Legislative Authorization
The Equity Leads were established in 2023 under Senate Bill 114, Section 79 (Chapter 48 of the Statutes of 2023) as a key lead initiative in California’s Statewide System of Support (SSOS) with a $2 million annual investment. Please see the System of Support web page for more information about lead agencies and initiatives.
Purpose
Equity Leads will partner with local educational agencies (LEAs) to identify barriers and opportunities and implement actions and services to meet the identified needs of all pupils by addressing racial disparities in opportunities and academic outcomes. Equity Lead partners will identify existing resources (including support for educator preparation, recruitment, retention, and professional development) and monitor the impact of the implementation of local control and accountability plan (LCAP) goals. Equity Leads will prioritize support to schools receiving Equity Multiplier Funding.
The Los Angeles County Office of Education in partnership with the University of California, Los Angeles, Center for the Transformation of Schools, will bring its researched backed framework, Supporting the African American Learner
, to support all learners. The framework will provide LEAs with relevant research, resources, mindsets, and practices to enable them to make a significant impact on the outcomes of our most vulnerable learners.
The three designated Equity Leads will work collaboratively to provide statewide support for LEAs throughout California. Equity Leads will also support LEAs with implementing the above framework and provide expertise to build the capacity of LEAs to effectively provide support to schools by:
- Working collaboratively with the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, the California Department of Education, and other lead agencies in the SSOS to advance the purpose of the SSOS
.
- Actively partnering with other subject matter experts across the state, including, but not limited to, the Community Engagement Initiative, 21st Century California School Leadership Academy, California Community Schools Partnership Program Regional Technical Assistance Center, Local Literacy Lead Agencies, and Statewide System of Support for Expanded Learning.
- Developing and disseminating resources on effective practices for analyzing programs, identifying barriers and opportunities, and implementing actions and services to meet the identified needs of all pupils, including by addressing racial disparities.
- Understanding the LCAP and how to use the LCAP for strategic planning.
- Understanding the history of racial inequities in California, including, but not limited to, past policies related to segregation, immigration, education, and public safety and incarceration, and how it currently impacts pupils in California.
- Supporting the work of LEAs, prioritizing those with schools receiving Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) Equity Multiplier funding pursuant to Section 42238.024, in developing and implementing programs and supports that address racial disparities in opportunities and academic outcomes.
- Identifying existing resources, including support for educator preparation; recruitment, retention, and professional development activities; instructional coaching; and other efforts currently available to address disparities, including racial disparities, in pupil outcomes, and sharing these resources with LEAs, prioritizing those receiving LCFF Equity Multiplier funding pursuant to Section 42238.024.
-
Monitoring the impact of the implementation of LCAP goals and reporting on the best practices developed and outcomes.
| Funding Year | 2023-24 Award Year | 2024-25 Award Year | 2025-26 Award Year | 2026-27 Award Year | 2027-28 Award Year | 2028-29 Award Year | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023-24 |
$0 |
$2,000,000 |
- | - | - | - | $2,000,000 |
2024-25 |
- |
$500,000 |
$1,000,000 | $500,000 | - | - | $2,000,000 |
2025-26 |
- |
- |
$1,500,000 | $500,000 | - | - | $2,000,000 |
| 2026-27 | - | - | - | $1,500,000 | $500,000 | - | $2,000,000 |
| 2027-28 | - | - | - | - | $2,000,000 | - | $2,000,000 |
| 2028-29 | - | - | - | - | - | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Total Program Funding | - | $2,500,000 | $2,500,000 | $2,500,000 | $2,500,000 | $2,000,000 | $12,000,000 |
Funding Description
Each Equity Lead has been selected for a five-year term ending no later than June 30, 2029. Awards are based on each agency’s capacity for leading this initiative and statewide implementation. The 2-million-dollar annual investment began in Fiscal Year 2023-24, but Equity Leads were not selected until 2024-25. Therefore, the annual award for each Equity Lead will be a combination of multiple funding years beginning with the 2023-24 dollars that were rolled over and allocated to COEs in 2024-25. Year 1–Year 4 of the Equity Lead grant will allocate 2.5 million dollars annually, and Year 5 will allocate the remaining 2-million-dollar annual investment. Please review the Equity Lead grant funding tables below for additional information on funding and the details on year-by-year funding. See the California Lead Agency Program Funding Results pages by fiscal year for 2023–24, 2024–25, and 2025–26.
Equity Lead Agencies Awards by Year of Grant
| Equity Lead Agency | Award Year 1 2024-25 |
Award Year 2 2025-26 |
Award Year 3 2026-27 |
Award Year 4 2027-28 |
Award Year 5 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kings County Office of Education |
$500,000 |
$625,000 |
$625,000 |
$625,000 |
$500,000 |
Los Angeles County Office of Education |
$1,500,000 |
$1,250,000 |
$1,250,000 |
$1,250,000 |
$1,000,000 |
Sonoma County Office of Education |
$500,000 |
$625,000 |
$625,000 |
$625,000 |
$500,000 |
Contact Information
| Equity Lead Agency | Director Contact Information | Web Page |
|---|---|---|
Kings County Office of Education |
Jessica Womack jessica.womack@kingscoe.org |
|
Los Angeles County Office of Education |
Dr. Tyisha Noise |
|
Sonoma County Office of Education |