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  • What does threatened federal funding do for California K-12 schools? | Quick Guide

    What does threatened federal funding do for California K-12 schools? | Quick Guide


    Students read and write at Frank Sparkes Elementary in Winton School District in Madera County.

    Credit: Zaidee Stavely / EdSource

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    The U.S. Department of Education alarmed school leaders last week by threatening to withhold federal funding from schools and colleges that do not abandon “diversity, equity and inclusion” programs. President Donald Trump has also threatened to withhold federal funding from states or schools that allow transgender students to play sports on teams that align with their gender identity.

    It is unclear exactly which federal funding could be targeted to be cut from schools. There are several different educational programs funded by the federal government. Many of these programs have been approved in federal legislation since the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and have continued in the current Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

    California K-12 schools received about $8 billion in federal funding in 2024-25, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office — about 6% of total K-12 funding. Federal funding may represent a much larger percentage of the budget in some districts, particularly those in rural areas.

    Elizabeth Sanders, a spokesperson for the California Department of Education, emphasized that federal education funds “are appropriations made by Congress and would need to be changed by Congress, not by an executive order.”

    Below are some of the largest K-12 programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education. All numbers were provided by the California Department of Education for the fiscal year 2024-25, unless otherwise specified.

    Students from low-income families (ESSA, Title I, Part A) — $2.4 billion

    California school districts and charter schools with large numbers of students from low-income families receive funding from Title I, intended to make sure children from low-income families have the same opportunities as other students to receive a high-quality education. Schools where at least 40% of students are from low-income families can use these funds to improve education for the entire school. Otherwise, schools are expected to use the funds to serve low-income students achieving the lowest scores on state assessments.

    Students with disabilities (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) — $1.5 billion

    This funding is specifically to help school districts provide special education and services to children with disabilities. Under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, children with disabilities are entitled to a free public education in the “least restrictive environment” — meaning as close as possible to the education offered to peers who do not have disabilities.

    The state also receives funding for serving infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families and preschoolers with disabilities.

    Training, recruiting and retaining teachers and principals (ESSA, Title II) — $232 million 

    These grants, called Supporting Effective Instruction, can be used for reforming teacher and principal certification programs, supporting new teachers, providing additional training for existing teachers and principals, and reducing class size by hiring more teachers. The goal is to make sure that all students have high-quality principals and teachers in their schools.

    English learners and immigrant students (ESSA, Title III, Part A) — $157 million

    California schools use this funding to help recent immigrant students and students who speak languages other than English at home to learn to speak, read and write English fluently, to learn other subjects such as math and science, and to meet graduation requirements.

    Student support and academic enrichment (ESSA, Title IV) — $152 million

    These grants are intended to make sure all students have access to a well-rounded education. Programs can include college and career guidance, music and arts education, science, technology, engineering and mathematics, foreign language, and U.S. history, among other topics. In addition, funding can be used for wellness programs, including prevention of suicide, violence, bullying, drug abuse and child sexual abuse. Finally, funds can be used for improving the use of technology in the classroom, particularly for providing students in rural, remote and underserved areas expanded access to technology.

    Before- and after-school programs (ESSA, Title IV, Part B) — $146 million 

    The 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants are for expanding or starting before- and after-school programs that provide tutoring or academic help in math, science, English language arts and other subjects. These grants are intended particularly to help students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools.

    Migratory students (ESSA, Title I, Part C) — $120 million

    These funds are used for programs to help students whose parent or guardian is a migratory worker in the agricultural, dairy, lumber, or fishing industries and whose family has moved during the past three years.

    Impact Aid (ESSA, Title VII) — $82.2 million, according to the Education Law Center

    These programs help fund school districts that have lost property tax revenue because of property owned by the federal government, including Native American lands, and that have large numbers of children living on Native American land, military bases, or federal low-rent housing. The money can be used for school construction and maintenance, in addition to teacher salaries, advanced placement classes, tutoring, and supplies such as computers and textbooks.

    Career and technical education (Perkins V) — $77 million

    This funding is aimed at programs that help prepare students for careers and vocations, including “pathway programs” in high schools.

    State assessments (ESSA, Title I, Part B) — $27 million

    This funding is used to develop and administer state assessments, such as the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress and the English Language Proficiency Assessments of California.

    Children in juvenile justice system and foster care (ESSA, Title I, Part D) — $17 million

    This funding is labeled for “prevention and intervention programs for children and youth who are neglected, delinquent, or at-risk.” It is intended to improve education for children in juvenile detention facilities and other facilities run by the state.

    Homeless children (McKinney-Vento Act) — $15 million

    This federal funding is specifically to serve children who are experiencing homelessness, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Act, which includes children whose families are sharing housing with others because they lost housing or because of economic hardship. The funds can be spent on a variety of different things, including identifying homeless students, tutoring and instruction, training teachers and staff to understand homeless students’ needs and rights, referring students to health services, and transportation to help students get to school.

    Small rural schools (ESSA, Title V, Part B, 1) — $7.9 million, according to the Education Law Center

    These federal funds are available to rural school districts that enroll fewer than 600 students or are located in counties with fewer than 10 people per square mile.

    School breakfast and lunch (child nutrition programs) — $5.7 million

    This funding from the U.S. Department of Education supplements a much bigger amount of funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture ($2.6 billion in 2023, according to the Public Policy Institute of California), to help provide free breakfast and lunch to low-income students during the school year, meals and snacks during after-school programs, and meals for low-income children during the summer.

    Low-income rural schools (ESSA, Title V, Part B, 2) — $5 million

    These federal funds are available to rural school districts where at least 20% of students are from families with incomes below the poverty line.

    Native American students (ESSA, Title VI) — $4.6 million, according to the Education Law Center

    This funding goes to districts for programs to help Native American students, for example, tutoring in reading, math or science, after-school programs, Native language classes, programs that increase awareness about going to college or career preparation, or programs to improve attendance and graduation rates.

    Literacy (ESSA, Title II, Part B) — $3.8 million 

    This is funding for California’s Literacy Initiative, which seeks to ensure that all children are reading well by third grade.

    Competitive grants for teacher training, community schools, desegregation and more

    The U.S. Department of Education also has grants for which school districts can apply directly, rather than going through the state Department of Education. These are harder to track, but many school districts in California have received funding from these grants. 

    For example, in 2023, the department sent out $14 million in grants to help districts desegregate schools, some of which went to Oakland Unified. In 2024, Congress put aside $150 million for grants to help school districts set up full-service community schools, offering wraparound services to students and families.

    Other grants have focused on teacher preparation, career pathways and other issues. The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it had already canceled $600 million in grants for teacher training.

    California Department of Education staff

    According to the California Department of Education, the department receives federal funding for 875 positions, about half of which are fully funded by the federal government.





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  • Dietary restrictions? Here’s what to know about university dining halls | Quick Guide

    Dietary restrictions? Here’s what to know about university dining halls | Quick Guide


    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.





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  • How districts can increase student access to computer science | Quick Guide

    How districts can increase student access to computer science | Quick Guide


    Credit: Alison Yin / EdSource

    Top Takeaways
    • 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. 

    According to the national 2024 State of Computer Science report:

    • 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.” 





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