Teachers team up to collaborate on county-wide Common Core implementation
For the last two and a half years, the SCCOE's Curriculum and Instruction department has been laying the foundation for the introduction of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in Santa Clara County schools. Twenty-seven districts and over 450 teachers and administrators have had the opportunity to work collaboratively with their peers to put the CCSS into practice as part of the department's Curriculum Leadership Council (CLC).
Focusing on awareness of the upcoming transition to the new standards in its first two years, the council worked to build the necessary leadership capacity to apply the CCSS and shared best practices to support rigorous instruction.
CLC moved on to implementation efforts in year three. Teachers created CCSS core maps in both ELA/literacy and mathematics in order to synthesize the standards clearly for use by their peers. These maps are available to all 27 partnering CLC districts.
Subsequently, at this summer's CLC institute, teachers worked cooperatively on instructional units and the improvement of assessments in small teams arranged according to content area and grade level. Integrated units designed by each team focused on CCSS literacy standards, English Language Development (ELD) standards and 21st century skills. The units created, along with resources collected during work sessions, can be accessed by all partnering districts to support the establishment of individualized lesson plans at each of their schools.
CLC is designed to build capacity in both teacher leaders and school administrators by providing technical assistance that supports comprehensive district implementation of the CCSS. Staff in the program receive a total of seven days of training each year and are provided with an additional four days of technical assistance as needed.
A CLC showcase will be hosted by Curriculum and Instruction on May 8, 2014 to highlight the collective work of the participating districts and teacher leaders.
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Board approves budget, new mission and goals for the SCCOE
Here's a summary of actions taken by the Board at its June 19, Aug. 7 and Aug. 21 meetings:
- Adopted the 2013-14 COE Annual Budget
- Heard reports from two county-authorized charter schools, Summit Public School: Tahoma and Downtown College Prep - Alum Rock
- Recognized research analyst Hazel De Ausen, as Employee of the Month for June
- Adopted a new mission statement and three-year goals for the SCCOE
- Adopted a resolution in support of a "Strong Start in Early Learning for All in Santa Clara County"
The Board of Education is the elected governing body of the SCCOE. Its seven members serve four-year terms and are elected by different regions of the county. Learn more about the members, and view their meeting schedule, agendas and minutes.
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SCCOE honors county Teachers of the Year and TI STEM Teaching Award winners
The SCCOE is proud to announce Santa Clara County's 2013 Teachers of the Year, along with
the recipients of the 2013 Texas Instruments
STEM Teaching Awards.
These 36 accomplished educators will be recognized at the 44th annual Teacher Recognition Celebration on Sept. 26 at the Heritage Theatre in Campbell.
The full list of honorees can be viewed here.
Districts selected Teacher of the Year honorees based on classroom skill, dedication to student success and commitment to life-long learning.
Now in its second year, the TI STEM Teaching Awards honor five outstanding teachers in grades seven through 12 for their excellence in instruction in the subjects of science, technology, engineering and math. The STEM Teaching Awards were created in 2012 to acknowledge the growing emphasis placed on preparing students for the global, high-tech workforce.
The Teacher Recognition Celebration is the oldest and largest event of its kind in California. Co-sponsored by Texas Instruments and the Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union, the event receives additional support from the San Jose Mercury News, the Sixth District PTA and the Santa Clara County School Boards Association.
Visit the Teacher Recognition Celebration webpage to learn more about the event's history, view videos and photographs of previous ceremonies and get to know past teacher honorees.
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Alternative Education schools receive WASC accreditation
In June, the SCCOE's Alternative Education schools (AED) received accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
WASC accreditation is bestowed upon schools that demonstrate the capacity, commitment and competence to support high-quality student learning and ongoing school improvement. AED's accreditation was based on testimony and supporting data in its application, and a visit from the WASC committee in April.
Students from the county's AED schools are now eligible to apply directly to the California State University and University of California systems for admission. WASC accreditation also allows those students who participate in AED for a limited amount of time to return to their home districts with credits that can be applied to local graduation requirements.
Efforts to achieve accreditation were supported by all AED staff, community partners, district colleagues and other SCCOE departments.
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Since 1852, the Santa Clara County Office of Education has provided vital services and resources to the county's 31 K-12 public school districts and more than 250,000 students. The COE strives to provide advocacy and leadership on education issues, student programs that are models of excellence and indispensable services to schools and community partners. The COE is commited to serving, inspiring and promoting student and public school success. |
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