A dining commons at University of California Davis
Credit: Gregory Urquiaga / UC Davis
From curriculum to location, there’s so much to weigh when choosing a college or university.
And for high school seniors or prospective transfers who have dietary restrictions — particularly for medical reasons, including food allergies and chronic conditions such as celiac disease — picking a school that can accommodate their dietary needs is critical.
Before May 1, the official day to commit, here’s what to ask about dining halls, kitchen access and beyond.
Who should I reach out to?
The availability and range of options vary greatly from campus to campus, and the best way to get information is to ask the right people.
Reaching out to and scheduling an appointment with a campus dietitian nutritionist can be the easiest way to understand what options are available in the dining halls, and the extent to which the campus can guarantee safe options.
Some campuses have made extensive efforts. But others, like Cal Poly Humboldt and San Francisco State, can’t guarantee that meals can be made without cross-contamination.
“We understand how serious food allergies, celiac disease, and religious dietary needs can be, and we take those concerns to heart,” Todd Larsen, senior executive director for enterprise services at Cal Poly Humboldt, told EdSource. “While our kitchens are held to high safety and sanitation standards, they are not fully equipped to eliminate the risk of cross-contamination for individuals with severe dietary restrictions.”
Sometimes, campuses will also allow you to speak with a chef before a student enrolls; the chef can help answer specific questions about how meals are prepared and what kinds of measures they can take to prevent cross-contamination.
It’s also worth reaching out to current students or campus organizations focused on certain dietary needs for their perspective on the availability and safety of foods. This can also be helpful if you’re exploring what kinds of kosher or halal options are available.
Beyond dining services, it’s worth speaking with campus housing officials about living arrangements that include access to a kitchen.
What options are available at dining halls?
While dedicated kitchens are rare, many campuses throughout the state try to accommodate those with serious dietary needs — including labeling for top allergens and training for kitchen staff — but their approaches vary.
At some campuses, the options are more limited, with students being granted access to a common refrigerator stocked with frozen meals, whose labels students should read carefully before consuming.
UCLA, for example, takes such an approach, granting students with celiac disease, wheat allergies or gluten intolerance access to rooms with their own microwave, refrigerator, freezer, toaster and gluten-free meals.
Other campuses, like Sacramento State, have a dedicated station at a dining hall that features only allergen-free/friendly options or will allow students to work directly with an individual chef. And some, including UC Davis’s Dietary Support Program, grant students opportunities to order customized meals that are “prepared in a separate area, on separate equipment and by staff who have been trained on the dangers of cross-contact,” according to Emily Ortega, a registered dietitian nutritionist with the UC Davis Dining Services nutrition programs.
And if a student isn’t sure if something served in the dining halls is safe, or looks like it could be improperly labeled, it is important to check with the chef and inform the campus nutritionist.
Some campuses, like UC Merced, allow students to forgo their dining plan if the university cannot meet their needs. They may use a process that campus spokesperson Alyssa Flores Johansen says “involves multiple conversations, medical certification, and coordination with several campus stakeholders.”
What about access to a kitchen?
In addition to talking with the college or university’s dining program, it’s also important to contact housing to see what accommodations are provided.
For example, if a student needs access to an allergen station in a single dining hall, housing officials can sometimes place them in a dorm that’s closer.
At some campuses, like Cal State East Bay, all student housing includes a kitchenette. But that’s often not the norm, and housing officials can help explore options that include kitchen access, whether it’s living on the same floor as a communal kitchen where students can cook with their own pots and pans, or being assigned to an on-campus apartment.
On a smaller scale, within an individual dorm, it’s sometimes possible to request a separate refrigerator or microwave to help limit cross-contamination.
Think beyond the school year
It’s a good idea to jump on housing accommodations as soon as possible, and make sure a student’s needs will be met at dining halls from their first day of residency.
Ask about the hours of any dedicated station, what is provided during orientation, and what options are available during breaks.
In education, being clear is important. When learners know what is expected and how to succeed, they feel more motivated and confident. This is why creating success criteria together matters. By getting learners involved in deciding what success looks like, teachers can help them feel responsible. This approach also brings openness and a common understanding into the learning space.
Key Highlights
1. Co-constructing success criteria involves learners in defining what quality work looks like.
2. This practice promotes a shared understanding of learning targets and empowers students to take ownership.
3. By actively participating in this process, learners can better self-assess and monitor their progress.
4. Co-constructing success criteria leads to clearer expectations, reduces anxiety, and fosters a more collaborative learning environment.
5. It’s an ongoing process that requires flexibility, reflection, and continuous refinement.
Co-Creating Success Criteria Understanding Its Importance
A key part of good learning is knowing what success means. That’s why it’s important to build success criteria together. This teamwork ensures teachers and students see quality work in the same way and understand what it takes to achieve it. Rather than just telling students what the criteria are, teachers involve them in real conversations. They help students look at examples, point out important traits, and explain what success means to them. This teamwork approach, supported by groups like the Core Collaborative Learning Lab, focuses on the student’s voice. It helps students take charge of their learning journey.
What Is Co-Construction in Educational Settings?
Co-construction in education is a process where teachers and students work together. They join forces to understand the learning target and how to achieve it. This method is different from the old way, where teachers only decide what success looks like. Instead of just giving out a rubric, co-construction helps students look at models. They learn to spot the key parts of quality work and express their ideas. This active role helps learners understand the learning goals better. It also gives them a chance to take charge of their learning. When teachers use co-construction, they create a friendly and focused space for learning. Here, students are actively involved in their own education journey.
The Impact of Shared Success Criteria on Learning Outcomes
Imagine a classroom in an elementary school where students know what is expected of them. They can easily explain what makes a good presentation, a well-written paragraph, or a math problem solved correctly. This clear understanding helps improve their learning. When students decide what success looks like, they feel more involved, excited, and interested in their own learning. This leads to a better grasp of ideas, higher scores on tests, and a bigger desire to try new things. Sharing success criteria helps give helpful feedback and self-assess. Learners can use these criteria to keep track of their progress, find things they can work on, and celebrate what they have achieved.
Co-Constructing Kick-Starts a Metacognitive Process
Kara Vandas, author of the article “How to Co-Construct Success Criteria in Education“, believes that co-constructing success criteria not only enhances student engagement, but also ignites a powerful meta-cognitive process. When learners define what success looks like, they begin to reflect on their own understanding, learning strategies, and areas for growth. This active participation cultivates a mindset of self-awareness and critical thinking, allowing students to evaluate their progress in relation to the established criteria. For instance, as students discuss and refine the criteria, they are encouraged to consider questions like, “How does my work align with our agreed standards?” or “What strategies can I employ to improve?” This self-reflective practice not only deepens their comprehension of the subject matter, but also fosters accountability and ownership over their learning journey. Through this meta-cognitive lens, students become more adept at monitoring their performance and making informed decisions about their learning, ultimately leading to more meaningful improvement and achievement.
Enhancing Student Engagement and Ownership Through Co-Construction
Vandas explains that enhancing student engagement and ownership through co-construction is a transformative process that allows learners to play an active role in their education. When students are involved in creating success criteria, they feel greater belonging and responsibility toward their learning. This participatory approach fosters intrinsic motivation, as students recognize that their input directly impacts their educational journey. By engaging in discussions and collaborating with their peers, learners develop essential skills, such as critical thinking, communication, and teamwork. Moreover, when students see their ideas reflected in the success criteria, they become more invested in achieving those goals. As a result, classrooms become vibrant communities where learners are not just recipients of knowledge, but active contributors to their own success. Such an environment not only enhances engagement, but also cultivates lifelong learning habits, empowering students to take ownership of their achievements and prepare them for future challenges.
Preparing to Co-Creating Success Criteria
Transitioning to a co-constructed model requires some preparation. In their book Clarity for learning, Almarode & Vandas suggest you start by thinking about your own teaching methods and belief systems related to learning. How can you change from telling students what to do to letting them take charge of their own learning?
Think about ways to create a safe and supportive learning space. In this space, students should feel easy about sharing their thoughts and viewpoints. Co-construction is a journey. It requires a focus on students and a readiness to work together.
The What, Why, and How of Sharing Clarity With Learners
Sharing clarity with learners about success criteria is essential for their understanding and progress. By involving learners in co-creating success criteria, you empower them to take ownership of their learning journey. This collaborative approach not only enhances student engagement, but also fosters deeper comprehension of the learning objectives. When learners actively define what success looks like, they develop a sense of purpose and direction, leading to more meaningful learning outcomes. The process of co-creating success criteria ultimately nurtures a positive learning environment where learners feel valued and motivated to achieve their goals.
Essential Resources and Tools for Effective Collaboration
Effective teamwork works best when you have the right resources and tools. To help your classroom get the most from working together, think about adding these:
Exemplars: Collect examples of student work. This should include both good samples and those that need some help. Use these for discussion.
Anchor Charts: Create visual guides for the shared criteria. Make sure to place them where everyone can see them, and use them often.
Digital Tools: Use online platforms to brainstorm together. You can try shared documents, virtual whiteboards, or mind-mapping software. This is great for getting ideas from students who are remote or not in sync.
By offering different tools, we ensure that all learners can find resources that fit their needs and ways of learning. This helps create a more inclusive environment during the teamwork process.
Identifying Stakeholders in the Co-Creating Success Criteria Process
Effective co-construction happens not just in the classroom. Teachers and students are key players, but it’s essential to see other people who can help with this teamwork.
Parents, for example, can be important. They can encourage the learning intention at home, give support, and talk about the co-constructed criteria.
Bringing in other educators, like special education teachers, instructional coaches, or librarians, can improve this process. They can share different views and help include all learners.
Practical Strategies for Co-Constructing Success Criteria
Co-constructing success criteria in the classroom can be a transformative experience, but it requires practical strategies to ensure effectiveness and inclusivity. In her article, Sharing Clarity with Students: 15 Ways to Co=Construct Success Criteria, Kara Vandas suggests starting by implementing regular check-ins, where students can voice their thoughts and experiences regarding the criteria. This approach can involve quick surveys or informal discussions, which will help you gauge the students’ understanding and comfort levels. Additionally, consider utilizing peer feedback sessions where students share their work, providing constructive feedback based on the established success criteria. This not only reinforces the criteria, but also fosters a collaborative learning environment. Incorporating visual aids, such as graphic organizers or anchor charts, can further support students in recognizing the components of quality work. Finally, continuously revisiting and refining the criteria based on student input ensures the standards remain relevant and resonate with their learning experiences. By consistently applying these practical strategies, educators can effectively co-construct success criteria that empower students and enhance their educational journey.
Utilizing Success Criteria Templates for Effective Co-Construction
How to Co-Construct Success Criteria in Education article suggests that utilizing success criteria templates for effective co-construction not only streamlines the process, but also supports a multi-faceted understanding of expectations among students. These templates serve as a structured outline, allowing learners and educators to collaboratively define and visualize what success looks like in different contexts. By providing pre-formed categories and descriptors, templates can guide discussions and help focus on key attributes of quality work. As students fill in the templates together, they engage in meaningful dialogue about what each criterion entails, promoting a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Moreover, these templates can be adapted to cater to various learning styles and levels, making the co-construction process more inclusive. Ultimately, leveraging success criteria templates fosters clarity, consistency, and empowerment, ensuring that all students have the tools they need to take ownership of their learning and strive towards excellence.
Co-Creating Success Criteria: A Step-by-Step Guide
Embracing this team-focused way of working can feel tough, but it doesn’t have to be. To make it easier, think about these simple steps. Keep in mind that setting success criteria should be a conversation that keeps going, rather than just something you do once.
If you use this easy guide and include examples, talks, and thoughts, you can build a lively learning space. In this space, everyone will feel sure and strong.
Step 1: Establishing Clear Learning Goals with Students
The key to successful teamwork in learning starts with setting clear goals with your learners. First, share the learning aims using simple language. This way, students can understand why what they are learning matters.
Next, invite questions and spark a discussion. Ask students what they already know about the topic and what they want to learn. This helps them connect their earlier knowledge and prepare them for a deeper learning journey.
Keep in mind that setting clear goals is not about giving orders. It’s about clearly showing what you want to achieve and making sure students engage from the start.
Step 2: Facilitating Discussions Around Success Criteria
Start by showing students exemplars. These are examples of student work at different quality levels. Ask questions like, “What makes this work successful?” or “What could we improve?”
Encourage learners to think carefully. They should find important parts and explain their thoughts. These discussions help learners understand better what high-quality work looks like.
Step 3: Documenting and Refining Success Criteria Together
As discussions unfold, capture the emerging understandings in a clear and accessible format. Co-create an anchor chart, a shared document, or a simple table that outlines the co-constructed success criteria.
Criteria
What it Looks Like
Clear and Focused Writing
Sentences are easy to understand. The main idea is evident.
Strong Evidence
Supporting details are relevant and convincing.
Effective Organization
Ideas flow logically. There’s a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Regularly revisit and refine these criteria as learners gain experience and deepen their understanding. Encourage learners to reflect on their work, provide feedback on the criteria, and suggest revisions. This iterative process ensures that the criteria remain relevant, student-centered, and reflective of the evolving learning journey.
Conclusion
In conclusion, working together to create success criteria in schools encourages students to get involved and take responsibility for their learning. This approach improves their learning results. By engaging everyone, setting clear goals, and working on the criteria as a team, we build a shared feeling of success. It’s important to empower students through good teamwork and ensure everyone’s voice counts. Together, we can create a more inclusive and enriching learning environment. If you’re ready to start this journey of making success criteria together, get the right tools and embrace the amazing power of teamwork. Let’s work together for a brighter future!
Collaboration between districts and community organizations, including to mentor teachers, is the key to expanding the pool of educators to teach computer science.
Educational leaders must prioritize including computer science classes in course offerings.
Parents can play an important role in getting their children to take computer science classes and in pressuring administrators to offer the classes at their schools.
In spite of statewide initiatives to increase access to and participation in computer science classes, California lags behind the national average of 60% and trails about three dozen other states in the percentage of high schools offering at least one computer science course.
52% of high schools across California offered computer science in the 2023-24 school year.
Students who are female, belong to a racial or ethnic minority group, live in rural areas and small towns or attend schools serving predominantly low-income students are less likely to attend schools offering computer science classes.
Policies in other states have expanded student access to computing skills and closed racial, gender, geographic and socioeconomic gaps.
What is computer science?
Computer science, as described in the computer science academic content standards adopted by the State Board of Education, is “the study of computers and algorithmic processes, including their principles … implementation and impact on society.” The course teaches and prepares students to “meaningfully engage” in a digitally driven world, according to Computer Science for California (CSforCA), a group of educators, nonprofit organizations and industry leaders that has worked to improve equity in computer science access.
Advocates say that in addition to legislative action, districts and communities can and should take the following steps to increase access to and enrollment in computer science.
Start with teachers
Julie Flapan, co-director for Computer Science for California (CSforCA), said proper teacher preparation is the first step in computer science education.
“Part of that means sending a teacher to professional learning. Not only do they learn the curriculum and pedagogy, but they’re part of an ongoing community of practice to feel supported in teaching computer science,” Flapan said.
Local, regional or statewide collaborative spaces where educators can learn from and support one another are crucial for teachers who are the only computer science instructors in their schools.
Teacher collaboration is key in small, rural districts or schools, where there may only be one educator trying to integrate computer science, said Tracey Allen, who has worked with rural districts across Northern California for Seasons of CS, California’s year-round computer science professional learning and training program.
“They might be the only science teacher that’s trying to integrate computer science, or they’re the only math teacher on site,” Allen said. “It’s kind of hard to have a robust conversation with yourself if you’re the only one in that content area.”
How do schools or districts find interested teachers?
Karen Mix, co-director for the federal CS4NorCal grant under the Small School Districts’ Association, said recruiting teachers requires developing relationships.
“I pop into schools and meet teachers,” she said. “Answer questions that they may have, show them the benefits and the values of computer science and how they can use it and encourage them to go to the training. One of our teachers — I had to pop into their school and talk to him and their principal maybe four or five times before we got them on board.”
Do teachers need to have a background in computer science?
In 2016, the state passed legislation allowing educators in other disciplines to pursue computer science certification with required coursework.
Though a leader in computer science advocacy, Allen in Northern California was a multiple-subject credentialed teacher with no background in the subject.
“You don’t need a background in computer science to begin learning about computer science and find easy entry points to start implementing or integrating it into your classroom for the benefit of your students,” she said.
Beyond professional development, how can schools and districts support teachers?
State and federal grant funding for computer science initiatives created ongoing professional learning. For that to continue after grant funding expires, Allen said, districts and schools can connect with county offices or other districts that are already doing the work.
“We are strapped for time,” she said. “Don’t feel like you have to create the wheel or that you have to be the one to put a resource bank together for your teachers. Reach out to other colleagues and tap into professional learning that’s already happening.
“I think sharing resources, sharing professional learning opportunities, will be key.”
CS4NorCal has even created and regularly updates an implementation dashboard — an interactive online tool — that will allow educators and school leaders to explore ways to implement computer science through the different approaches being used elsewhere.
And advocates emphasize the importance of connecting with local community partners.
Collaboration with community groups is vital, too
In the 2018-19 school year, Modoc County high schoolers had no access to any computer science courses, but nonprofits and community organizations participated in training opportunities to better collaborate in the development of computer science. The nonprofit Advancing Modoc, which eventually began leading course implementation, recruited staff to support the initiative.
Partnerships can broaden access and participation not just in computer science concepts but in basic digital and technological skills.
“Partnerships where you actually bring in subject matter experts like ourselves into classrooms can augment and help,” said Damon Thomas, co-founder of Quiq Labs, a tech education company that teaches students science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) through enrichment programs.
‘Be creative with your master schedule’
“You have to really have that administrator in your building or in your district being a support for you,” Mix, the co-director for the CS4NorCal grant, said.
It’s school and district leaders who determine what classes are offered on a school’s master schedule.
So, no matter how much professional development teachers receive, it goes nowhere if computer science isn’t prioritized in schools, said Rudy Escobar who has provided professional development and offered family engagement in his roles in Stanislaus County, the Central Valley and statewide.
School and district leaders must balance the availability of courses required to graduate with non-mandatory but needed classes that can, undoubtedly, prepare students for life after high school. But many administrators are reluctant or unable to prioritize a subject that isn’t explicitly a part of the state’s dashboard, the requirements that are used to measure and hold districts accountable for student progress toward college and career readiness.
“We have to really change the mindsets of site and district administrators, and even superintendents, to be able to see this as a priority,” Escobar said.
To increase access, Turlock Unified in Stanislaus County will start by offering an Advanced Placement (AP) computer science course in its high schools, Escobar said.
The College Board, which administers the AP program, offers resources to California educators teaching or planning to teach AP. According to Holly Stepp, a spokesperson with College Board, those include:
Free professional learning for educators planning to teach AP Computer Science in the 2025-26 school year
A grant is available for the four-day online or in-person training in June, July or August that will provide teaching strategies, instructional materials and a supportive teacher community
Online workshops led by veteran AP instructors
Mentoring
A teacher collaborative
Innovative curriculum with pre-approved syllabi, lesson plans and other instructional materials
Professional learning is also available to prepare teachers to use the curriculum
Free, online resources that can be tailored to meet the needs of students
Computer science advocates urge leaders to be creative with their master schedules and balance what courses they offer.
For example, in rural Siskiyou county in far Northern California, a kindergarten teacher on a half-day schedule teaches computer science as an afternoon elective in other elementary grades, Mix said.
Likewise, the small, rural Modoc County created a middle school coding class in the 40 minutes between 2:40 p.m. (when classes end) and 3:30 p.m. (when buses arrive).
“Just be creative with your master schedule,” Mix said.
How can administrators justify adding a class?
Kathy Hamilton with the Small School Districts’ Association acknowledged that small, rural schools and districts lack resources and credentialed teachers to offer computer science courses, and students may have no interest or awareness of the value of such classes.
“It’s a long-term strategy, but you have to build up the interest, build up the pressure, in grades K-8 so that by the time the kids get to high school, there’s a demand for the course, and then the principal can justify providing the assignment in the master schedule to offer a course,” Hamilton said.
Escobar recommends that administrators open up opportunities for teachers to integrate, or merge computer science into another subject area, to expose students to computer science in middle and elementary grades.
“Start early,” he said. “Make it a consistent thing that the students are seeing every year, so that way, when they get to high school, students are seeking to take those courses.”
What resources are available to school and district administrators?
Administrators remain concerned about how to implement computer science courses, especially if it becomes a requirement.
According to Flapan, the co-director for CSforCA, several organizations, many of which have received grant funding, have provided resources, including learning guides on how to implement computer science.
“There’s a lot of statewide resources and a lot of momentum and expertise in computer science in the state of California,” she said. “All of these folks are interested in helping to guide and support other administrators that are looking for ways to implement computer science in their schools.”
Resources for administrators and others
Some of those include:
How parents can help
“Parents want computer science when they hear what we talk to them about,” Escobar said, and they can advocate for computer science to be a priority in their school district.
“Statewide, we’re seeing that even though there are more computer science classes being offered, that the classes themselves aren’t always representative of the student body in the schools they serve,” Flapan said.
“How do we make sure that students of color and girls are taking advantage of those opportunities? We think that parents can play a strong role in encouraging their students to take it if they have a better understanding of why it’s important and how it could help them in their post-high school plans — whether it’s college or careers or just engaging in their communities.”
