Linked Learning Monthly Newsletter- July 2011

In this issue

· Alliance Update

· Linked Learning in our Schools

· Alliance Spotlight

· Event Spotlight

· Alliance Member Spotlight

· Policy Watch

· In the News

Upcoming events

National Academy Foundation

July 15-19

San Francisco

The Linked Learning Alliance is a statewide coalition of education, industry, and community organizations dedicated to improving California's high schools and preparing students for postsecondary education and career.

Have you visited www.linkedlearning.org?

Looking for up-to-date information on the Linked Learning Alliance? Head to www.linkedlearning.org to learn more about the Alliance, legislative issues related to the Linked Learning field, and keep informed on linked learning in the news.

Save the Date: October 12th, 2011

Mark your calendars and join us for the next full Alliance Convening to be held on October 12th, 2011 in Long Beach, CA. The convening will be held at The Grand, located just 1.5 miles away from the Long Beach airport. This convening will feature an opportunity to see Linked Learning in action. A special thanks to Long Beach Unified School District for agreeing to be our host as we take the convening on the road!

Linked Learning in Our Schools: ConnectEd

Check out ConnectEd's newest video: What is Linked Learning?
For more videos, head to www.connectedcalifornia.org

Alliance Spotlight:
America's Edge

See clips from a recent press conference held by LLA member America's Edge featuring the release of their report: Can California Compete? Reducing the Skills Gap and Creating a Skilled Workforce through Linked Learning

Event Spotlight: Stanford University's Summer Institute

In late June, nine district leadership teams from the California Linked Learning District Initiative headed to Stanford University for the annual Summer Institute. As part of the 2011-12 Leadership Development Series, the theme for this year's event was "Bringing a Design Mindset to Student Assessment." Teams of teachers worked with the Institute of Design (d.school) at Stanford University as well as an innovation team from Kaiser Permanente to apply human-centered design principles and change management strategies to their initial efforts in supporting pathways to implement authentic-performance-based assessment. Building on the expertise within their own teams as well as across the network, teams developed various strategies for moving this work forward. In addition, teams put this important work into the current state policy context through a conversation with Dr. Michael Kirst, President of the California Board of Education and Professor Emeritus of Education and Business Administration at Stanford University. For more information, please click here.

Alliance Member Spotlight: Alliance for a Better Community

The Alliance for a Better Community is a coalition of Latino leaders in Los Angeles that is working with the Linked Learning Alliance to help build awareness about Linked Learning among parents, administrators and students throughout high schools in Los Angeles. Along with conducting Linked Learning information sessions at local schools, the ABC team also regularly leads field trips to successful Linked Learning programs in San Diego and Palmdale, allowing groups of 50 to 75 parents and school administrators to see firsthand how Linked Learning is helping improve student performance. ABC is also participating in the implementation of Linked Learning in many L.A. Unified schools, helping teachers and parents get involved as their schools develop new work-based learning opportunities and introduce Linked Learning curricula. ABC authored The Bottom-Up Approach: How Youth & Parent Organizing Strengthen Linked Learning Pathways to Both College and Career in order to promote partnerships between schools and parents and students. ABC is also an evaluator for the Linked Learning Statewide Certification Review Team.

In addition, ABC's policy experts regularly meet with local school board members in Los Angeles and legislators in Sacramento to share success stories about Linked Learning - and to educate policy-makers about the benefits of expanding this approach across the LA region and the rest of California. To learn more about ABC, please visit http://www.afabc.org

In the News

School Network Readies Students for College and Career

By Catherine Gewertz, Education Week

With a program called Linked Learning, California educators show that academics and career and technical education don't have to be mutually exclusive

Click here to read the article.

Sacramento workers lack critical skills, study says

By Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee

The reason, according to a survey by national nonprofit business group America's Edge, is an ever-widening "skills gap" in Sacramento and statewide. Fewer and fewer workers have the technical and "soft" skills needed to compete in the marketplace, the group concludes.

Click here to read the article.

Porterville Pathways remains in spotlight

The Recorder

Porterville Unified School District's Pathways program was one of the success stories pointed out at a press conference highlighting Linked Learning last week in

Sacramento.

Click here to read the article.

Education Needs Remodeling, Not "Fixing"

Kristin Maschka, Huffington Post

Fast Company magazine published online an article on education reform How to Spend $100 Million to Really Save Education. An article I appreciate because it challenges the popular narrative around public education now such as "charter schools and strong MBA style leaders" are THE answer. That same week I spent two full days in Los Angeles with committed teams of District and school site leadership from nine of eleven California Districts in the middle of implementing major transformation of their high schools as part of the California Linked Learning District Initiative.

Click here to read the article.

Policy Watch

The Legislature and the Governor reached agreement on a final budget package, which was signed into law one day before the July 1 start of the new fiscal year. The final budget package included a trailer bill, AB 114, which includes provisions that will prevent districts from making additional layoffs to certificated staff over the summer and requires districts to maintain programs and staffing levels commensurate with last year's levels.

Education data advocates are pleased that the final budget agreement also included funding for the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS), but are disappointed that Governor Brown vetoed approximately $2.5 million in federal funds for the California Longitudinal Teacher Integrated Data Education System (CALTIDES), a statewide data system that would have compiled information on teacher training, placement, and effectiveness.

A bill which would establish a Linked Learning Methodology Pilot Program, AB 790, authored by Assembly member Warren Furutani, was passed on June 29 by the Senate Education Committee. The bill moves next to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

On June 30, Assembly member Furutani and Senator Loni Hancock held a joint hearing on workforce development and K-12 Career Education - for the 21st Century Workforce. Several members of the Linked Learning Alliance provided testimony to the committee, including Deanna Hanson of the National Academy Foundation, Charles Dayton of the Career Academy Support Network, and Don Daves-Rougeaux, representing the University of California Office of the President. Throughout the hearing the Linked Learning approach received strong support from members of the Legislature and witnesses. You can watch the hearing at http://www.calchannel.com.

www.linkedlearning.org