Professional development opportunities were discussed at the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence’s governing board meeting on Feb. 2.

Staff updated the board on the Learning Acceleration System Grant, which is meant to promote rapid improvement in student knowledge and skills following the pandemic, and provide related professional learning opportunities and resources for educators.

There are three projects led by county offices of education that were funded by the grant. The California Collaborative for Learning Acceleration (CCLA) is led by Santa Clara County Office of Education and focuses on math, literacy and language development; the California Literacy Elevation by Accelerating Learning (Project CLEAR) focuses on literacy and language development and is led by San Diego COE; and the Rural Math Collaborative is led by Lake COE.

CCLA launched its online, asynchronous professional learning modules covering multiple content areas in January and February and held its inaugural summit on March 11.

Project CLEAR provides grant-funded graduate coursework for teachers and offers educators the chance to participate in professional learning in two categories — teacher leaders and teachers.

Beginning this fall, the Rural Math Collaborative will provide free online, asynchronous professional learning modules on Multi-Tiered System of Supports structures and universal design for learning, as well as coaching, lesson study, and instructional strategies and concepts from the California Mathematics Framework.

The board also received a presentation on University of California, Berkeley’s 21st Century School Leadership Academy, which provides professional learning and support to teachers and school site and district leaders to create more equitable learning environments.

Navo said priorities for 2023–24 include tracking the spring legislative season to have a good sense of what’s coming by the May Budget Revise. In June, July and August, staff will engage with LEAs and partners and gather input on what’s working, what isn’t and what support they need to reach Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) goals. That information will shape the agency’s additional work and priorities. In August, staff will share what they’ve learned with the board to affirm their direction.

• Cynthia Glover Woods, vice president of the State Board of Education, and Paul Gothold, San Diego County superintendent, were sworn in as the governing board’s newest members. They fill vacancies left by Sue Burr and LK Monroe, who retired from their positions in December. Glover Woods was named CCEE’s 2023 board chair and Tim Sbranti will continue as vice-chair.
• Board members were presented a draft version of the direct technical assistance referral process for LEAs that have been referred to the CCEE for assistance in accomplishing goals set forth in their LCAPs. Currently, 604 LEAs are eligible for differentiated assistance. The presentation mapped out the potential process around the first two methods of referral, which either result in receiving direct support led by CCEE in partnership with the COE and geographic lead or deferring the CCEE referral, creating a plan of support and having the COE or geographic lead take the lead role using their resources with CCEE as a partner.