego Union-Tribune—February 5, 2016
Two San Bernardino middle schools designated ones ‘to watch’ [] External link opens in new window or tab.
San Bernardino Sun—February 8, 2016
Mistletoe Elementary a “school to watch” [] External link opens in new window or tab. 
Redding Record-Searchlight—February 16, 2016
CORONA: Student draws her way to perfect score on AP art exam [] External link opens in new window or tab. 
Riverside Press Enterprise—February 16, 2016
20,000 expected to ‘walk in’ at LAUSD schools Wednesday morning [] External link opens in new window or tab. 
LA School Report—February 16, 2016
Teen Health Van Delivers More Than Medical Care to Homeless Youth [] External link opens in new window or tab. 
National Public Radio—February 17, 2016
San Diegans Join ‘Walk Ins’ Aiming to ‘Reclaim Our Schools’ [] External link opens in new window or tab. 
San Diego Free Press—February 17, 2016
Questions:   Communications Division | communications@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0818
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2016 Green Ribbon Schools - Year 2016 (CA Dept of Education)

2016 Green Ribbon Schools - Year 2016 (CA Dept of Education):

Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Honors California 
Green Ribbon Schools Award Winners


ALAMEDA—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today nominated three California school districts and two individual schools to compete in the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) recognition program, which honors schools that conserve resources while promoting health and environmental literacy.
The nominees are:
  • Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County
  • Manhattan Beach Unified School District, Los Angeles County
  • San Francisco Unified School District, San Francisco County
  • Bay Farm School, Alameda, Alameda County
  • Bishop O'Dowd High School (private), Oakland, Alameda County
The schools and districts were also named "Green Achievers," the highest honor in the California Green Ribbon Schools recognition program.
"I commend these schools and districts for reducing their environmental footprints and engaging students using sustainability and the environment as the context for learning," Torlakson said. "Their efforts are helping to build healthier, more resilient communities and a more prosperous California."
Today's announcement came at a news conference at Bay Farm School in the Alameda Unified School District. Torlakson was joined by Dr. Ron Reynolds, Executive Director of the California Association of Private School Organizations (CAPSO).
Green Ribbon Schools demonstrate exemplary achievement in three "pillars." Pillar I: reduce environmental impact and costs; Pillar II: improve the health and wellness of schools, students, and staff; and Pillar III: provide effective environmental education that teaches many disciplines and is especially good at effectively incorporating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, civic skills, and green career pathways.
The California Green Ribbon Schools recognition award uses the applications submitted for nomination to ED-GRS to recognize schools and school districts for environmental excellence. Private school awards are conferred by CAPSO.
California is one of 25 states as well as the District of Columbia and the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity that are expected to nominate schools and districts for federal recognition this year. Continued participation and leadership in the program is a recommendation of Torlakson's Environmental Literacy Task Force.
The U.S. Department of Education will confirm state nominees on Earth Day, April 22, 2016.
Details on each California nominee are below. For more information, please visit the California Department of Education'sGreen Ribbon Schools Award Program Web page and download A Blueprint for Environmental Literacy: Educating Every Student In, About, and For the Environment (PDF; 1.4 MB).
California's ED-GRS Nominees

Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County
LAUSD is the largest school district in California and the second largest in the nation, serving approximately 650,000 students in grades K–12. In 2003, LAUSD became the first school district in California to adopt the sustainability standards of the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) for all new schools and modernization projects. To date, 78 LAUSD schools have receive CHPS certification. LAUSD has installed 21 megawatts of solar capacity, supported more than 375 school gardens, and built more than 180 outdoor classrooms. The District's sustainability Web site, Learning Green, provides information and resources for all schools. LAUSD's Susan Miller Dorsey Senior High School was recognized as a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School in 2015.
Manhattan Beach Unified School District, Los Angeles County
MBUSD has documented a 33 percent reduction in non-transportation energy use and a 44 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from a 2009 baseline. All MBUSD schools are ENERGY STAR certified. MBUSD diverts 100 percent of food waste by combining on-site composting with a municipal program that converts food waste into Engineered Bioslurry used to generate energy. MBUSD was the first district to pilot and implement the parent-initiated programs Grades of Green External link opens in new window or tab. and Growing Great] External link opens in new window or tab. . MBUSD earned a CA-GRS Silver Level Award in 2015, and Grand View Elementary School was recognized as a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School in 2012.
San Francisco Unified School District, San Francisco County
SFUSD utilizes a Shared Savings Program that rewards schools for reducing their use by giving them 50 percent of the savings generated through conservation as discretionary funding. Every school in SFUSD has an Environmental Liaison, and SFUSD's Environmental Science Center has been providing standards-based environmental education in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area since 1976. SFUSD has installed nearly 60 green schoolyards since 2005 and will expand schoolyard "greening" to every site using a local modernization bond authorized in 2011. The District's Green the Next GenExternal link opens in new window or tab. Web site features teacher resources; student programs; and utility, commute, and waste diversion data from SFUSD schools. SFUSD earned a CA-GRS Silver Level Award in 2015.
Bay Farm School, Alameda, Alameda County
Bay Farm School has implemented an efficient three-stream waste diversion program that diverts 85 percent of solid waste from the landfill. Students are critical to these efforts, monitoring lunchtime sorting and conducting multiple waste audits to keep recyclables out of classroom and playground trash. Bay Farm's Outdoor Learning Center (OLC) is managed by a full-time garden teacher. All students regularly learn outdoors in part by working in the OLC and eating the food they grow there. Read more about Bay Farm's efforts on their Go Green External link opens in new window or tab. Web page.
Bishop O'Dowd High School, Oakland, Alameda County
O'Dowd's Center for Environmental Studies, completed in 2014, is a LEED Platinum certified building. The campus also supports a four-acre "Living Lab" that has undergone ecological restoration annually since 2000 and received Bay Friendly certification and Wildlife Habitat certification. The Living Lab features four different local ecosystems, beehives, chickens and rabbits, edibles, and water catchment systems. It is used for field research, experiential learning, and spiritual meditation. Green Gloves, a 2015 partnership with the ReThink Disposable project, replaced disposable plates and bowls in the cafeteria with reusable baskets, reducing solid waste by 3,376 pounds per year. O'Dowd was recognized by CAPSO as a CA-GRS Gold School in 2015 and a Silver School in 2014.
California Green Ribbon School Additional Awardees
Public Schools
  • George K. Porter Middle School, Los Angeles County (Gold)
  • Nick G. Parras Middle School, Los Angeles County (Gold)
  • Redondo Union High School, Los Angeles County (Gold)
  • Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets, Los Angeles County (Gold)
  • Yosemite High School (Continuation), Merced County (Gold)
  • Juliet Morris Elementary School, Orange County (Silver)
  • Monterey Road Elementary School, San Luis Obispo County (Silver)
  • Santa Barbara Senior High School, Santa Barbara County (Silver)
  • Washington Elementary School, Los Angeles County (Silver)
  • Will Rogers Elementary School, Ventura County (Silver)
Districts
  • Montecito Union Elementary, Santa Barbara County (Gold)
  • Pittsburg Unified, Contra Costa County (Gold)
  • Redondo Beach Unified, Los Angeles County (Gold)
  • Sacramento City Unified, Sacramento County (Gold)
  • Hope Elementary, Santa Barbara County (Silver)
  • Woodside Elementary, San Mateo County (Bronze).
Private Schools
  • Maple Village Waldorf School, Los Angeles County (Gold)
  • Pacific Ridge School, San Diego County (Gold)
  • The Thacher School, Ventura County (Gold)
  • Woodside Priory School, San Mateo County (Gold)
  • The Grauer School, San Diego County (Silver)
  • MUSE School, Los Angeles County (Silver)
  • The Turning Point School, Los Angeles County (Bronze)
# # # #
Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100
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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Finding Teachers of Color: What the Gates Foundation Thinks

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Finding Teachers of Color: What the Gates Foundation Thinks:

Finding Teachers of Color: What the Gates Foundation Thinks


Public disclosure requests can sometimes yield the oddest things (seemingly not related to your request, no matter how narrowly you tailor it.)  Such is the case with my public disclosure request from OSPI around charter schools. 

One e-mail in one batch was from sent in late Nov to various people in education from several districts including SPS about a meeting to discuss how to get attract more people of color to  teaching.  The e-mail was from the Gates Foundation's Edie Harding, Senior Program Officer, Pacific NW Initiative about their "DEW" work (Diversify the Educator Workforce.) 

The one SPS invitee was Karen Harris who is an assistant principal at Beacon Hill Elementary.  (Ms Harris appears to have worked for the Martinez Foundation whose principal mission is to support teachers of color.  The Martinez Foundation has been moved to the Technology Access Foundation.)  I did ask the district if they knew about this effort but no one has answered back.

From the e-mail:

Because we just want to DEW it now!


Unfortunately, the documents attached to the e-mail did not come to me but I made a request and OSPI sent them. 

There were four documents;
- General Questions - asking for reactions from participants on Gates' "theory of change" in the presentation

- graphic - Washington State Diversifying the Educator Workforce Theory of Change with final goal:
By 2030 30 % of teachers are teachers of color who stay for more than five Seattle Schools Community Forum: Finding Teachers of Color: What the Gates Foundation Thinks:

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Charter school king pleads guilty to felony | SanDiegoUnionTribune.com

Charter school king pleads guilty to felony | SanDiegoUnionTribune.com:
Charter school king pleads guilty to felony
Former Mountain Empire superintendent Van Zant must return stipend, serve 30 days under house arrest


 SAN DIEGO — Steve Van Zant, a key figure in the expansion of charter schools in San Diego County and elsewhere in California, pleaded guilty Thursday to a felony violation of the Political Reform Act.

Van Zant’s financial interests in growing independent charters, and his efforts getting them into school districts without notification, have raised questions about widely perceived shortcomings in state law that now even advocates say allow for exploitation.
While superintendent of the rural Mountain Empire Unified School District, Van Zant received a stipend through his contract for each charter school the district authorized. The arrangement was in violation of conflict-of-interest laws, said Deputy District Attorney Leon Schorr, who heads the public integrity unit.
“This plea shows that they have to be cognizant of how government funds are spent,” Schorr said. “This felony has a huge impact on Mr. Van Zant — professionally, personally and financially.”
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Van Zant must reimburse Mountain Empire for the charter stipends that amounted to an estimated $50,000 to $60,000. The agreement also calls for him to serve 30 days of home confinement with an electronic monitor, five years probation, and 300 hours of community service.
Van Zant and his attorney Garland Peed declined to comment after a Superior Court hearing Thursday. However, Van Zant said “There will come a day” when he’s willing to discuss the matter.

RELATED

Under Van Zant’s leadership, Mountain Empire authorized 13 charters that were located in other districts, in some cases without notifying those districts in advance. The arrangements have stirred costly legal fights and animosity among districts that have lingered since Van Zant resigned from Mountain Empire in 2013.
By approving charters for other districts, Mountain Empire earned a percentage of revenue (up to $500,000 a year under Van Zant) from the charters without losing its own students to those schools — or the average daily attendance money they generate from the state. Meanwhile, Van Zant received the equivalent of 5 percent of the revenue brought in from each charter under his stipends.
Some of the charters went on to hire Van Zant’s consulting firm, EdHive, which charged as much as $100,000 to provide back-office services among other billable offerings. According to the business website, “We can find an authorizing district for your charter and cut a deal that provides the financial incentive for the district and still save your school money.”
Van Zant continued to run EdHive since he took office in 2013 as superintendent at the Sausalito Marin City School District, a three-day-a-week job that paid $172,000 in 2014. The terms of Van Zant’s plea agreement required his resignation from the district, which he submitted earlier this month.
Before Van Zant was hired in Mountain Empire in 2008, he ushered in charters while superintendent of the Charter school king pleads guilty to felony | SanDiegoUnionTribune.com:

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Rebellion in New Orleans | EduShyster

Rebellion in New Orleans | EduShyster:

Rebellion in New Orleans

Is it time for a second installment of my new podcast, Have You Heard, already? Indeed it is, and in this episode, we head to New Orleans, where there’s a rebellion brewing against the city’s decade-long experiment with urban education reform. We speak to the unlikely leader of the revolt to find out why residents of the Big Easy say that changes are being made “to them, not with them” and how this uprising could be heading to a city near you.


I can’t wait to hear what you think! Send comments, criticism, cheery greetings and suggested topics for future episodes to jennifer@edushyster.com.Rebellion in New Orleans | EduShyster:



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IMPORTANT - 11th Graders and their parents – Why my daughter will not be taking the CT State Mandated NEW SAT next week. - Wait What?

IMPORTANT - 11th Graders and their parents – Why my daughter will not be taking the CT State Mandated NEW SAT next week. - Wait What?:

IMPORTANT – 11th Graders and their parents – Why my daughter will not be taking the CT State Mandated NEW SAT next week.



 (The following is an expanded re-post of the article what appeared in the Washington Post, on Diane Ravitch’s blog and here at Wait, What?)

In an effort to win market share, the College Board, along with the standardized testing industry and the corporate education reform advocates are pushing states are mandate that high school juniors MUST take the SAT.  Connecticut, Colorado, Michigan and New Hampshire are among the states throwing their students under the bus.
In Connecticut, thanks to a new “state mandate,” approximately 40,000 Connecticut high school juniors will not be attending their classes on March, 2, 2016.  Instead they will be taking another “Common Core aligned” standardized test – this time the NEW SAT.
The attempt to force the state’s 11th graders to take the NEW SAT is not about helping students, improving graduating rates or expanding the number of people who go to college.
This new “mandate” is part of the broader corporate education reform agenda that is crippling public education in Connecticut and across the nation.
In this case, it is about trying to force children to take a test that will then be used to label those students and provide the state with faulty information to evaluate Connecticut’s teachers.
Parents should be aware of what is taking place and step up to ensure that our children areIMPORTANT - 11th Graders and their parents – Why my daughter will not be taking the CT State Mandated NEW SAT next week. - Wait What?: 
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North Carolina Latino Students Skipping School to Avoid ICE Agents : US News : Latin Post

North Carolina Latino Students Skipping School to Avoid ICE Agents : US News : Latin Post:

North Carolina Latino Students Skipping School to Avoid ICE Agents

Deportation rally
Rodrigo Hernandez, whose family is originally from Guatemala, attends a vigil with his family to protest against the deportation of undocumented immigrants on January 6, 2016 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo : Joe Raedle/Getty Images )


 Confused and frightened Latino students in North Carolina have started skipping school in hopes of avoiding roving immigration agents.

The deportation of Riverside High School senior Wilden Guillen-Acosta has left many of his classmates paralyzed with fear and several of his teachers worried about the general welfare of their students, ABC 11 reports.
Soon after the new year, 19-year-old Guillen-Acosta was taken into custody near his home by Immigration Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents and now is in the process of being deported to his native Honduras.

Fears Only Worsening 

In the wake of the incident and the chaos it has created within Riverside's walls, the Durham School Board quickly passed a resolution condemning ICE's actions. The board argues that responsible students like Guillen-Acosta should be off-limits from growing deportation raids and free to pursue their education.
As well-intended as the gesture may have been, the measure has not been enough to allay the fears of students who feel targeted. ACLU North Carolina policy council representative Susanna Birdsong doesn't see that changing anytime soon.
"One Spanish teacher shared she recently had eight of her 23 students absent from class," she told Latin Post. "Absent a stop to the raids altogether and assurances from ICE that such sensitive locations will remain safe for them, I don't see anything calming their fears."
According to Birdsong, even students who are not undocumented themselves are reacting to the situation with fear.
"Some of them are staying away from school and remaining at home because they have family members or friends who are undocumented and they fear returning home to find loved ones gone, taken away by agents," she added.
Guillen-Acosta's parents insist their son escaped to the U.S. to avoid the deadly gang violence that now grips his homeland. They fear he will be killed if forced to return.
Still, WRAL reports Hector Guillen was forced to look on in stunned silence as his son was taken away, paralyzed by the thought his other children might also be apprehended if he overly reacted in any way. The grief-stricken family is now keeping all of their other children at home and not allowing them to attend school for fear of another incident.
American Progress Managing Director Philip Wolgin explained attendance at some local schools could be down by as much as 20 percent since Guillen-Acosta was taken into custody.
"It's not just that," he told Latin Post. "There are reports of people not showing up for health clinic related services and other appointments that have to do with social services. Right now, there is just so much fear people are afraid to leave their homes for anything North Carolina Latino Students Skipping School to Avoid ICE Agents : US News : Latin Post:
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