OCDE Education in the News

Friday, December 16, 2022

OCDE NEWSROOM

The California School Dashboard is back. Here’s what’s changed in 2022.

After a three-year hiatus, the California School Dashboard has returned. Considered the centerpiece of the state’s school accountability efforts, the dashboard is an online resource designed to show how well schools and districts are performing using easy-to-read visual indicators. On Thursday, the California Department of Education rolled out the latest version based on data from the 2021-22 school year.

https://newsroom.ocde.us/the-california-school-dashboard-is-back-heres-whats-changed-in-2022/

ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Pacifica High seniors ‘adopt’ 300 kindergartners for the holidays

Hundreds of Pacifica High seniors treated kindergartners to an early holiday during the school’s annual Adopt-A-Child event in Garden Grove on Wednesday. Teacher Leslie Ross said she first participated in the event when her senior class started the tradition in December 1987. Kindergarten students visiting from Clinton, Eisenhower, Hazard, Heritage, Simmons and Russell elementary schools were treated to performances followed by Santa Claus arriving in a golf cart.

https://www.ocregister.com/2022/12/14/pacifica-high-seniors-adopts-300-kindergartners-for-the-holidays/

CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

Capo Unified Community Discusses Anti-LGBTQ Bigotry, Sexually Explicit Books Following San Juan Hills Bomb Threat

As has been the case for some time, the last regular Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting for 2022 on Wednesday, Dec. 14, was essentially a battleground over cultural differences. Numerous students, parents and residents came out to discuss their perspective on a LGBTQ classroom library maintained by a San Juan Hills High School English teacher named Flint, who prefers to use that single name professionally and they/them pronouns.

https://www.thecapistranodispatch.com/capo-unified-community-discusses-anti-lgbtq-bigotry-sexually-explicit-books-following-san-juan-hills-bomb-threat

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

Conservative group files suit over Oakland measure allowing noncitizen voting in school board races

Opponents of a measure approved by Oakland voters to allow noncitizen parents to vote in school board elections filed suit Thursday, claiming it violates voting restrictions in the California Constitution, an argument endorsed earlier this year by a judge considering a similar measure in San Francisco.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Conservative-group-files-suit-over-Oakland-17657508.php

EDSOURCE

California’s early college high schools can improve dual enrollment diversity

Merging high schools and community college classes in areas with a high number of Latino, Black and low-income students is emerging as a way to overcome disparities in who gets to take dual enrollment courses. The schools, known as “early college” or “middle college” high schools, give students access to dual enrollment courses as early as middle school.

https://edsource.org/2022/californias-early-college-high-schools-can-improve-dual-enrollment-diversity/682855

Chronic absences rise to record levels in California, but so do graduation rates

Rates of chronically absent students in California in 2021-22 nearly tripled statewide from before the pandemic to record levels: 30% for kindergartners and the state overall, and 42.5% for Black students, the California Department of Education reported Thursday. After a year in remote learning, rates soared when schools reopened only to face surges in Covid, disrupting families while creating challenges for re-engaging many students. Among the most alarming rates were for kindergartners: 30% — almost double the pre-pandemic rate.

https://edsource.org/2022/chronic-absences-rise-to-record-levels-in-california-but-so-do-graduation-rates/682943

Teachers say much is uncertain as Los Angeles Unified's extra learning days near

In one of its largest efforts to get students back on track academically, Los Angeles Unified is offering students an optional two additional days of learning and catch-up over winter break next week. But teachers and families say they’re uncertain about how these days will unfold and whether the plan will really help students.

https://edsource.org/2022/teachers-say-much-is-uncertain-as-los-angeles-unifieds-extra-learning-days-near/682883

KPCC

California High School Graduation Rate Improves In Post-COVID Rebound

California's high school graduation rate rose in 2022, with 87% of last spring's senior class earning diplomas on-time, state officials announced Thursday. Statewide, the new graduation rate represents an increase of more than 3 percentage points over the prior year and follows a string of small declines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://laist.com/news/education/california-high-school-graduation-rate-improves-lausd-record

NPR

Sacramento art education group gets federal funding for violence prevention program

When their teacher collapsed in the classroom earlier this year, the second-grade students of Peter Burnett Elementary in Sacramento were left to deal with the trauma of his death. Andrea Safar stepped in as their teacher, and what she noticed was a diverse group of 7-year-olds supporting one another. “These kids take care of each other like I've never seen before,” said Safar. She says she attributes this behavior to an innovative arts education program offered by NorCal School of the Arts. It’s a program which utilizes theater, social and emotional learning, and, most recently, violence prevention.

https://www.capradio.org/articles/2022/12/15/sacramento-art-education-group-gets-federal-funding-for-violence-prevention-program/

HuffPost

Poll Shows 'Critical Race Theory' Attacks Flopped In Midterms

A new poll from the National Education Association found voters were more concerned about school shootings, funding and book bans than CRT.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/poll-critical-race-theory-midterms_n_639b5830e4b0aeb2ace1c201

OTHER NEWS OUTLETS

LAUSD reports record-high graduation rate for 2021-22

The Los Angeles Unified School District had an 86.1% four-year graduation rate in the 2021-22 school year, its highest-ever, the district announced Thursday. The rate marked a 4.5% increase from 2020 to 2021 and was up 7% from 2018 to 2019, according to the district.

https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/orange-county/education/2022/12/15/lausd-reports-record-high-graduation-rate-for-2021-22

LBUSD approves new contract with raises, bonuses for classified workers

The Long Beach Unified School District’s Board of Education unanimously approved a new contract with the district’s second-largest union Wednesday. The new agreement with the California School Employees Association’s Long Beach chapter includes a 4.5% raise as well as a 2.5% bonus, among other items, for employees in the union, which represents more than 2,100 non-teacher employees, ranging from nutrition workers to bus drivers to custodians and maintenance staff.

https://lbpost.com/news/education/lbusd-approves-new-contract-with-raises-bonuses-for-classified-workers

State analyst office recommends tweaks to California’s adult education funding

The LAO’s office calls for a complete overhaul of the current funding system that it says would cost the same as the existing program. For example, the LAO wants the state to set a uniform per-student rate for adult education providers rather than using different rates for adult schools and community college noncredit courses.

https://newspress.com/state-analyst-office-recommends-tweaks-to-californias-adult-education-funding/

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