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May 2009 Highlights

Message from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.

As a result of the recent special election, California’s state budget shortfall stands at roughly $24 billion, at last count. In his May Budget Revision, the Governor has proposed a slew of severe cuts to all public services, including education. He is now calling for $1.4 billion in cuts for this school year—yes the one ending in just a few weeks! To be followed by an additional $4 billion in cuts the next year. The Governor's proposal is a starting point for negotiations with the Legislature, and budget discussions between the Governor and Legislative leaders are getting underway.

As the ongoing budget negotiations are held, I will to continue to advocate for a budget solution that protects our top priority: our students, who are the future of California. Otherwise, the impact of these cuts will be felt deeply in every district in our state. I am gravely concerned about our collective ability to help improve student achievement if budget cuts force class sizes to increase, more teachers and staff to be laid off, and vital programs to be dismantled. While I know that superintendents, teachers, administrators, school staff, school board members, and parents will make valiant efforts to continue to focus on improving student achievement and closing the achievement gap, these devastating cuts would make your job exponentially harder, and jeopardize the progress we have seen over the past decade.

While I fully realize there are tough decisions ahead for the Governor and the Legislature, our students cannot be made the scapegoat for California's fiscal mess. Education is too important a part of California’s long-term economic recovery to suffer debilitating budget cuts.

The time is now to begin thinking differently and more openly about how we tackle this matter. One way is to closely examine the implementation of a majority vote budget, which will end budget standoffs and increase accountability for budget decisions. I also feel that it is time to lower the threshold required to pass parcel taxes—that is why I am in strong support of Senate Constitutional Amendment 6 by Senator Joe Simitian. This measure would make it easier for local communities to raise funds locally for schools. I argue it is only reasonable that if local school communities are going to be responsible for implementing the budget cuts approved by the Governor and Legislature, then local communities should have greater responsibility for determining revenue increases as well.

Even as we continue to grapple with this latest budget crisis, there is much more going on at the California Department of Education (CDE).

Earlier this month, I released the annual report on dropout and graduation rates for the 2007–08 school year. In 2007–08, 68.3 percent of public school students in California graduated, up from 67.7 percent last year. The adjusted four-year derived dropout rate for the same school year is 20.2 percent, down from 21.1 percent last year. I am heartened that the graduation rate is up slightly, but California’s dropout rate remains unacceptably high. These latest calculations provide even more evidence of the challenge and the moral imperative of closing the achievement gap as well as increasing graduation rates among all students. It is also important to note that this is the second year of calculating student graduation and dropout rates by collecting student-level enrollment and exit data. When two more years of student exit data are collected, the CDE will have the four years of data necessary to produce more accurate student graduation and dropout rates at the school level.

Speaking of using data to improve student achievement, in August, the highly anticipated California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) will be up and running. CALPADS is a comprehensive longitudinal data system that will greatly improve our education system’s ability to serve students. Using data is essential to improving student achievement and helping individual students to succeed. With CALPADS, for the first time, the entire public kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) system in the nation’s largest state will be engaged in tracking individual student achievement, dropout rates, course completion, and program enrollment information. Most importantly, schools and districts will have real-time access to this information so that it may be used to evaluate and improve services to individual students. This major undertaking will require a new focus on data collection and changes in the way schools maintain student data over time. With the commitment of all California public schools to make this a successful transition, California students will benefit now and in the future. (For more information see the The Clock is Ticking: Countdown to CALPADS section.)

Finally, May’s Highlights would not be complete without mentioning that on May 29 I had the great pleasure of presiding over the annual California Distinguished School Awards Ceremony at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. The education community came together to honor the 254 exemplary California middle and high schools selected as 2009 California Distinguished Schools as well as six high schools recognized for their exemplary Career Technical Education programs. As always, the Distinguished Schools Awards Ceremony was a fantastic event that highlighted great things happening in California’s classrooms. I am pleased to share that this year, the Distinguished Schools selection process required applicants to provide an in-depth description of two "signature" practices they have implemented that are directly related to the success of their students. Information about these successful signature practices will be shared on the CDE Web site and other venues, including an upcoming interactive Web tool for educators called the Brokers of Expertise that will become operational later this year.

Honoring Teachers

This month we are honoring Carol Shaw, a 2008–09 Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year and finalist for 2009 California Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Shaw has taught for 25 years, including the last 10 years at El Portal Elementary School in La Habra where she is a second-grade teacher.

Mrs. Shaw invites everyone to reconnect with the classroom. “Come see first hand what is happening in our schools and then work with us to ensure that what we are doing will help each individual student reach her potential,” she wrote in her California Teacher of the Year application. “If we as a society value education, then we must work together long term. Our responsibility does not end when our children grow up and leave school. It is a lifetime commitment.”

And for this remarkable teacher, her profession is just that. “Even after many years of teaching, I have a sense of excited anticipation when I enter my classroom each day. There is nothing as magical as the light in students’ eyes when they discover something new about themselves and their world. To be a partner in that discovery process brings a joy to my life that is truly larger than words.”

Mrs. Shaw has many ways of reaching her students, no matter their academic level or their language or their apprehension. “Mrs. Shaw knows what each student needs and she provides every child with the appropriate learning opportunities,” wrote Linda Takacs, her former principal at El Portal Elementary. “The love she has for her students is obvious. Her face lights up when she talks about her students, past and present. Students smile when they learn they are in her class.”

Her route into the teaching profession was more circuitous than most, she says, even though she comes from a family of educators. Education, she strongly believes, is fundamental to our democracy. “Excellence in education is born of shared experiences and common goals of the school and larger community. The days when learning was confined within four classroom walls are long gone. If we are to equip our children with the tools they need to create the world they—and we—envision, we must all work together to help them be successful.”

Mrs. Shaw earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish with high honors with a minor in Latin American Studies at Whittier College; studied Spanish as part of a graduate program at California State University, Long Beach; and earned a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with an emphasis in Linguistic and Cultural Diversity at National University.

The Clock is Ticking: Countdown to CALPADS

In August, California public schools will make an important transition in how we collect and report student level data. The long-awaited California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) will go online statewide. This will greatly improve our education system’s ability to serve our students because for the first time, the entire public kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) system in the nation’s largest state will be engaged in tracking individual student achievement, dropout rates, course completion and program enrollment information. And most important, schools and school districts will have real-time access to this information so that it may be used to evaluate and improve services to individual students.

The CDE will provide ongoing updates regarding the Countdown to CALPADS implementation so stay tuned. In the meantime, you can find information about CALPADS on the California Department of Education CALPADS Web page.

If you have any questions regarding CALPADS, please contact Keric Ashley, Director, Data Management Division, by phone at 916-323-5007 or by e-mail at kashley@cde.ca.gov.

Reduction in State Meal Reimbursement

The California Department of Education (CDE) has confirmed that the State Meal reimbursement appropriation for fiscal year 2008–09 of $125.7 million is insufficient to support California’s meal reimbursement rates for eligible meals served through the School Nutrition Programs. Provision 6 of the 2008–09 Budget Act directs the CDE to reimburse claims at a prorated share of the appropriated funds in the event that the appropriation is insufficient. Since the insufficiency is substantial, we are notifying Proposition 98 Agencies that the State Meal reimbursement rate will be greatly reduced for the claiming months of May 2009 and June 2009.

The CDE sent a letter to School Nutrition Program sponsors by listserv on May 15, 2009, providing this information related to the reduction in State Meal reimbursement.

This will affect Proposition 98 Agencies (Public School Districts, Charter Schools, and County Offices of Education) as follows:

We fully understand this decrease in State Meal reimbursement negatively impacts your school nutrition programs and we are very sympathetic. But the reality is that State Meal funding will run out of money soon. Please be assured that the CDE is taking this funding shortfall very seriously and continues to advocate for additional funding. We encourage you to do the same.

If you have any questions regarding the reduction in State Meal reimbursement issues, please contact Shawneen Coriloni, Manager, Child Nutrition Fiscal Services, by phone at 916-322-4311 or by e-mail at scoriloni@cde.ca.gov, or Phyllis Savage, Manager, Child Development and Child Nutrition Fiscal Services, by phone at 916-322-8326 or by e-mail at psavage@cde.ca.gov.

Ensuring California School Children Do Not Go Hungry During Summer

Districts have the responsibility of ensuring that low-income students have access to nutritious meals during the school year. However, when school is out during the long summer recess, children can miss out on access to these well-balanced and nutritious meals that are important to their growth and development. More than three million low-income students in California participate in the National School Lunch Program every day, and more children are enrolling as the economy worsens. Yet, last summer, only 575,000 low-income children ate a federally funded summer meal in July.

Please take a small, but important, step to ensure that low-income students have access to nutritious summer meals, so they can return to school in the fall healthy and ready to learn.

What can you do to help? If your district is participating in either of the summer meal programs (Summer Food Service Program or Seamless Summer Feeding Option), ensure that every student in the district is aware of:

For those not operating a summer meal program, please contact the local agencies in your community that are providing this necessary service to your students, and obtain the necessary information about what sites are available within your district. The California Department of Education (CDE) will update its interactive map that will list all of the participating sponsors of the summer meal program by June 12, 2009. You can find the map on the CDE Food Programs Web page . The site will be updated to provide site specific information around June 17, 2009. In the mean time, you may contact any one of the summer program staff to request list of sponsors in your county by using our toll free number at 800-925-5609.

Please help us get the word out to families as soon as possible to guarantee that every child leaves school in June (or at the end of summer school) knowing where and when a summer lunch is available. This is especially important in school districts that expect to have fewer or truncated summer school sessions this coming summer.

Your leadership and collaboration is essential to ensuring that our low-income students and their siblings have access to nutritious meals during the summer, especially during these extraordinary times of economic hardship.

If you have any questions regarding the Summer Food Service Program, please contact Melissa Garza, Summer Food Program Specialist, Community Nutrition Programs Unit, by phone at 916-322-5885 or by e-mail at mgarza@cde.ca.gov.

Free Parental Notification Templates Available to Ease Budget Woes

As the traditional school year winds down, schools are faced with grim prospects for adequate funding. How can we maintain effective communication with linguistically diverse parents, while struggling with shortages and cutbacks?

Many of you are already familiar with the California Department of Education (CDE) Clearinghouse for Multilingual Documents (CMD), which provides, at no cost, translated templates for parental notifications. The CMD is a money-saving, labor-reducing resource that can help schools maintain effective communication with parents.

The CMD makes available to districts and schools more than 5,000 translated documents in up to 29 languages! The translations range from accountability and assessment notifications to ones for health and special programs. Districts and county offices can download the translations, place them on letterhead, and modify them to suit local needs.

Only registered users of the CMD have complete access to the CMD database, including contact information regarding each translation. Registered users also receive periodic updates as new translations become available.

Registration is free of charge. Is your district or county office registered for the CMD? A list of registered districts is located on the CDE CMD Web page. Select "list of registered educational agencies, then select the “-All-“ option in the “Results per page” prompt at the bottom of the Web page for a full list of agencies.

If your agency would like to register or you have questions regarding the translations, please contact the CMD by e-mail at cmd@cde.ca.gov. If you would like to suggest a notification be made available, please contact Rod Atkinson, Education Programs Consultant, Specialized Media and Translation Office, by phone at 916-445-6109.

To gain an idea of the CMD project's scope and accomplishments to date, please visit the CDE Categorized List of Notification Translations Web page .

The following translations are now available:

Assessment and Statewide Testing-Note: Typically the Spanish translations for assessment documents are provided by the CDE Standards and Assessment Division, not the CMD. The CMD provides other language versions. If you have any questions regarding the Spanish translations, or about tests and testing policy, please contact the Standards and Assessment Division by phone at 916-445-9441.

Located on the CDE Notifying Parents and Guardians (CAHSEE) Web page:

Located on the CDE CELDT Resources Web page:

Located on the CDE PFT Additional Resources Web page:

Located on the CDE English Learner Forms Web page:

Results of Color Vision Test

Parent Service Announcements

Enclosure for Letter Regarding California Direct Connect

The following translations will be available soon:

Support Available for Families of Infants and Toddlers Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

The California Department of Education is pleased to announce the establishment of the Parent Links (Hope! Dream! Achieve!), a program that began operating January 1, 2009. Parent Links was established to ensure that every family of an infant identified as deaf or hard of hearing through the California Newborn Hearing Screening Program (NHSP) receives appropriate and comprehensive parent-to-parent support from another parent of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing.

Parent-to-parent support for families of infants who are deaf or hard of hearing is critical. The field of education for children who are deaf or hard of hearing has long been characterized by differing views among professionals about language and communication options. Parents may find themselves caught between professionals with different philosophies about how to best raise a child who is deaf or hard of hearing. Some professionals will argue that children who are deaf or hard of hearing should learn only to speak and rely on the ability to hear using hearing aids or cochlear implants. Many others argue that children who are deaf or hard of hearing should be taught American Sign Language as well. Another parent who has been faced with this situation in the past may well be the best prepared person to assist new parents in the process of making decisions about the language and communication options available to them.

The Parent Links program is being hosted at three Individuals with Disabilities Education Act-funded family resource centers:

An objective of the Parent Links (Hope! Dream! Achieve!) program is to provide training and resources to all family resource centers in California, so that comprehensive, unbiased parent-to-parent support can be implemented within each center. Parent Links is generously funded by a Maternal and Child Health Bureau Universal Newborn Hearing Screening grant. The Parent Links name and materials are being used with special permission from the California Coalition of Agencies serving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

If you have any questions regarding the Parent Links program, please contact Nancy Grosz Sager, Special Education Consultant, State Special Schools and Services Division, by phone at 916-327-3868 (voice), by video phone at 916-993-3023 (video phone), or by e-mail at nsager@cde.ca.gov.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Facilities Matrix

A matrix has been developed by the California Department of Education (CDE), School Facilities Planning Division that outlines the potential uses of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding for school facilities and energy efficiency. The matrix can be viewed on the CDE ARRA Facilities & Energy Funding Opportunities Web page.

Qualified Zone Academy Bond Program Applications Being Accepted

The Qualified Zone Academy Bond (QZAB) program has been re-authorized for 2008 and 2009. Applications are available on the California Department of Education QZAB Web page.

The QZAB is a tax credit program that allows districts to apply for authorization to issue bonds that may be used for renovating school buildings, purchasing equipment, developing curricula, and/or training school personnel. The program has proven to be an efficient and cost-effective way to help disadvantaged communities address pressing school renovation and repair needs.

If you have any questions regarding QZAB, please contact Shannon Farrell-Hart, Education Fiscal Services Consultant, School Facilities Planning Division, by phone at 916-323-3923 or by e-mail at sfarrell@cde.ca.gov.

Third Funding Round for Career Technical Education Facilities Program

The application for the third round of the Career Technical Education (CTE) Facilities Program is now available on the California Department of Education CTE Facilities Program Web page.

Local educational agencies (LEAs) interested in obtaining third round CTE funding must submit a revised application to the CDE by September 18, 2009. The applications will be reviewed and scored based on the requirements contained in the application guidelines. Applications meeting the minimum score requirement, as outlined in the rubrics, will be forwarded to the Office of Public School Construction for priority and ranking.

In 2006, voters passed Proposition 1D which provides $500 million for the construction of new CTE facilities, the modernization of existing CTE facilities as well as CTE-related equipment. Currently, there is $82.8 million available for this round of funding.

If you have any questions regarding the third round of the CTE Facilities Program, please contact John Gordon, Assistant Field Representative, School Facilities Planning Division, by phone at 916-323-0575 or by e-mail at jgordon@cde.ca.gov.

School Facilities Planning Offers Webinars on Plan Summary Document

The School Facilities Planning Division (SFPD) is providing Webinars on June 9, 2009, and June 16, 2009, to present the Plan Summary Form that will be required with school construction applications submitted to the SFPD starting July 1, 2009.

To register for the June 9, 2009, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Webinar, please visit the Breeze Meeting SFPD New CDE Process Meeting 6-9 Web page (Outside Source). No login or password is necessary. Enter as a guest.

To register for the June 16, 2009, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Webinar, please visit the Breeze Meeting SFPD New CDE Process Meeting 6-16 Web page (Outside Source). No login or password is necessary. Enter as a guest.

You can find additional information on the Webinars and other items of similar interest on the California Department of Education School Facility What's New Web page. You can also contact Fred Yeager, Assistant Director, School Facilities Planning Division, by phone at 916-322-2470 or by e-mail at fyeager@cde.ca.gov.

Special Education Transportation Class Coming Up

In response to the growing need for information within the School Pupil Transportation Industry, the California Department of Education (CDE) Office of School Transportation (OST) is offering the third and last class of the year on June 18 and 19, 2009, on Transporting Children with Special Needs.

The class, conducted by OST staff, covers a wide variety of information that is critical to the safe transportation of special education students. Some of the topics discussed include: proper wheelchair securement, behavior management, and “hands on” sensitivity training. Instruction is conducted on the grounds of the California Highway Patrol Academy, located at 3500 Reed Avenue, West Sacramento.

You can find information about the training on the CDE Transportation Web page. You can also contact John Green, Supervisor, Office of School Transportation, by phone at 916-375-7100 or by e-mail jgreen@cde.ca.gov.

Educational Interpreter Regulations

The State Board of Education has amended two sections of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, sections 3051.16 and 3065, to ensure that interpreters for pupils who are deaf or hard of hearing meet state-approved or state-recognized requirements for certification, licensing, and registration or other comparable requirements.

The regulations specify that by July 1, 2009, and thereafter, an educational interpreter shall be certified by the national Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), or equivalent; in lieu of RID certification or equivalent, an educational interpreter must have achieved a score of 4.0 or above on the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA), the Educational Sign Skills Evaluation-Interpreter and Receptive (ESSE-I/R), or the National Association of the Deaf/American Consortium of Certified Interpreters (NAD/ACCI) assessment. If providing Cued Language transliteration, a transliterator shall possess TECUnit certification, or have achieved a score of 4.0 or above on the EIPA - Cued Speech.

The regulations further define an "educational interpreter" as any person who provides communication facilitation between students who are deaf or hard of hearing, and others, in the general education classroom and for other school related activities, including extracurricular activities, as designated in a student's Individualized Educational Program.

All educational interpreters, whether employed by a local educational agency (LEA) or hired by contract with an outside agency, must meet these qualification standards. The 30th edition of the California Special Education Programs Composite of Laws does not contain these new changes. However, the amended Title 5 sections have been updated and are available on the CDE Laws & Regulations: A Composite of Laws Database Search Engine Web page (Outside Source).

SELPA and SEACO Directors are responsible for notifying all pertinent district staff of this change to the California Code of Regulations.

If you have any questions regarding the educational interpreter regulations, please contact Nancy Grosz Sager, Special Education Consultant, State Special Schools and Services Division, by phone at 916-327-3868 (voice), by video phone at 916-993-3023 (video phone), or by e-mail at nsager@cde.ca.gov.

Focusing on Improving Health and Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks

As the first step in the revision of California curriculum frameworks, the California Department of Education (CDE) conducts focus groups of educators to receive input on ways to improve the existing frameworks. In April and May the CDE conducted focus groups for both the Health Framework for California Public Schools (Health Framework) and the Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools (Mathematics Framework). Four focus groups were held in various locations throughout the state for each framework. The input from the focus groups will be considered by the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission and the State Board of Education (SBE) as they establish guidelines for the revision of each framework. The entire process for revising a framework takes approximately two years.

Focus groups for the update of the Mathematics Framework were held at the Tehama and Alameda County Offices of Education in northern California and at the Santa Barbara and San Diego County Offices of Education in Southern California. Educators in three additional locations were able to observe the Tehama focus group and give their comments via videoconferencing. These locations included the Lake, Fresno, and Riverside County Offices of Education. You can find information about the Mathematics Framework update on the CDE Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks Web page.

The Health Framework will undergo a major revision to align with the recently adopted Health Education Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. The Health Education Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve Web document is located on the SBE Content Standards Web page.

Focus groups of teachers and school nurses were held at the Ventura and Merced County Offices of Education, the CDE, and the Los Angeles Unified School District. You can find Information about the revision of the Health Framework on the CDE Health Curriculum Frameworks Web page.

If you have any questions regarding improving the Health and Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks , please contact Deborah Franklin, Education Programs Consultant, Curriculum Frameworks Unit, by phone at 916-319-0442 or by e-mail at dfrankli@cde.ca.gov.

21st CCLC Readers’ Conference and Awards

The Learning Support and Partnerships Division After School Programs Office (ASPO) in the recently held a competition for new 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grants for elementary, middle, and high schools. Funding for new grants was divided into $16 million for elementary/middle schools and $20 million for high schools, based on criteria stipulated in California Education Code.

The California Department of Education (CDE) prioritized funding for successful applicants per the criteria included in the Request for Applications. Priority is given to elementary/middle schools with schools in Program Improvement (PI) and schools not currently receiving funding for before and after school programs. Priority is given to high schools whose recent score on the Academic Performance Index ranks the school in the lowest three deciles, schools in PI, and applicants requesting to replace expiring 21st CCLC high school grants that have satisfactorily met their projected program goals.

At the 21st CCLC Readers’ Conference held March 16–20, 2009, in Sacramento, application readers from across the state received training and evaluated nearly 250 applications for elementary/middle schools and 100 applications for high schools. The ASPO received many well-written applications, however, with more than $140 million dollars in requests for elementary/middle school programs and $43 million in requests for high school programs, competition for 21st CCLC grants was extreme.

On May 15, 2009, the CDE released proposed funding results. The initial list of potential awardees included 93 elementary/middle schools from 38 agencies and 72 high schools from 45 applicant agencies. Once data are verified and appeals are decided, it is anticipated the final list will be posted on the CDE Web site by June 30, 2009.

If you have any questions regarding the 21st CCLC Readers Conference and awards, please contact the After School Programs Office by phone at 916-319-0923 or by e-mail afterschool@cde.ca.gov.

New Resource for Pupil Guidance and Coordinated Community Services

The dropout rate in California is unacceptably high, especially among African American and Hispanic students. To reduce the number of dropouts by promoting best practices in systems of student support and coordinated community services, the State School Attendance Review Board (State SARB) developed a new SARB Handbook. You can download the School Attendance Review Board Handbook: A Roadmap for Improving School Attendance and Behavior Web document from the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Web page (Outside Source).

The SARB process was established by the Legislature to develop new ways of coordinating school, community, and home efforts to deal with pupil attendance and behavior problems that lead to students dropping out of high school before graduation. The SARB Handbook was established to assist the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in preparing and disseminating best practices to school districts and county superintendents of schools. The 2009 edition of the SARB Handbook is a valuable tool in garnering the support many students need to stay in school and prepare for their futures. Successful SARB programs are encouraged to apply to the Model SARB Recognition Program.

If you have any questions regarding the SARB Handbook, please contact David Kopperud, Education Programs Consultant, Counseling, Student Support, and Service Learning Office, by phone at 916-323-1028 or by e-mail at dkopperud@cde.ca.gov.

Manteca Unified Awarded Gold with the Healthier US School Challenge

The Manteca Unified School District is the first district in California to apply for and receive a Gold Award Certification for seven of its schools as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Healthier U.S. School Challenge (HUSSC) award program.

Concerns regarding childhood obesity led to the development of the Healthier U.S. School Challenge award program to honor schools that are taking leadership roles in helping students learn to make healthy eating and physical activity choices.

The seven Gold School awardees were honored at a HUSSC press event held on May 13, 2009, at Lathrop Elementary School. The event included a student assembly, a farmer’s market, and formal recognition by USDA Deputy Under Secretary of Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, Dr. Janey Thornton.

The other six schools and their principals earning an award are:

  1. Lathrop Elementary School Annex, David L. Silveira
  2. Joshua Cowell Elementary, Harriet Myrick
  3. Golden West Elementary, Sherie Gates
  4. French Camp Elementary, Joann Balestreri
  5. Stella Brockman Elementary, Diane Mediros
  6. Joseph Widmer, Jr. Elementary, Susan Turner-Kelley

The Healthier U.S. Schools can receive a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Gold Award of Distinction based on new criteria established in 2009. Schools that successfully meet the Challenge receive a recognition plaque, are listed on USDA’s Team Nutrition Web site, and may be chosen for a special media event. The certification lasts for two school years. Applicants must:

You can find information regarding the HUSSC on the USDA Team Nutrition Web site (Outside Source). (Keyword, “Healthy Schools”). You can also contact Elizabeth Moreno, Nutrition Education Consultant, Education Nutrition and Policy Unit, by phone at 916-324-9749 or by e-mail at emoreno@cde.ca.gov.

Adult Basic Education Initiative Kickoff Launched

At the end of May, the California Department of Education (CDE) Adult Education Office launched its 2009 Adult Basic Education (ABE) Initiative Kickoff. Twenty-seven agencies are committed to at least one of the following five ABE Initiative goals: improving student learning outcomes, transitions, classroom instruction, support, and enrollment.

Each agency's ABE program will be provided targeted technical assistance, customized data and analysis, research-based study circles, starter tools and other professional development activities. Additionally, they will have access to state of the art ABE specific curricula and instructional resources. It should be noted that this ABE Initiative application process did not involve additional funding.

This effort, among other adult education activities, contributes to closing the California’s achievement gap and contributes to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell's P-16 Council efforts. Adult Education addresses the four factors inhibiting successful learning for our students: (1) Access, (2) Expectations, (3) Culture & Climate, as well as (4) Strategies.

If you have any questions regarding the ABE Initiative Kickoff, please contact Vicki Prater, Education Programs Consultant, Adult Education Office, by phone at 916-324-4935 or by e-mail at vprater@cde.ca.gov.

CalSTRS Moves on Up to the Westside

The California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) will be moving to its new headquarters in West Sacramento on June 22, 2009. The new CalSTRS physical address will be:

CalSTRS
100 Waterfront Place
West Sacramento, CA 95605

While CalSTRS will have a new physical address, its mailing address and toll-free telephone number will not change. The best way to contact CalSTRS will still be by telephone or mail at:

CalSTRS
P.O. Box 15275
Sacramento, CA 95851-0275
800-228-5453

You can find information about CalSTRS, including a Contact Us link, on the CalSTRS Web site (Outside Source).

Questions:  Executive Office |916-319-0800
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