California Department of Education

Attendance matters! 🙋♀️🙋♂️ September is #AttendanceAwarenessMonth, and the CDE encourages educators and families to speak with their students throughout the month about the importance of attending school consistently. Attend today to achieve tomorrow!

The Special Education Division of the CDE has partnered with WestEd to develop resources that support the ways students with disabilities (SWD) can demonstrate proficiency in their high school courses. By Summer 2025, the resources will be made available for use via the CDE CalTan website, so that educational communities will be able to adopt these resources to offer alternative means of expression for SWD to use when communicating proficiency in various courses as required for graduation. Add your contributions to the ongoing development of these resources by visiting the initiative webpage and sharing feedback via https://altmeans.org/

Teachers — State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and the CDE encourage you to review a grade 6 #ToolsforTeachers English Language Arts speaking and listening resource called “A Focus on Reasons and Evidence.” Teachers can use this resource to have students listen to a passage and then interpret how elaboration and evidence support the author's claim or idea. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/gRqYiSDt (account required)

Bringing Educators Together to Boost Test Scores in Literacy and Mathematics! Today, teams of educators representing hundreds of districts, schools, and county offices across the state of California joined State Superintendent Tony Thurmond for the Inaugural Convening of the Superintendent’s Cohort to Move the Needle on Test Scores. Participating educators heard from Superintendent Thurmond, State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond, California State Board, and Vallejo City Unified School District officials, and then had rich small-group discussions to determine local next steps to successfully move the needle on test scores. Educators also received information about accessing millions of dollars to train educators who want to become literacy coaches or reading specialists. California has always been a hub of innovation and discovery, and that’s why California’s educators are determined to accelerate statewide improvement in academic outcomes, holding high standards for all of our young people as we prepare them to become the leaders and entrepreneurs of the future.

Honoring Excellence in Civic Education! 🎉✨ We're proud to celebrate John F. Kennedy High School of the Anaheim Union High School Dst at today's Civic Learning Excellence Ceremony during #NationalHispanicHeritageMonth! This prestigious award, co-sponsored by State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, California’s first Latina Chief Justice, recognizes our public schools for their dedication to promoting civic education and fostering positive citizenship among students. AUSD is the first California district to have ALL 17 of its schools recognized with Civic Learning Awards! This remarkable accomplishment highlights the district's commitment to engaging students in becoming active, informed citizens through innovative and impactful civic learning programs. 

Congratulations to the 30 California schools that were announced today by State Superintendent Tony Thurmond as 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools! The prestigious award and renowned National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools that close achievement and opportunity gaps and where students achieve high learning standards. These recognized schools are among the state’s highest performing based on all student scores, subgroup student scores, and graduation rates. 🏫 🏅 👏 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gAKtt_e4

Get resources to support students’ mental health, become a Personnel Commissioner, and more in this week’s issue of CDE Today. To subscribe, visit https://lnkd.in/ggD8R8U7

Seeking Personnel Commissioners! The CDE, in partnership with the California School Personnel Commissioners Association (CSPCA), is offering a specialized training session to support, recruit and prepare newly appointed Personnel Commissioners to serve in this vital role. The training will take place on Thursday, September 26, 2024, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. via Zoom. Interested members of the community as well as prospective and newly appointed Personnel Commissioners are encouraged to participate in this comprehensive training. Register here: https:// https://lnkd.in/guTHge9G

Do you have mathematics teaching experience or a doctorate in mathematics or a related field? The CDE needs YOU! Volunteer your skills by serving as an Instructional Materials Reviewer or a Content Review Expert in the 2025 Mathematics Instructional Materials Adoption review process. Selected reviewers will receive a $100 stipend per day for four days of reviewer training to take place in April 2025 as well as four days of deliberations in July 2025. Participation in all days is required. Apply by Sept 24 to be considered: https://lnkd.in/gqTjDpip

Teachers— CDE encourages you to take a look at Shaping Solutions for Erosion Control, a Tools for Teachers grade 2 science instructional resource for Earth and Space Sciences. In this resource, students work together designing solutions to slow erosion and limit destructive changes to land near habitats and communities. Check it out: https://lnkd.in/gtv-hz2i (account required) About Tools for Teachers: Tools for Teachers is a digital collection of standards-aligned resources from Smarter Balanced and the CDE designed to support K–12 educators in their use of the formative assessment process during daily instruction. The website features educator-created lessons, activities, strategies, and professional learning opportunities to help teachers tailor instruction and boost learning in English language arts, math, and science.