News Briefs | FYI
September 16, 2019
12th graders not accessing advanced math equally
African American, Latinx and low-income high school seniors are taking advanced math courses at much lower rates than their peers, putting them at higher risk of not completing college. The findings from a PACE brief released in August show that while 75 percent of California seniors were enrolled in some type of math course, only 47 percent of seniors were enrolled in an advanced math or Advanced Placement class, above Algebra II.  The brief also noted that disparities exist in school-level opportunities to take higher level math courses. Nearly 40 percent of schools had no seniors enrolled in advanced math classes, though a great majority of them were alternative or very small schools, serving a small number of students.  “These disparities in enrollment patterns by race/ethnicity and school characteristics likely contribute to disparities in postsecondary access and success,” according to the authors. The authors conclude that addressing these inequities is of critical importance, given research showing that students in high-poverty schools benefit more from taking advanced courses, in terms of high school graduation and college enrollment rates, than those in low-poverty schools. 
SPI promotes free school safety training Project Cal-STOP
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond is encouraging middle and high school local educational agencies throughout the state to take advantage of free school safety and mental health trainings available through Project Cal-STOP. The Project Cal-STOP training initiative is a three-year, $1 million grant funded under the federal STOP School Violence Act. Thurmond participated via video conference in a live seminar on Aug. 22 hosted by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools to inform educators about the free trainings.  “Students are returning to the classroom this month and should feel safe stepping onto a school campus,” said Thurmond. “These trainings will provide administrators, teachers, students, and the entire school community with violence prevention strategies that could stop a school shooting before it takes place and intervention tools to identify and respond to students who are dealing with a mental health crisis. Schools should be a place where students learn, not a place that students fear.” Sandy Hook Promise, a national nonprofit led by family members who lost loved ones in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, is partnering with the California Department of Education to implement the Project Cal-STOP trainings.  Trainings will consist of school violence prevention training modules for staff and students, and expansion of current CDE Youth Mental Health First Aid training workshops for district and support staff. Participation in the trainings is voluntary and available to nearly 200 LEAs throughout the state on a first-come, first-served basis. To request a training, LEAs can fill out the Project Cal-STOP response form at
https://ucsf.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b895iktCja5V1E9
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FYI
Opportunity to provide input on professional learning

The California Department of Education and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence will have three opportunities to provide input on the 21st Century California School Leadership Academy, a key initiative that will provide statewide professional learning opportunities. The intended audience for the input sessions are school and district administrators at all levels, county office staff, statewide and Local Educational Agencies and organizations, and other interested stakeholders. No advanced registration is required. Input session times and links to join:
Sept. 16, 2019 9-10 a.m.,
https://zoom.us/j/463071304
Sept. 19, 2019 3-4 p.m.,
https://zoom.us/j/717543043
Sept. 20, 2019 3-4 p.m.,
https://zoom.us/j/908204305
During these sessions, the audience will be provided an overview of the initiative and asked to provide input on “critical areas” for professional learning for principals and other school leaders. For more information, visit
https://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ai/ca21csla.asp. 
Grant available to design student-centered learning
Education Elements is offering a grant to help principals implement student-centered learning initiatives. The grant will provide a principal with $3,000 to use toward classroom redesign or programs that will directly benefit student learning and outcomes, 12 months of access to Education Elements’ Personalized Learning Toolkit and six hours of virtual support with an Education Elements consultant. Principals can apply through Sept. 30, 2019. For more information or to apply, visit:
http://bit.ly/PLGrant
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