State Board of Education November 6, 2025

001I would like to reconvene the board at 8:32. Good morning. I see nine of our 11 members are present in person here today and President Darling Hammond and Vice President Glover Woods are both participating in this meeting from remote locations. Consistent with recent changes in the laws governing our meetings, I must ask, President Darling Hammond, would you confirm that you are present? >> I'm here. >> Okay. And President Darling Hammond, would you confirm that there's no other adult in the room from where you are participating from remotely? >> That is correct. There is no other adult in the room. >> Thank you. Thank you. Uh, Vice President Glover Woods, would you confirm that you're present? >> Yes, sir, I am present. >> Thank you. And Vice President uh Glover Woods, would you confirm that there's

002no other adult in the room where you are participating from remotely? >> No other adult is in the room. >> Thank you. So as both president Darling Hammond and Vice President Glover Woods both are participating remotely for today's portion of the meeting, I was asked to facilitate today's portion of the meeting from the dis. So thank you everyone. Be nice. Okay, we will now take up item 17, which is the 2025 mathematics adoption of the K8 instructional materials instructional quality commission IQC recommendations. The CDE recommendation is that the um SBE take action on the following recommendations. adopt the 64 instructional material programs recommended by the IQC, direct the CDE staff in conjunction with members of the IQC as needed to work with publishers and content developers to ensure that the edits and corrections and other

003publisher and administrative updates approved by the CB CVE are made to their instruction materials. The item will be presented by Deputy Superintendent Will McGee and Dr. Mike Torres of the CDE, IQC Chair Shereice Gerra, and IQC Math Subcommittee Janet Lanning. Will, will you begin? Okay. Am I on? Yes, I am. Okay. Member Escobedo, I don't know if we're going to take it easy on you this morning. We'll try. All right. Good morning, member Escobedo, board president Dr. Darling, Hammond, vice president Glover Woods, and members community. I'm William McGee, the deputy superintendent of the building educational success together branch and we are here to present our recommendation to you. I would like to thank the state board of education as well as the instructional quality commission and the staff of the curriculum frameworks and instructional resources

004division. We also have some of our staff members here today as well as we have two of the instructional quality commissioners here today, Janet and Nikki. And you'll hear from Janet as well. We are really excited about what we're going to present. And we would also like to thank over the 100 teachers who also participated and they gave their time to this item. So, thank you to them. Dr. Mike Torres and his team have done an amazing job on this and so you will listen and learn about what is happening. So the CDE recommendation that we are asking the board to approve is to adopt the 64 instructional materials programs recommended by the IQC and then also to direct CDE staff in conjunction with members of the IQC as needed to work with the publishers

005and the content developers to ensure that the edits and corrections and other publisher ARATA and administrative updates approved by the state board of education are made to their instructional materials. And with that, I'll turn it over to Dr. Torres, who will lead us in the presentation. Thank you. >> Thank you so much, uh, Deputy Superintendent McGee. Um, hello and good morning. I'm so glad to see everyone back from a long long day uh yesterday um of a lot of very important um items to hear. Um hello uh board president um Darling Hammond and vice president Glover Woods over Zoom. Um hello chief deputy superintendent Robersonson uh and esteemed members of the board. So as Will mentioned I'm Dr. Mike Torres and I am super extremely excited um about this item about this um mathematics item

006before you today. I had to look down at my notes because I have two. I'm like, is this the math one or the ELA one? Um but super excited about it. And as a former mathematics teacher, um, I have to say there's there really isn't nothing more that fills your bucket than working with a student who's lost their self-confidence in mathematics and finding that thing that motivates them, finding that thing that engages them and really pulling them back into that success of mathematics. And really that's the premise of the 2023 mathematics framework that you all adopted. Um really mathematics is for all learners, right? And so um this is that next step. This is that next step on having some instructional materials that are aligned to standards, aligned to the mathematics framework that includes those

007strategies within it um to help students reach their potential. Um I am a little bit lost here. All right, here we go. Um, so I'm going to go over and h uh provide an overview of the adoption process uh to update you to get get you to where we're at today um with this list of recommended programs. Um the adoption process is a lengthy one. There's many steps that are defined in statute and in the California Code of Regulations. Uh these next few slides will provide that overview of those major milestones. And if it feels like you've seen me a few times this year, you actually have. I think I've made a a presentation on on math or something else over uh over all of your meetings this year. Uh the adoption process officially began

008in July of 2023 when this state board of education adopted the new California mathematics framework. The framework has been the basis for this adoption both because of the new content and instructional shifts throughout the document and the fact that the evaluation criteria used for this adoption are represented in chapter 13. In January 2024, the board approved the schedule of significant events uh to conduct this adoption as well as the reviewer application um to to solicit instructional material reviewers and content review experts. In January 2025, the state board of education appointed those instructional material reviewers and content review experts um that were recommended by the instructional quality commission to you. A total of 172 experts were appointed to review these materials. Now, due to the large size of this adoption, the board also approved several non-commissioners

009to serve as review panel facilitators to conduct this work. On January 23rd, the California Department of Education hosted the publishers invitation to submit meeting where the statutory and regulatory requirements for participation in the adoption process were explained. This meeting was open to the public and we invited public comment during the meeting. Now, in an effort to spur innovation, um we did outreach to more than just the traditional textbook manufacturers or publishers. We reached out to content developers and we had a large number of of new uh content developers participate who've never participated in an adoption before. In addition, we've been providing technical assistance along the way, holding meetings with individual publishers and content developers, answering lots of questions, uh providing publisher bulletins, and so much more. I want to give a shout out to administrator

010Johanna Harter and David Alquist, our publisher liaison, for all the incredible work that they've done to get us this large number of uh instructional materials ready for uh your consideration. The board appointed 75 classroom teachers and 172 reviewers for 24 panels. The content review experts that were appointed were assigned to panels to provide their content expertise during the deliberations. Um, I'd also like to point out and thank um, Vice President Glover Woods and board member Lewis for attending the reviewer training as well as the deliberations. Um, it's a huge time commitment and it means a lot. Um, all reviewers receive a week-long training at the Double Tree Hotel in Sacramento April 14th through 18th. The board appointed reviewers are trained to evaluate the submitted programs for alignment with the standards, the framework and the evaluation

011criteria um adopted by the board. Reviewers had the privilege of being sworn in by vice president Dr. Glover Woods. On the final day of the training, reviewers attended presentations by the publishers in order to orient them to the programs of which they would be reviewing. The reviewer training was an open meeting and public comment was called for each day of the training. During the summer following the training, each reviewer conducted an independent and extensive review of the instructional materials that were assigned to his or her panel. This independent review was conducted over a two-month time period with each reviewer spending countless hundreds of hours reviewing the text for alignment to standards, the framework, and the evaluation criteria. Reviewers were reconvened for deliberations over two weeks in Sacramento, July 21st to 25 and July 28th to

012August 1st. During those deliberations, the reviewers met in 24 panels to discuss and evaluate 67 programs that were submitted for the 2025 mathematics adoption. During deliberations, panels took public comment twice each day. After much discussion and reaching consensus on their recommendations, the panel members developed a report of findings for each program. These reports were forwarded to the instructional quality commission and posted on the CDE website. Now, throughout the 2025 instructional materials adoption process, there were about 22 separate meetings with opportunities for public comment, including uh an IQC public comment meeting on August 13 of 2025. Additionally, the CDE received five separate submissions of comments from the public, including publishers. During this process, all public comments were received were submitted to the state board of education office. On September 17th, the members of the instructional quality

013commission considered the recommendations from the instructional material reviewers and content review expert panels. Um, they considered public comments as well as reports from individual commissioners to determine whether each program satisfied or did not satisfy the state board of education adopted evaluation criteria for this adoption. Prior to action, the IQC conducted two public hearings, one during the mathematics subject matter committee meeting and one during the full commission meeting. Over the entire process, the commissioners heard testimony from 13 members of the public and ultimately the IQC agreed with the reviewers and are recommending 64 programs to the state board of education for consideration. This brings us to today, an exciting day for California and the world of mathematics. Commissioner uh Lanny is here, the vice uh the chair of the mathematics subject matter committee, and she will

014now briefly describe the core ideas from the California mathematics framework that are represented in these instructional materials being recommended by the IQC. Hello and good morning. Thank you for having me here today. I'm so excited. The framework is built on the powerful belief that every student can succeed in mathematics and at its core, it emphasizes equity, ensuring that mathematical skills aren't just for a select few, but are accessible to all. Teachers are encouraged to tap into the cultural and personal strengths students bring to the classroom, fostering a growth mindset that helps them push through challenges and persist. The framework also introduces a gamechanging approach by organizing math around big ideas at every grade level rather than teaching concepts as isolated skills. An integrating approach mirrors the best practices from high performing countries, creating a more

015rigorous, focused, and coherent learning experience for California's large population of multilingual students. The framework integrates ELD standards into math teaching, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive. It also highlights how task structures can support the development of big ideas, positive classroom norms, content standards, and language development. The mathematics framework promotes engaging inquirybased instruction by integrating powerful teaching tools. Standards for mathematical practice, SMC's or SMPPS, guiding students in thinking and reasoning like mathematicians, the drivers of investigation, helping spark curiosity and encouraging deep exploration of mathematical concepts and content connections, ensuring learning is meaningful by linking concepts across topics and grade levels. The mathematics framework also urges students across grades spans to become proficient at understanding and using data, which is more important than ever in today's job market. The framework emphasizes building data analysis

016and interpretation skills from early grades, as well as expanding the focus on statistics across grade levels. Great math instruction should feel real, relevant, and exciting. When students tackle authentic problems, they become curious on why things matter and discovering the answer for themselves versus the age-old question of why do I have to learn this? The framework encourages learning that's hands-on, visual, verbal, and even physical. So, every student can connect with the math in their own way. Think multiple paths to understanding, not a one-sizefits-all. It also opens doors to advanced math for all students with flexible course options and clear pathways to higher level learning like calculus. Bottom line, when math feels meaningful and accessible, students lean in and thrive. Continuing on, I have the pleasure of presenting information on the recommendations from the Instructional Quality Commission.

017As chair of the mathematics subject matter committee, I would be remiss if I did not mention the appreciation for the commission that the commission has had for the participation of the members of the public and providing their input on the instructional materials. The commission took their role to heart and conducted their review with the utmost diligence. The recommendations of the commission are in the IQC advisory report. Did I lose some? Can you hear me? It's on. Is it good? Okay. Can you hear me? Oh, I think Okay, we're good. We're good. Okay. The recommendations of the commission are in the IQC advisory report, which was provided as an attachment to this item. The commission is recommending 64 of the 67 programs submitted for this adoption. The IQC advisory report includes not only our reasons for

018recommending or not recommending each program with citations in each of the five categories of the state board adopted criteria, but also lists the recommended edits and corrections, including social content citations and publisher submitted arata for each program. It is our recommendation that these recommended edits be considered as a condition for adoption if the state elects to adopt these materials. These recommended edits come from a combination of A the report of the panels of reviewers that the board appointed to evaluate the materials, b comments from the public that requested that edits be made to the materials, and c a rata submitted by the publishers. The commissioners carefully considered all of these sources of input when discussing and deciding which edits to add to our recommendation. The next eight slides display the 64 recommended programs by grade

019level. I would like to highlight the many options school districts have for K8 algebra 1 integrated math 1. Oh, and integrated math one programs. These first five slides include those programs being recommended that cover kindergarten through grade 8. As you can see, programs uh were submitted covering a variety of grade levels. This slide alone includes K5, K6, K8, and 68 programs. Again, please note the variety of programs. All of the programs listed on these slides include uh are included in the IQC advisory report and they include a complete report of findings for each program. And finally, our K8 recommended programs. We have uh Savis Experience Math California, Bridges and Mathematics by the the Math Learning Center, and the TPS program, Steam into Big Ideas. There are 38 K8 programs being recommended for adoption. This slide

020and the next slide display the algebra 1 programs the IQC is recommending to the state board. There are 17 algebra 1 programs being recommended for adoption. And finally, this slide includes the nine integrated math one programs that we recommend you adopt. As I noted, the commission decided to recommend 64 of the 67 programs to the state board of education. The commission is not recommending one program submitted by Pathways to Careers, one program submitted by Savis Learning, and one program submitted by TPS Publishing Company. The reason for this negative recommendation is included in our report, but in short, the commission felt that these programs did not meet several of the criteria statements in category 1 and category 2. and in all but one, five categories uh included criteria that were not met. It is our view

021that these fixes would be needed to correct these issues and they would be rewrites that are disallowed as part of our process. And as a reminder, uh category one is alignment to the standards and category 2 was consistent with the framework. So if you adopt our recommendation, then you will be adopting more than five programs for kindergarten through grade 5. Therefore, this would meet the requirement in ED code sections 6200E that requires more than five programs be adopted for kindergarten through grade 5. We know that you have to conduct a public hearing before you take action on the adoption and that there are people waiting to speak. But on behalf of the commission, I would like to thank the board for its support throughout this adoption process. We hope that the materials you adopt today

022will provide support for districts across the state in implementing the instructional shifts that the new content in the mathematics framework calls for. I now turn the mic back over to Dr. TZ. Thank you. All right. So, for this adoption, um well, first of all, thank you Commissioner Landing for that for that presentation. Um there have been many questions of what will happen now um after the state board takes action today. Um based on this recommendation, um there is a 60-day timeline for publishers to submit all edits and corrections to be verified by the department. I'd like to note that the materials seen linked on the department website during the review process do not reflect any of those edits or corrections that were rem recommended by the instructional quality commission. They are in their original format

023that the reviewers used to conduct their review. The final versions of instructional materials will not be available until the state board adopted edits and corrections have been made. I'd also like to highlight that besides the wonderful diversity of California, another beautiful element of California is the local control our local school districts have to make choice that are in the best interest of their students, their community, and their educators. Um, these choices also apply to adopting instructional materials. The California process is designed to offer districts choice of instructional materials to match the needs of their educators and students. Not all instructional materials are alike. Um, and that's actually a benefit for um, our school districts. Each district will have multiple options as they conduct their own local review of instructional materials that are either on the

024state board adopted list or not on the state board adopted list. The state level review is a first level review to share with districts the materials that meet the content standards, the curriculum framework, and the evaluation criteria. Districts then engage in their own review of instructional materials and that's key in order to analyze programs that best fit their student program and pedagogical needs. The state board of education has also provided guidance to school districts in a document commonly called the guidance for local instructional materials adoptions. I always find a way to uh to say glimma in my presentations. So, our GLMA document um the link to this document is displayed on this slide. Um and as a former educator, I know that choice is invaluable for teachers and for students. I've personally experienced the benefit

025of teachers being able to go through an analysis process of many programs to choose the one that best fits their needs. There are several tools that can help districts conduct this deeper analysis of the programs such as the English learner roadmap, several posted webinars and reference documents for universal design for learning and the work of the superintendent's literacy workg group. All of these resources are available on the CDE's website. Additionally, the CDE will be posting videos from the mathematics coherence project, including a video that provides an overview of the big ideas from the mathematics framework and another that provides an overview of the adoption process itself. Also in the works is a video that will walk a viewer through a report of findings with explanations of how the report is compiled and what resources inform

026the creation of that final report to the end that would inform them of how to use the reports to make local decisions on piloting materials. Before I get to the CDE recommendation and our closing slide, I'd like to take some time to highlight some program strengths that the review p the review panels identified during their review. So, we actually did something a little bit different that we haven't done before. Um, and we're all about improvement and we're all about trying to uh create great resources for our educators and our students. So, we asked our reviewers at the conclusion of their deliberations, if you could just tell us like what's the one thing that is like great for this program within each of the different categories, categories uh one through five. Um, and we collected that

027information from them informally. um and um I used a little bit of my doctorate learning and created a word wall and did some qualitative analysis that I'm very excited to share with you. Um you'll notice on this uh this word wall that you know the words that are identified the most often are the bigger bigger words on there. So students, teachers lesson obviously I was really hoping framework would be much bigger um on this but I guess that just goes without saying right um I'm going to backtrack. So based on my very brief qualitative analysis we I came up with nine areas of program strengths. So if you were to collectively take a look at these 64 programs that are being recommended for review. What are what is the state buying with this? What are

028we getting from here? So, we're getting nine areas of program strength. So reviewers um believed that the materials have strong alignment to standards and to the framework that there's strong and explicit alignment to the common core state standards for mathematics and the California mathematics framework that the big ideas and progressions are emphasized across grade levels that standards are easy to locate in the lessons assessments and the teacher guides. Another category is assessment variety and v rigor and there are a wide range of assessment diagnostic formative summitative and performance tasks including exit tickets, benchmarks and self-reflection tools. Assessments spiral throughout the units and mirror standardized testing formats. There are rubrics, scoring guides, and growth tracking tools included. There's also support for diverse learners, embedded multilingual learner supports including language frames, trans languaging, e- glosseries, multiple language

029translations, sentence stems. There's differentiation for tier 1, two, and three learners, students with disabilities, and advanced learners. There's universal design for learning principles constantly applied, consistently applied, excuse me. Um, there's teacher guidance and professional support within these programs. There's extensive teacher additions, annotated notes, planning tools, pacing guides, common misconceptions, sample student work, and dependency diagrams. There are built-in supports for novice teachers, and professional learning communities. There's video resources, peer coaching, and there's clear daily routines like launch, explore, and synthesize. There's student engagement and instructional design that there are hands-on interactive and problem based learning activities. There are real real world contexts, environmental principles, coding, robotics, STEM stories. There's opportunities for inquiry, investigation, and studentled exploration. There's a strong use of visuals, animations, manipulatives, and routines like three reads and notice, wonder. For language and communication,

030there's a strong focus on mathematical language routines to develop discourse, reasoning, and vocabulary. There are letters to parents in multiple languages. Opportunities for listening, speaking, reading, and writing and mathematics. For technology and accessibility, there's a digital platform with seamless navigation, interactive tools, immediate feedback, and customizable assessments. There's flexibility between print and digital formats. There's accessible features like font resizing, texttospech, and multiple language tools. There's growth mindset and metacognition um available within these programs, reflection prompts, self- assessment trackers, and watch your knowledge grow. emphasis on validating student thinking, productive struggle, and error analysis. And there are supports in advancing student thinking through purposeful questioning. And lastly, there's consistency and organization. There's predictable lesson structures and routines across the grades. There's a clear scope and sequence for each grade level. And there's a strong coherence within and

031across units. So that brings me here to uh a reminder of what the CDE recommendation is. The CDE recommends that the state board of education take action on on the following recommendations. Adopt the 64 instructional materials programs recommended by the instructional quality commission. and two, direct CDE staff in conjunction with members of the IQC as needed to work with publishers and content developers to ensure that the edits and corrections and other publisher ARA and administrative updates approved by the state board are made to their instructional materials. Well, Dr. Torres and Will, thank you so much for amazing presentation and and I applaud the IQC. Janet, I know you're here. Uh all the hours it took probably reviewing 64 uh amazing um curriculum. Uh pretty amazing. So, thank you so much for all all your work.

032I would like to now open the public hearing at 9:03. First, we'll hear from any publisher or content developer who would like to comment in this item. They will have two minutes. Uh following any comments from the publishers and content developers, we'll move to comment from other members of the public. Um and they will have one minute. Do we have any publishers or content developers in the room? Okay, since there are no publishers or content developers in the room, anyone in the room that would like to make a comment on this item? >> We have four people signed up for public comment. Will the following people please line up at the microphone in the back? Raquel Morales, Tim Nordstrom, Lorraine Richards, and Natalie Shin. Yes, she will need a mic. >> Okay, we'll we'll wait

033a few minutes before mic is. Thank you so much. And it works. Great. >> Perfect. Thank you so much. Hi everyone. Raquel Morales with Ed Trust West, a member of the highquality instructional materials learning partners coalition. We would like to echo the comments submitted by our coalition. Implementation will be instrumental in meeting the needs of multilingual learners and students of color as we strive to provide students in California with high quality math. One key component of implement of implementation will be the local adoption of materials. To support districts with navigating such an intensive extensive list while aligning with the instructional vision, we recommend offering practical frameworks and examples that show how to choose, pilot, and sustain materials equitably. As for professional development, we know that teachers need time, training, and support to bring instructional materials

034to life. Therefore, we urge the board and the department to continue seeking investments in curriculum aligned profess professional development, specifically coaching for math educators to promote rigorous, culturally responsive instruction and improve student outcomes. We look forward to supporting any future budget investments related to this body of work and appreciate the board's leadership in prioritizing high quality instruction. Thank you. Good morning, President Darling Hammond and members of the board. My name is Tim Nson. On behalf of the California County Superintendent, I serve as the co-chair of the mathematics subcommittee of the curricular and improvement support committee, CISK. I also serve the BU County Office of Education as a senior adviser under Superintendent Mary Sukuma's leadership. On behalf of our committee and our county office, I want to express support for the CD's recommendation to adopt the

03564 mathematics instructional materials programs as recommended by the IQC. This adoption represents an opportunity to advance math education for all California students, including those in our most remote regions, which I primarily represent. From a rural perspective, adoption and implementation come with unique challenges. In our areas, county offices are critical partners in this work. We serve as a bridge connecting districts to these statewide initiatives. We're currently helping engage educators with the math framework in ways that fit their local context. our mass subcommittee and all 58 county offices are eager to support our eleas with the selection and implementation of the materials that we hope are adopted today. Thank you for your time and for your leadership. >> Good morning. Lorraine Richards. I'm a classroom teacher representing California Teachers Association. We commend the California Department of Education

036for their thorough work and diligent work on the adoption of mathematics for K8 instructional materials and the hard work of the instructional material reviewers in their selection process. We are pleased to see the numerous educators included in the review panel and deeply appreciate them lending their time and expertise. As a state, we must have teacher voice in the center of instructional material selection. As the process comes to a close, we must shift our focus to implementation. We recommend the state to encourage LEAs to collaborate between departments, including multilingual and special education departments using existing structures to invest and support implementation, prioritize professional development for educators, and lastly, involve educators in the local selection of materials. Thank you. >> Good morning. My name is Natalie Shin with Californians together and member of the highquality instructional materials

037learning partners coalition. We commend the CDE and IQC for the rigor and effort throughout this historic adoption process. The adoption of this extensive list is a positive benchmark as it provides materials aligned to the strong vision for equity and rigor presented in the 2023 mathematics framework. However, with 64 programs recommended for adoption, our focus must immediately shift to local implementation support. Districts of all sizes face a significant and complex challenge in narrowing this extensive list to materials that truly align with their local instructional vision and the needs of their multilingual learners. We urge the board to pair this necessary broad choice with clear actionable state guidance. This guidance is essential to help eleas meaningfully navigate the adoption, move beyond service level criteria, and plan for effective change management. Furthermore, we ask that nuanced reviewer feedback

038on equity and access for multilingual learners be transparently synthesized in the public reports to inform local decisions. Providing the structured support is critical. It will ensure that this massive investment translate into high quality, rigorous instruction for every student in California. Thank you. >> We will now move to public comment on the phone line. Well, actually we will now open the phone line for comment from publishers and content developers by calling the telephone number and using the access code provided on the slide that is that using now. Please provide your name, publisher, content developer you are rep representing for the record. Please remember to turn down the speaker volume of your computer if you're following the live feed. You have two minutes. >> Okay. First caller uh ending in 1883. Uh please state your name and

039affiliation for the record. You may begin. >> I move Ramona when you did >> caller ending in one. >> It was interesting how many people are like a psychotherapist or a researcher. Okay, next caller ending in 3678. You may begin. >> I am not a content developer, so I'm not sure if we're up to the um not content developer speakers yet. >> Okay, thank you. If you can call back uh when we are finished taking comments from the publishers. Thank you. Next caller ending in 1890. Oh, they just dropped uh they just dropped uh caller ending in 6331. You have two minutes. You may begin. >> Hi, I'm sorry. I'm also not a content developer, but we'll call back. >> Okay. Thank you. That concludes comments from the publishers. >> Okay. Let's go on to

040the public on on the phone and hopefully they'll dial back. Okay, I'll go ahead and move to the first caller in the queue uh ending in 6331. Please state your name and affiliation for the record. You have one minute. Your time starts now. >> Good morning. My name is Veronica Torres Mlean, assistant director for professional learning at the center for equity for English learners at Lyola Marad University. Our mission is to support schools, districts, and policy makers through an assetbased approach, and we commend your leadership in ensuring highquality instructional materials for all students, especially English learners. We're also part of the highquality instructional materials learning partners coalition. And for agenda item 17 and in alignment with the letter submitted on October 31st, we urge the board and department to continue investing in professional learning aligned

041to the math framework recommendations, especially coaching for math. We also ask the state to ensure professional learning and adoption support for districts so that local review and selection processes truly center the needs of English learners and students of color. Even after the adoption list is finalized, districts will continue to need guidance and resources to make sure their implementation reflects the state's commitment to equity and excellence for every student. Thank you so much for your time. >> Thank you. Next caller ending in 3678. Please state your name and affiliation for the record. You have one minute. Your time starts now. >> Good morning. My name is Dr. Dr. Melissa Gilbert. I am a parent, former math teacher, and a member of the Highquality Instructional Materials Learning Partners Coalition, aligning my comment with our October 31 letter.

042As you finalize the list of recommended materials, please provide as much useful information as possible to help LEAs navigate the myriad options. Few LEAs have the time and personnel resources to conduct the thoughtful analysis of 64 programs suggested by Dr. Torres. guidance that identifies key features and materials will promote more equitable review of the possibilities so eleas can find their best fit materials. The current versions of the reports that require individual download to view and access to teachers additions to meaningfully interpret are not sufficient. Please develop clear, succinct how-to documents that prioritize ease of access, interpretation, and ability to compare across reports. for example, include link or screenshots to the citations provided for the access and equity criteria. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Next caller ending in 1890. You may start your public

043comment. >> Good morning. This is Ellen Berger from the California County Superintendent Fisk Mathematics Subcommittee. Building on my colleague Tim Nordstrom's comments as well. As math specialists for California's 58 counties, we recognize that this vast number of materials can create a paradox of choice and leave eleas overwhelmed. As such, we have been providing deep and broad engagement and learning with the mathematics framework. And we are committed and have been developing tools that allow that leverage the adoption opportunity and allow eleas to build their vision at the same time investing in the mindsets, skill sets, instructional practices and systems that will actually shift. We are excited to release these materials, these tools, and these processes in the coming months and work with all of the partners to make sure that we help eleas not only do

044what's best for them, but to continue to serve students who have not been as well served by past practice. Thank you, including English learning learners and students with disabilities. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next caller ending in 8256. You may start your public comment. >> Hello, this is Robert Manrain from Children Now. I want to thank Dr. Torres, the Department of Education staff, the board staff, and the commission for all the hard work that that they've done to get to this point. We're so appreciative. Um, as we look to the future, uh, and we're tracking general fund revenues pretty closely, it it appears to us that there will be about a $4 billion onetime obligation to meet the Proposition 98 minimum guarantee for the 2425 fiscal year. Uh, we believe that using these one-time funds

045to support and prioritize uh, professional development and instructional materials for math would be a great use of those funds. So, as you look to the future, collaborating with the governor and the department of finance, we highly recommend prioritizing math as you come to the January 10 budget. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. This concludes public comment for item 17. >> I would like to close close the public hearing at 9:16. Uh, first I would like to ask our liaison, President Darling Hammond and Vice President Glover Woods uh and member Lewis if they have any initial comments. >> I'll just uh thank uh the CDE Oops. I think is my Zoom working? >> It is perfect. >> Okay. I want to thank the CDE staff and particularly Dr. Mike Torres for getting us through this

046long journey through the math framework to the instructional materials adoption. Um it's a very exciting time for us in California around math. I heard the um public comment about let's lean into math uh at this moment in time along with all the work we've done with literacy. Uh and I think we are in a very very good position to do that. So just want to offer kudos to all the folks in the public, in the profession, and in the department who have helped us to get here. >> Thank you. >> And >> yes, Vice President Glover Woods, >> thank you. Um and I will definitely jump in in that course. A thank you um to Dr. Torres and the Seaffort staff. um they have taken a very complex process and um I have to tell

047you just from being able to be in so many of the different aspects of the process how seamlessly the work went through and um it wasn't arduous. They even did it with humor and fun and um again I can't applaud them and uh thank them enough for all of the hard work that went into the behind the scenes to get us to the point where we are now. Um, I also want to extend some gratitude to the reviewers and the IQC commissioners uh board. I uh if you've participated in a process like this before, you already know. But when a reviewer receives materials from a publisher for a program, they are receiving multiple boxes. For example, if you were reviewing a program for kindergarten through sixth grade, you've gotten full set materials for every single

048grade level from teacher materials to student materials and they did a wonderful job not just looking at them but taking notes and being prepared for the report of findings. So, um I received a few programs myself just to see and I was like, "Wow, this is quite a bit." So the time that was dedicated to this process by the reviewers and the IQC commissioners uh just cannot be overstated. Um and lastly, I just wanted to say that I'm very confident that the list that is before you for approval today is one that provides a very comprehensive list that eleas can choose from in their local process. And as uh many of the public commenters have said, uh once we're able to have this list approved, we definitely want to be sure, even though this is

049not within our purview or the vote for this item, that implementation and support for implementation happens at the local level. I know our county offices are ready and poised to assist eleas as they go through reviewing all of the different programs and choosing those that really meet their needs. uh but we also want to keep our eye on the actual training and support professional learning and support for teachers and the implementation that will get to students. So thank you uh Dr. Escobedo for opportunity to speak and again can't recommend highly enough approval of this particular item. >> Member Lewis, anything else you would like to add? just echo what my colleagues have already said and just to add some additional thanks to the IQC submath subcommittee and for commissioner Lanning for being here today and

050being part of the presentation and as already what's already been said. I think this is a very significant adoption that's really going to be beneficial to our uh schools and our teachers as they strengthen strengthen the instructional program and improve the learning for what's already been mentioned as our very diverse uh student population. And thank you Dr. Torres, thank you uh to the Seafford staff, the CDE staff, and as uh Vice President Glover Wood said, observing that process. It was a very thorough process, and I appreciated the opportunity to sit in and hear the deliberations and just to see the process in action. And so, it's a culmination of a lot of hard work. And thank you all. >> We'll now turn into board discussions. Anyone would like to share? Yes. Um, I just really

051appreciate the depth and care that went into this adoption. What stands out um is how many educators were part of the process. Having teachers at the table helps ensure the materials reflect what actually works for students. That kind of collaboration is essential for what we need in mathematics. Having teachers be part of that process is going to be key as we move into implementation. And I think it's important that we continue to prioritize math. I think I heard that several times in the comments, not just through materials, but through the support we give teachers to use them as well. Professional learning that's teacher-led with time for coaching, collaboration, reflection. It's what helps build capacity and confidence, and that's what new materials need to move forward from paper to actually practice. It would help to keep

052the messaging clear for districts that this adoption proves strong researchbased options but also allows for flexibility to meet the local needs. When teachers have a voice at the table with the right support, these materials don't just sit on the shelves. They become part of everyday instruction and it helps the students think deeply, reason and really see themselves as capable mathematicians. >> You thank you. Yes. Justin McQuillin, >> I too want to thank the groups for this hard work and all the input, community input, teacher input. Uh it sounds like a great process. I want to thank Dr. Torres for all his work and the word wall. Your word wall looks great. and uh pointing out the program strengths also I think of those newer teachers who need the support you know whether the videos that

053you talked about or other supports for teachers to to u get comfortable and build that confidence they need that they need in the classroom I um echo the person who asked about the support for leas or smaller rural leas or midsize leas who need uh support to choose what uh what program of the 64 will fit for their needs. And I understand there are toolkits to help them. I don't know if you could go into any more of that in terms of um making that selection for what fits for an LEA. >> Sure. Yeah, that's a fantastic question. Um, so we've actually been leaning in with some of our external partners um on what what additional supports can we provide um at the state level. Um, and so we've been actually working very closely um

054with um Ellen Berger and and Tim Nordstrom at the Curricular Improvement Support Committee whom you've heard from um this morning on creating um a toolkit um to to help school districts um take the list and winnow it down to the the key programs that are um relevant to local needs. Uh and then from there um utilize uh some information from the report to findings. um to be able to see where are these uh strengths and what what kinds of strengths would they like in programs that they would like to pilot. >> Thank you. Yes, member Patillo Brownson. >> Um I want to thank Dr. Torres for the presentation and also the inclusivity of the process. It certainly sounds like um the the level of feedback and adjustment um was significant. Um and it's exciting to

055see it move forward. Um the question I have is about sort of moving from uh the adoption to implementation. Um and I I know this is something I've raised before around the difference between naming it as a K5 piece of curriculum versus a TK5. Um, I know the ED code still says uh K and that TK is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program. And particularly as we think about LEAs um adopting and thinking of who is who are these materials for, I think there's a serious risk if we don't name TK explicitly that that this won't be rolled out through the full TK5 continuum. Um and I I know the uh adoption language has uh some additional flexibility around language changes. We can't change ED code, but I think we can change how

056CDE describes it to LEAs in a way that signals that TK has a math component and that it starts at the beginning. >> Um that's a great question. Um I well for the upcoming English language arts English language development adoption there's some uh have been some very strong and very um uh targeted um uh efforts in order to include TK into the upcoming adoption um at kindergarten being the first year of a two-year uh K TK being the first year of a two-year kindergarten program. Um it's possible that the materials um that were adopted for that are being proposed to be adopted for kindergarten may be suitable um for uh for TK students. Um we the the PTKF um was not taken into consideration during the review. However, um and and so um there there

057isn't a way to actually say that we we looked at the materials to make sure that they're developmentally appropriate for four-year-olds. Um and I might actually we have a guest speaker here and I might actually tag team to see if um my fellow director Steven Profiter might have some some things to share. >> Perfect. Thank you, Mike. um or Dr. Torres. Uh good morning uh members of the board. Uh Chief Deputy Robersonson, president Hammond, vice president Woods. Um so while uh PTK, as Dr. to shared PTKF was not a part of say that this this adoption. I will share that we do at CDE value uh tools resources for eleas and selecting curricula that is developmentally appropriate including uh and and in our preschool and TK learning foundations we do include a domain on math.

058We are working as a department on a UPK curriculum toolkit uh tool to assist in the identification of curricula that is developmentally appropriate for four-year-olds uh in in transitional kindergarten. It's an optional tool. Um we expect to have it released uh sometime in the summer. We're currently piloting it with um leas community based organizations that uh offer preschool and uh TK. >> Sorry, I just want to clarify. Does that mean though that among the 64 none of them have have incorporated a review to determine if it could be developmentally appropriate for TK as well? So the the evaluation criteria from the 2023 mathematics framework was designed for um K8. Um and so there there isn't language within the the mathematics framework um around um TK. Well, there there's content within the mathematics framework around TK,

059but as far as the evaluation of instructional materials, it was isolated to kindergarten through grade 8. Yes, there's a possibility down the road that we can look at some of the current content, right, that might be appropriate for TK. >> Absolutely. There's definitely the possibility of of conducting a follow-up adoption, which you'll hear um a lot more about procedurally um in in in your very near future. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Any other? Yes. >> Uh just a couple of things and just wanted to reiterate the gratitude uh that all the other members have uh to you and everyone else who took the the many many educators and who took time to review um the materials. It is a lot uh of time and effort and dedication. Um, I wanted to f second the the

060line of questioning by member Patello Bronson. Um, as a former elementary school principal I and working with teachers at that level, it's really important that we attend to the needs of the whole developmental, you know, curriculum. And I think we talked about this the last time you were up here, Mike. Um, just around the fact that there is language in the framework about TK. Um, and I'm not directing this specifically at you, but I think as a state, we need to uh flesh out some of these complexities that are leading uh to to this challenge because a TK teacher feels a part of the TK5 or the TK6 staff and when we do adoptions like this and we don't have specific curricula for them, um it begs the question of why why not? uh and

061I happened to be a principal at the time when this happened to us and we did not have uh curriculum new curriculum for our TK teachers. Um so I I just want to reinforce that and uh again it's not specifically directed at you. I think that there's a lot of work that we need to do as a state um for for that transition for our four-year-olds. Um the the second point I wanted to make is uh that was brought up in public comment as well is that 64 programs is a lot and although it's across grade spans and across courses uh it does present uh on a positive side a lot of choice for local entities um but on a challenge side it presents um an overwhelming amount of materials to go through and so

062the extent to which we can provide those synthesized findings uh leverage a statewide system of support, our county office supports um to help eleas decide which tool is best given their local uh district lens. I think it's going to be extremely important if we want to get to a place where the frameworks actually realized in the classrooms and we have curriculum materials that align not only with the the standards but also with uh educator and student needs. Thank you. President Darling Hammond, you have some thoughts you would like to share. I can't hear you. Oh, >> that's because I'm talking to myself on mute. Um, I just want to appreciate the comments that were made about TK and uh let people know, I know Stephen Profiter is there and he can elaborate on all of

063this, that the early childhood division is looking at and piloting curricula across the state for preK and TK uh and beginning to collect information about how those perform in different content areas as well as uh cross domains like social emotional learning and other uh elements of the curriculum for um those uh grade levels. So uh it's not uh that it's being ignored, but it is in process and we will hear more when we get to the instructional materials adoption for ELA EL. Um we've also allowed for the possibility that publishers might submit u materials that are specific to preKTK. Um, so just to assure folks that it's not been forgotten, but it is in process in uh ways that will come to fruition uh down the road. >> Thank you. Oh, yes. Member Rosco Gonzalez.

064Um, >> and I think that it's because I'm in the classroom and I teach second grade and I work very closely with TK through 2 grade. I know that a lot of this um when we teach math and when we collaborate, I know the standards are K through and when we when we look at them through 8th grade, when we look at the framework and when we look at TK, we think more of exploration. Um not just through playtime, but really through constructivist approaches where students work with numeration. Um there's more strategy based and students at TK instead of having textbooks >> learn through um hands-on experiences, dialogue and counting stories and um a lot of CGI like cognitive guided instruction. So I know that um that guidance is usually through collaboration with other teachers

065of how we work with TK teachers so that the students are still getting a robust um curriculum in the classroom, but they're not just working off a textbook that they are actually finding the love for mathematics and they're enjoying their experience because it's so foundational for students to developmentally see themselves as mathematicians at the beginning stages. that if it could be overwhelming and um sometimes even stifle the the love for learning at that age. So I understand why it's not included in in the adoption in that way. But it's not that it's forgotten. It's just that it's a different developmental stage and where students are really learning through um the California preschool learning foundations. Thank you my friends for all your amazing thoughts. Do we have a motion for this item? >> Member Lewis. I

066move that we take action to adopt the 64 instructional materials program recommended by the IQC and that we direct the CDE staff in conjunction with members of the IQC as needed to work with publishers and content developers to ensure that the edits and corrections and other publisher ARA and administrative updates approved by the SBE are made to their instructional materials. >> Do I have a second? Second by member McQuillin. Brooks, can you please call the role? >> Member Yoshimoto. >> Yes. >> Member Rodriguez. >> Yes. >> Member Patil Brownson. >> Yes. >> Member Rosco Gonzalez. >> Yes. >> Member Olen. >> Yes. >> Member McQuillin. >> Yes. >> Member Lewis. >> Yes. >> Vice President Glover Woods. >> Yes. >> Member Esco. >> Yes. >> President Darlingham. >> Yes. member GK. >> Yes. >> Motion

067carries unanimously. >> We'll now take up item 15, which is the guidance and support the 2026 English language arts English language development instructional materials follow-up adoption. Uh before CDE begins her presentation, I would like to turn to President Darling Hammond to give us some opening remarks on this item. Thank you. Um I want to begin by uh first wishing um Francisco a happy birthday. This is a your 65th birthday, I understand. So happy birthday. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. And then I I do want to say a few words about um the great work that uh Westad has done for us. you have uh a uh very thorough uh analysis of the latest research on literacy. Um drawing on the research, you know, that is a growing body of uh evidence in the science of

068reading, the science of literacy more broadly. Um the governor and the legislature tasked us with both adopting updated instructional materials for ELA EL and ensuring that they are grounded in the most up-to-date research uh so that our students will have access to highquality materials that reflect where we are now in our understanding of uh literacy. So the uh evidence base that was assembled by the Westad research team attends to the latest insights uh about acquiring both foundational skills including oral language development and vocabulary development as well as the development of phenemic awareness and phonics knowledge. It also takes into account uh the recent research on the role of writing in learning to read uh which now has a substantial body of research. Uh the role of culturally relevant texts in developing fluency. Uh the role

069of um comprehension instruction throughout uh the development of reading uh and literacy skills. Uh as you know our ELA EL framework uh includes both reading and writing and um listening and speaking uh all of the areas of literacy. Uh the guidance is uh aligned with the governor's golden state literacy plan uh and was required as part of the 2025 uh state budget uh with specific direction to align the framework and evidence-based literacy instruction. Uh and so for those who are interested um Dr. Torres talked earlier about his doctoral training. Uh for those who are interested in getting sort of a short course in um the updated knowledge base in the science of literacy, I recommend uh that reading to you. It is a real page turner and very educative. uh it does include direction uh

070for evaluating materials that focus on specific skills uh to allow local agencies to better select the skills that will address the range of needs uh of their students. Uh it also the guidance also includes uh specific updates to what we know about teaching students who are multilingual learners uh who are students with disabilities uh teaching in intervention contexts as well as in tier one uh classroom contexts. Um, this direction uh to update the guidance was also in statute in AB1454 uh by Assembly Member Rivas which reflected as we uh know a partnership among groups representing students including those uh with a wide range of experiences and backgrounds uh and including those with reading difficulties uh and uh the efforts we're making now to support uh diagnosis and um evaluation and assessment. ment um through the

071screener process as well as uh to um develop the ongoing grade bygrade uh literacy development. So it's an exciting moment for us to be able to update these materials. uh we're doing this with a very strong uh evidence base um at hand and I'm excited about this process proceeding uh as uh we have just seen uh the successes of our of our mathematics process and I'll hand it back to you uh Francisco. >> Thank you President Darling Hammond for profound amazing background information. Um let's turn to the presentation. I'd like to remind you the CDE recommendation uh that we take action to the following recommendations. to approve the guidance to support the ELA, EL instruction materials follow-up adoption to delegate authority to CBE and CDE staff to make any necessary revisions, including any needed for

072clarity and accuracy as the document is professionally edited and prepared for publication. This item will again be presented by Deputy uh Superintendent Will McGee and Dr. Mike Torres of the CDE with Heather Matson and Elizabeth Zagata of Westad. Will please begin. >> Thank you, Member Escobedo. And it looks like Dr. Darling Hammond gave you a great gift, right, of moderating this meeting today. >> Easy. So for the community that's just joining, my name is William McGee and I'm the deputy superintendent of the building educational success together branch. I'm appreciative at the opportunity to introduce this item as I'm just getting into this work with my new branch. I've heard a lot of the comments from the board members and we've had discussions because as a secondary teacher myself um we did not know how to

073teach reading and that was something we really looked at at the middle school I was principal of and now being in the department we are very collaborative working with our co-iteracy directors and our other divisions and so the comments you all have made I was asking Dr. tour is like, can we highlight some of these ideas on future webinars about how to be inclusive of TK? Can we also highlight ideas of culturally relevant and linguistic teaching strategies that support all students inclusive of our black students as well as students in the special education program and the team has stated yes, we can definitely do that. I also heard comments about rural areas and in the division I was director of, we do have a rural office and so that's another idea that we can really

074tag into and collaborate to ensure that we're hitting all parts of California and especially for our American Indian students with our American Indian education outcomes committee. So this development of this guidance came through assembly bill 121, the education omnibus trailer bill. However, this is a result of more than a singular bill and the guidance is situated at the center of some of the state's most ambitious work as you heard Dr. Darling Hammond mentioned earlier. So, with us today to discuss this document is Dr. Mike Torres as well as the members of Westad who we work closely with and appreciative of their work and I and member Escobedo read the recommendation. So, I'll ask Dr. Torres to come up and continue the presentation for us. Thank you so much, Deputy Superintendent McGee. Um, hello, um, esteemed

075members of the board, uh, President Darling Hammond and Vice President Glover Wood. Am I having deja vu right now? Um, I think we've done this already. There's a glitch in the matrix. Um, all joking aside, as excited as I am about mathematics, um, I'm probably more excited about the item you're about to hear right now because ultimately um, on English language arts, English language development, ultimately um, without literacy, students can't access any of the other content areas, um, mathematics included. So, it's more of a selfish excitement than anything. Um so what we have before you is some guidance um on conducting the instructional materials follow-up adoption for English language arts English language development that seeks to incorporate what we've learned and what the new best practices are around research um since the curriculum framework was

076adopted in 2014. It seeks to provide clarification for existing evaluation criteria because it is a follow-up adoption. Um the guidance is to support the English language arts English language development follow-up and it's a catalyst. Um for one, it supports a key tenant in Governor Gavin Nuome's Golden State Literacy Plan, the implementation of highquality instructional materials and evidence-based literacy instruction aligned with the latest research on an updated list of English language arts, English language development instructional materials for grades K8, now TK8. There's the TK plug. As we all know, instructional materials represent just one aspect of a comprehensive approach to instruction. And before we get into the updated guidance for instructional materials guidance, I'd like first to briefly review the various literacy projects currently in place around the California Department of Education. The field will see

077support for students in TK to 5 through uh through grade five through the grade specific literacy roadmap content blocks and the preschool through grade three uh P3 learning progressions for language and literacy development. Effective literacy instruction will be more likely to be implemented because teachers will enter the profession more prepared to address the literacy needs in their classrooms. Thanks to the Commission on Teacher Credentiing's ongoing strengthening of literacy assessment for teacher candidates to ensure they can meet students needs. Also, in September of 2026, just prior to the board action on the recommended materials for the 2026 follow-up adoption, educators will see state board of education approved criteria and guidance for the selection or development of inservice professional development programs for effective means of teaching literacy and TK through grade 5 with a list of inservice

078PD programs that have been deemed to meet those criteria on the CDE web page. And it's my understanding you had a wonderful presentation on that yesterday. Our requested action. Where's my summary? Our requested action um is that the CDE recommends the state board of education take action on the following recommendations. approve the guidance to support the ELA ELD instructional materials follow-up adoption and to delegate authority to the state board of education and CDE staff to make any necessary revisions, including any needed for clarity and accuracy as the document is professionally edited and prepared for publication. The followup follow-up adoption and the guidance before you today will play an important role in supporting CDE literacy initiatives. And today brings us closer to being able to say that we can ensure educators in the field have clear

079guidance available to support the selection and implementation of materials to support highquality instruction in English language arts English language development. The guidance aims to ensure that the board's adoption of ELA EL materials aligns to the ELA EL framework, including integrated and designated English language development instruction and includes strategies to meet the varied language development needs of English learner students. that the guidance aligns to evidence-based means of teaching foundational reading skills, including explicit and systematic instruction in print concepts, funological awareness, phonics and word recognition and fluency, and attending to oral and written language development, vocabulary and background knowledge and comprehension, including tiered supports for pupils with reading difficulties, English learner, students, and pupils with exceptional needs. that the guidance that the materials align to the program guidelines for dyslexia and that the materials include materials that

080focus on the teaching of specific skills and standards that are a subset of the entire ELA EL framework and clearly designate which standards they effectively address. The guidance to support the 2026 ELA follow-up adoption was outlined in section 89 of Assembly Bill 121. um in 2025. This legislation appropriated funding to the superintendent of public instruction um to allocate to the Marin County Office of Education, the administrative agent for the California Collaborative of Educator Excellence to select an agency to develop guidance to support the follow-up adoption and subsequent implementation of ELA EL instructional materials. In August, after reviewing several very thorough proposals according to the defined criteria in the legislation and upon consultation with CDE staff and the executive director of the state board of education, the Marin County Office of Education awarded West Ed with

081the grant funding to develop the guidance. In its accepted proposal, West Ed rose to that occasion. Wesed identified the English learner success forum as a subcontracting agency that will provide specialized advisory services on multilingual learner needs and ensure the guidance is aligned with existing criteria that adequately address English learner students linguistic and cultural needs and they assemble the detailed guidance that you have before you in incredibly short time frame that we're very proud to present to you today. The parameters of the guidance that Westad set out to develop was articulated in AB121. I'll note here that what the guidance is designed to do was ultimately also put in statute by AB1454, including requiring the board to conduct a follow-up adoption. AB121 calls for guidance that evaluates and includes materials that focus on the teaching of

082specific skills and standards that are a subset of the entire ELA ELD framework and clearly designate which standards they effectively address. The goal being to enable eleas to adopt a set of materials that in combination address all of the state standards and the components of the framework and per legislation. The guidance should also align to evidence-based means of teaching foundational reading skills which shall include explicit and systematic instruction and print concepts, funological awareness, phonics and word recognition, fluency, attending to oral language development, vocabulary, background knowledge and comprehension, including tiered supports for pupils with reading difficulties, English learners, and pupils with exceptional needs. AB121 also stipulates that the guidance conform to the ELA ELD framework including the five key themes articulated therein. That's foundational skills, language development, content, knowledge, meaning making, and effective expression and that

083it incorporate media literacy content. Additionally, AB 1255 enacted this year require consideration in the next ELA EL instructional materials adoption to meet the needs of newcomer students. This consideration is also included within this guidance. This guidance serves multiple purposes which you'll see in the overview of how the document is organized. Essentially, we want to root this overview in the language and content of chapter 12 of the ELA framework which talks about the adoption of instructional materials. The guidance interprets the existing evaluation criteria in the framework through a lens of updated research on the way students learn to read, how educators can support all students language development, and how to enhance the foundational content in the framework to reflect what we've learned since the 2014 framework. The goal is to center approaches to instructional materials that

084align with evidence-based literacy research, including explicit and systematic instruction in foundational skills while maintaining California's commitment to meaning making, language development, effective expression, and content knowledge across disciplines. And we're especially proud to announce that the guidance expands the framework support to TK learners. Pause for emphasis by outlining approaches to instructional materials that align with new preschool transitional kindergarten learning foundations and the P3 learning progressions in language literacy. It recognizes that districts have diverse needs and existing resources and supports. an approach that allows publishers and content developers to submit materials addressing specific subsets um of standards rather than complete programs. This flexibility enables eleas to combine materials strategically to create a comprehensive program tailored to their community's needs specifically. The guidance amplifies support for California's diverse learners and maintains a strong focus on integrated and designated

085EL instruction with particular attention to supporting English learner students at all proficiency levels including newcomer and LE students. The guidance emphasizes systematic interventions and tiered supports for students with reading difficulties, students with exceptional needs, and those requiring additional assistance. This includes expanded intervention programs for students in grades one through three aligned with state's new screening requirements to ensure early identification and support when students need it the most. There's been a lot of interest and questions around this anticipated guidance specifically from publishers and content developers um and many of those questions coming from those who have existing materials on the current approved list um for ELA EL to in preparation for this follow-up adoption. The CDE encourages publishers and content developers to attend the invitation to submit meeting in January to learn all about the guidance

086and how it could enhance their current programs. To talk more about the structure and content of the guidance because I'm sure you're tired of hearing my voice this morning. I'd like to welcome Heather Matson to the podium and Elizabeth Zagata via Zoom from Westad. Okay. Good morning, members of the board, President Darling Hammond, Vice President Glover Woods. Um, I'm pleased to provide an overview of parts one and two of the guidance. Before I begin, I'd like to thank Seafford and state board staff for their close um partnership on this complex project with, as Dr. has mentioned a compressed timeline um along with additional expertise from our subcontractor, the English learner success forum. We also consulted with the statewide literacy co-directors, the multilingual services division, and work closely with the early education division. Um so with

087new research emerging since the adoption of the 2014 ELA EL framework, we've deepened our understanding of how literacy develops and um President Darling Hammond alluded to this in her introductory comments. As we know, research continuously evolves and we need to ensure our literacy practices keep pace with evidence-based approaches so we can best serve all of our California students. The first way the follow-up adoption guidance seeks to address this is through part one, which summarizes the research from the past decade on evidence-based literacy instruction. For each component on this slide, the guidance not only provides concise, useful information from the research base, but it also addresses the impact of this research on instructional materials. Part one of the guidance document provides a comprehensive review of research on evidence-based literacy instruction, including best practices for supporting the

088development of foundational skills and how to support comprehension through contentrich instruction. that systematically develops vocabulary and background knowledge. It also includes information on the reciprocal relationship of reading and writing. The research emphasizes that all these components develop most effectively when integrated rather than isolated. As you can see in U point B, the guidance goes on to provide a research summary on tiered supports aligned with a multi-tiered system of support framework or MTSS. Drawing upon research showing that students make the most progress when preventative measures and targeted interventions are integrated into a coherent system. The guidance addresses differentiation for students with reading difficulties, students with disabilities, including dyslexia, and English learner students, ensuring all California students receive appropriate instruction that supports their growth. The next section of our research summary in the guidance presents new research

089on instructional materials for English learner students with specific sections on newcomer students, those in dual language programs, and English learner students with disabilities. Materials should address these diverse English learner student profiles. Newcomer students require oral language development as a foundation for learning. Long-term English learner students need accelerated pathways for academic language development. And duly identified students, those English learner students with disabilities, benefit most from carefully orchestrated multicomponent instruction. Per the legislation, part one of the document also includes guidance on media literacy instruction. It addresses topics such as dig digital citizenship, critical evaluation of sources, and age appropriate media analysis. Research shows systematic media literacy instruction significantly improves students ability to detect misinformation and evaluate source credibility. Finally, part one includes developmental readiness research on transitional kindergarten. This covers play-based learning, emergent literacy, universal supports for

090TK and connection to preschool foundations. During this developmental period, inferential thinking and comprehension processes are still emergent, requiring intentional scaffolding through play-based and languagerich experiences. Again, each of these topics in part one is tied to the implications of the latest research on high quality instructional materials to support both state and local adoption decisions. And of course, to realize these purposes in practice, the guidance recognizes that high quality instructional materials must be paired with robust implementation support as we discussed with the math framework, including effective professional learning. Okay, moving on. So once we establish the research base in part one, we move on to discuss the program types in part two. Um so this provides the underlying structure for discussing the updates to the five program types outlined in chapter 12 of the 2014 ELA EL

091framework. Part two of the guidance includes an overview of the original five program types and to copy Dr. Torres pause for emphasis a new program six for transitional kindergarten. So, I agree that this is really setting the stage for for future adoptions. Um, responding to California's expansion of universal TK and key modifications resulting from more current research since the 2015 instructional materials adoption. An additional significant change in this follow-up adoption is the introduction of partial program submissions through a subset approach for program types one, two, and three. Uh this is required in the legislation and I'll discuss it in more detail on the next slide. Um program types four and five are unique program types for ELA intervention and specialized ELD respectively. This guidance clarifies components of these programs as well as providing updated research

092and considerations. These include work the CD has completed in the literacy roadmaps content blocks. California's universal screening requirements for K12, K2 per SP114 and clarifications around integrated and designated EL as they relate to programs two and five. Um, specifically what's new about this guidance is program 4 has been significantly expanded to now include grades one through three where previously it only included grades four through eight. As I mentioned, this aligns with the California's new universal screening requirements for early identification of reading difficulties and really recognizes the critical window for early intervention. The objective of program 4 continues to be accelerated progress that helps students gain substantial ground toward grade level proficiency. Program five continues to provide intensive English language development for students performing below grade level due to limited English proficiency. And again, perhaps most

093notably, the guidance defines a six new program for instructional materials for transitional kindergarten aligned with California's preschool through grade three learning progressions and the California preschool transitional kindergarten learning foundations. This specialized program type addresses the unique developmental and instructional needs of TK learners, providing age appropriate materials that build foundational language and pre-iteracy skills. Program 6 also includes embedded support components for developmentally appropriate universal supports rather than targeted remediation, developmentally appropriate universal screening and play-based learning with literary literacy foundations. Um, and as I shared, Dr. Torres and his team really supported close collaboration with the early education division in developing this new program six for TK. So we were very appreciative of their expertise and division profiters division director profiters team. Okay. So now on to this subset approach that I mentioned earlier. This is a

094significant change in this adoption for program types one, two and three. This innovation will allow eleas to select from SB adopted subsets of materials as outlined in AB121. Publishers and content developers have two options for program types one, two, and three. They can submit comprehensive ELA, ELA, EL or biiteracy programs that address all of the California Common Core State Standards for ELA literacy at one or more grade levels as was the option in 2015. Nothing has changed there. Um, alternatively, publishers and content developers can now choose to submit a partial program aligned to select California Common Core State Standards for ELA literacy. Um these can address one or more complete strands that is reading, writing, speaking and listening or language at one or more grade levels or they can address the foundational skills domain in

095the reading strand at one or more grade levels in K through five. For this foundational skills option, K through five is is um the only part that's allowed as six through eight is not covered in foundational skills. Um, importantly for programs two and three, while the subset options are available for the ELA standards, all materials must still um address all of the California ELD standards for their selected grade levels. There is no subset option for the ELD standards. Um, again, the goal of the subset option is to enable eleas to combine materials from multiple publishers and content developers to create comprehensive instructional programs. Um, now I'm going to hand it back to Dr. Torres to discuss the updated evaluation categories in part three of the guidance. >> Thank you so much, Heather and Elizabeth, for

096all the hard work um so far. Um, so thank you board members. That's a lot to to go over and thank you for sticking with us. I love a captive audience. Um, part three addresses the part three addresses the impact of the research on the existing evaluation criteria. Uh, these criteria are outlined in chapter 12 of the ELA EL framework and are used to review and recommend standards and framework aligned materials for state board of education adoption. The updates reflect both current evidence-based literacy research and legislative requirements from AB121 and AB1454. Uh, title 5 regulations notes uh section 9517.1D notes the follow-up adoption shall be based on the curriculum framework and evaluation criteria for the primary adoption one held in 2015. The guidance does not revise the criteria. It provides additional considerations to augment and

097clarify aspects of the criteria to reflect new and updated research. They also define the parameters as authorized by AB121 for eleas to adopt partial programs. I'm going to go over um share an overview of how the guidance supports or augments the evaluation criteria. We have the five categories listed on this slide. Uh pertinent updates to category 1, English language arts, English language development alignment with the standards include guidance on decodable text usage, explicit oral language development, media literacy integration, and differentiation requirements by English learner topology. Category 2, program organization. The update clarifies the 180day requirement with designated ELD and broadens the connections with tiered supports in the MTSS framework among other things. Category 3 assessment. There's new information on universal screening requirements for TK to3 and reference to California's approved list of screening instruments per

098SP114 and progress monitoring within MTSS tiers. Category 4 universal access includes explicit MTSS support requirements and specific provisions for newcomer students. There's updated guidance on instructional practices for students with dyslexia. As you know, the dyslexia guidelines were published after the 2014 framework and the 2015 adoption. There are also added differentiations for students identified as high achieving or gifted culturally and linguistically responsive approaches and home language assetbased approaches. And in category five, instructional planning and support adds guidance for subset materials, professional learning requirements for MTSS and culturally responsive instruction, family engagement strategies for diverse populations, and instructional planning for media literacy. Additionally, program 6 has its own evaluation criteria um that are strongly aligned with the preschool through grade three learning foundations in the California PTKF recognizing that TK learners require distinct approaches aligned with early

099childhood development principles. Um that was just a brief overview of some of the changes. It's not all inclusive, but I wanted to share with you just one one example of of the extent of the changes. Um, here's an example of category 4.1. Previously, we um evaluated 4.1 um for meeting the needs of universal access, meeting the needs of all learners. The question was, "Alignment of both lessons and teachers additions as appropriate with ELD standards, incorporating strategies to address at every grade level the needs of all English learners." It's a great it's a great question. It's definitely something that we want, but there's a whole lot more um that's been added to clarify what does that mean? What what do we want reviewers to specifically look for based on the current research and guidance? And don't

100worry, I won't read that whole giant paragraph. You have it um uh submitted to you for consideration. So this is the final section of the guidance. It's part four. It provides implementation guidance. The notes provide crucial support for publishers and content developers submitting materials for the follow-up adoption as the guidance will play a significant role in the state level adoption process. As you know, the guidance is also designed to support school districts. Part four specifies the ways le the ways eleas can evaluate partial programs and combine those selections to build a comprehensive program of subsets. Importantly, while the subset approach allows publishers and content developers to submit materials addressing specific strands, the guidance emphasizes that maintaining coherence across the entire literacy program still remains crucial. The strands of ELA reading, writing, speaking, and listening and

101language are deeply interconnected and they are mutually reinforcing. When eleas's combine subsets of materials from multiple publishers and content developers, they should ensure that these materials do actually work together to support the integrated nature of literacy development rather than treating strands as isolated skills. There's also information for professional development planning around new requirements and support for coordination with district screening instrument selection. The guidance also includes three appendices. The draft appendices include new standards maps for subset programs, updated evaluation criteria maps for programs 1 through five that reflect these clarifications within this guidance, and evaluation criteria and maps aligned to the preschool transitional kindergarten learning foundations for program 6K. I just love saying that part. These tools which are referenced in the document with links to drafts are posted alongside the 2015 state board of education

102approved maps for kindergarten through grade 8 ELA and maps for kindergarten through grade 8 ELD on the ELA EL instructional materials web page. As a reminder, the updated maps and existing maps are intended for publishers and content developers who are submitting programs for state level adoption. Reviewers can use them to evaluate instructional material submissions across all program types and for each approach, be it a partial program or a full program in any of the original five program types. However, I'd like to add that these maps are posted on our website and they are extremely useful for local use, especially at the local level when considering priorities and conducting their piloting processing processes. Um, all right. Uh I do want to call specific attention to program type four. Um program type four is a unique program

103type for ELA intervention. Originally in the primary adoption program type four, although it included uh standards from grades 1 through um 8, um we uh adopted programs that were specifically targeted to four through eight. Um, this program type has now been expanded to include grades one through three that aligns with California's new universal screening requirements for early identification of reading difficulties in grades K2 and recognizing the critical window for early intervention. The objective of program 4 continues to be accelerated progress that helps students gain substantial ground toward grade level proficiency. However, this updated guidance further emphasizes how submissions of program type 4 can be submitted and will be reviewed. The standards map for program type 4 includes standards designed to provide an accelerated intensive intervention pathway that supports the needs of students whose academic performance

104is two or more years below grade level. Publishers and content develop developers can now submit a single grade level intervention program which would cover all grade level standards in program 4 standards map up to and including that grade level submitted. More standards uh than what's included in the map may be um may be included. However, they will not be part of the adoption review conducted. In our recommendations for action today, we're asking you to give authority to the state board of education and CDE staff to make any necessary revisions, including any needed for clarity and accuracy. Um, this clarification that I just shared for you to program type 4 is an example of one of those clarifying edits. We made it recommendation. Uh, one last time, the CDE recommends that the state board of education

105take action on the following recommendations. Approve the guidance to support the ELA EL instructional materials follow-up adoption and delegate authority to state board of education and CDE staff to make any necessary revisions, including any needed for clarity and accuracy as the document is professionally edited and prepared for publication. >> Thank you very much for this comprehensive presentation. and I appreciate the collaboration with Weststead. Thank you so much for all your assistance in this crit critical work. Uh we will now open the phone line for the public comment queue. Members of the public wishing to provide comment on this item may do so by calling the telephone number and using the access code provided on the slide that is shown now. Are there any speakers signed up to provide public comment in person? There are seven

106people signed up for inerson public comment. Please remember to state your name and affiliation for the record when it's your turn to speak. Will the following people please line up at the microphone in the back of the room? Steve McDougall, Raquel Morales, Edgar Lamin, Lindseay Tornatori, Angela Stagall. Please begin. >> President Darling Hammond and members of the state board of education. and I am Steve McDougall from the Selenus Valley Federation of Teachers speaking on behalf of CTF, a union of educators and classified professionals. Today regarding this item funding 15, CFT recognizes the work um um with the follow-up adoption process and corresponding guidance. CFT appreciates that by and large the guidance marries the EL AL framework quite well quite well with respect for accessibility to the curriculum for students. see if he hopes that staff

107will be asked to take this work even further so that curriculum acknowledges newcomers u levied experiences and social emotional needs. Lastly, CTF does not understand why category 3 assessment suggests that reading difficulty screeners be administered up to three times per year for CFT. This does not compute. This tool is neither neither a formative nor summitive assessment for measuring academic growth of students and it takes a lot of time one-on-one with students away from instruction. Um, thank you for listening. Good morning. Um, President Darling Hammond, Vice President Glover Woods, members of the board, Lindseay Tornator. On behalf of the California County Superintendent, we support the CD's recommendation to approve the draft guidance for the 26 follow-up adoption. Um, and we also appreciate the thoughtful guidance and structure developed in partnership with Wested. It has been over

108a decade since the last adoption, and therefore we agree follow-up adoption is needed to provide eleas with updated research-based criteria that reflects advances in literacy and evidence-based practices for today's students. We are optimistic that the follow-up adoption will equip teachers with the most current strategies um to support improved outcomes for our students. A reminder that since this is California's first follow-up adoption, the field from teachers, students, families, communities need to understand what this adoption is and is not. The questions that eleas need to ask themselves related to this adoption differ from the questions they are about to embark on for the math adoption. We request the state get ahead of any potential confusion in the field and provide clear guidance for the varied audiences of engaged partners. Thank you. Good morning. My name is Natalie

109Shen with Californians together. We celebrate the inclusion of program 6 for TK and efforts to include newcomer and long-term English learners. We strongly appreciate the work taken to listen and incorporate feedback from educational partners, but we have concerns about the guidance that proposes reading screenings be administered three times a year. Ed code is very clear that a screening instrument should only be administered annually and after students have received sufficient instruction and foundational reading skills to support a valid assessment. The purpose of a reading screener is to identify students who have reading difficulties. It does not measure progress over time. Instead, the appropriate use is for an initial screener followed by assessments such as benchmarks and teacher observations. Additionally, we urge the board to strengthen targeted support for English learner subgroups. To fully meet the letter

110of the law in AB1255, we request the creation of a specific program for newcomers, similar to the TK1, ensuring they receive designated EL and content that addresses their unique needs. We also request that the original language referencing LELS and RTLS be reinserted under program 5. Thank you. Good morning. Rael Morales on behalf of Ed Trust West. Um we appreciate the thoughtful inclusion of TK through the addition of program 6 to ensure that we meet the developmental needs of our youngest learners. We also appreciate the comprehensive inclusion of integrated designated e to support multilingual learners with their English language acquisition. We recommend that the board considers strengthening the guidance by explicitly naming and supporting black language and incorporating culturally affirming content. These students reserve materials that reflect their identities, experiences, and academic needs. Thank you. >>

111Good morning, SB members. My name is Angela Stagel and I'm a classroom teacher representing the California Teachers Association. As strong supporters of AB1454, we believe that the adopted instructional materials should be designed to meet the specific academic and linguistic needs of English learner students. We are pleased to see that the guidance aligns with the ELA EL framework and emphasizes the importance of all five elements of literacy, foundational skills, effective expression, meaning making, content knowledge, and oral language development. However, we are concerned with a section of the proposed guidance which states that the universal screening is recommended to be administered three times a year. This recommendation contradicts current statute and undermines the intent of the screener specifically and the assistance system, the assessment system more broadly. Additionally, districts view or interpret a recommendation from the SBE

112or CDE as a requirement or a mandate. Therefore, we urge the SBE to remove this recommendation from the guidance. Thank you. We have one additional speaker signed up in Abby Ridley. Good morning. My name is Abby Ridley Kerr with Edvoice Institute. President Darling Hammond and board members. Thank you for your continued commitment to improving literacy in California. The updated guidance to support the ELAL instructional materials follow-up adoption is an important step forward. To make the guidance even stronger and ensure a full list that is aligned with the latest research, we offer three refinements. First, require resubmission of older programs to align with the updated criteria. Second, treat foundational skills as a non-negotiable gateway to approval for programs with foundational skill strands. and third, move from a yes no rating to a quality scale on the

113evaluations maps to allow for a more nuanced review. Updating the process in these ways will help eleas make informed choices and ensure California leads the nation in evidence-based literacy instruction. We look forward to continued collaboration. Thank you. >> We'll now move to public comment on the phone. >> Thank you. >> Caller ending in 4369, please state your affiliation for the record. You have one minute. Your time starts now. >> Good morning to the board and fisc Dr. Esco. I'm Sally Fox calling from San Diego on behalf of California Association for Bilingual Education Cab. I personally had the newcomer experience when I spent my junior year at the University of Exarles in France. So I know what it's like to be submerged, not immersed, with appropriate scaffolds or supports for success. Our ELD standards and state-of-the-art

114ELA ELD framework provide the perspective and research-based guidance to help today's students acquire and develop academic language. Cabab would also ask the board to consider a specialized program for newcomer students. They would benefit from a specific program that helps teachers organize designated EL lessons built into and from grade level content based on our common core state standards. designated ELD lessons that are not connected to the grade level subject matter standards are not as effective and brain friendly as those that are connected. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next caller ending in 80072. You have one minute. Please begin your public comment. >> Hello. My name is Sam Finn and I'm speaking on behalf of the California Newcomer network coalition of teachers, administrators, and other professionals serving newcomer students. We are thrilled to see that guidance and

115reviewer maps reference newcomers and include recommendations that ELD materials address all proficiency levels and typologies. However, we do not believe that the language is yet sufficient to address the challenges of the current reality. Many newcomers new to the English language are functionally excluded from instruction by materials that fail to realistically address their language needs. Practitioners across the state report this as a major issue in both mainstream ELA and designated ELD curriculum. Most materials that claim to serve newcomers provide access for all levels ironically fail to address the English learners who do not yet speak English and denies those students an opportunity to meaningfully learn. We respectfully request the addition of explicit adoption criteria requiring publishers to address the needs of students new to the English language with lesson by lesson language scaffolds, substantially differentiated materials

116for small groupoup instruction and scope and sequences for foundational language development. Thank you sincerely for your time and your leadership. >> Thank you. Next caller ending in 0351, please begin your public comment. Good morning. My name is Rachel Herd representing Decoding Dyslexia California. Thank you for your continued commitment to improving literacy in California. The updated guidance to support the 2026 ELA ELD instructional materials follow-up adoption is an important step forward. To make it even stronger, we encourage three refinements. First, re require resubmission of older programs to align with the 2026 criteria. Second, treat foundational skills as a non-negotiable gateway to approval. And third, move from a yes no rating to a quality scale that gives publishers actionable feedback. These changes will give eleaser information, elevate instructional quality, and ensure all students receive the evidence-based instruction

117they deserve. Thank you so much for the opportunity to give feedback. >> Thank you. Next caller ending in 8256. Please begin your public comment. >> Hello, this is Robert Manway from Children Now. I want to thank Dr. Torres, CD staff, and board staff for meeting with us and other equity partners over the last many months to hear our concerns to ensure that TK students and multilingual learners benefit from the instructional materials approved under the new guidance. We appreciate appreciate in particular the adoption of program six to fully incorporate the preschool transitional learning foundations uh that are developmentally appropriate for four-year-olds. We also appreciate the comprehensive inclusion of integrated and designated ELG guidance because this is a follow-up adoption. Moving forward, there will eventually be two different sets of materials on the adoption list. those adopted

118in 2015 and the new ones eleas will have the option of continuing to use old materials and self-certifying that the materials meet the new statutory requirement represented in this guidance now encourages the board and CDE to consider what supports can be provided to LEAs who go the self-certification route to ensure that the new material that their materials meet the new guidance could the CD for example provide a streamlined self-certif ification support process to evaluate the existing approved materials. >> Thank you. Uh next caller ending in 7715, please begin your public comment. Caller with the last four digits 7715, you are now live. Please start your public comment. Next caller ending in 7995, please begin your public comment. >> Good morning. My name is Patty Chavez on behalf of SEAL Sabbr early academic language. In SEAL

119schools, students become confident readers, writers, and thinkers in English and in their home languages. We urge you to ensure that the five themes in the literacy approach, foundational skills, language development, meaning making, content knowledge, and effective expression are intentionally stated in the evaluation maps. Research and classroom experience are clear. There's no single element that creates a proficient reader or writer. If we teach students to read words but not to make sense of the world behind them, we failed to build thinkers, not just readers. When all five elements work together, literacy becomes thinking, connection, and empowerment. This is the full vision of the ELA ELD framework that builds literacy and biiteracy, honors language as an asset, and ensures every child can thrive. We thank you for this consideration, and thank you for your commitment to California's

120multilingual learners. Thank you. Next caller ending in 1883, please begin your public comment. >> Hello, my name is Dr. Retel Nunes calling in from San Diego. I'm an educator and curriculum developer with EL Achieve, a professional development firm that partners with school districts across the country. Given that the majority of English learners at the secondary level are long-term or at risk of becoming long-term, it is imperative that you reinsert the original language referencing LELS and at risk of LTAs under program 5. What I see happening in districts is that LELS are either not given access to advanced designated EL courses because they know enough English or they're in an ELD class that is actually reading intervention. Grade level academic work assumes and depends on a solid command of English in all four domains. Listening, speaking,

121reading, and writing. Please ensure that we don't lose sight of this population's core instructional needs. >> Thank you. Next caller ending in 7715. Please begin your public comment. >> Hello, I am Dr. Edgar Lanin, CEO of CAB, the California Association for Bilingual Education. We agree with leading program five as this except we would ask to please reinsert the original language referencing long-term English learners health and students at risk of becoming health in the original descriptor designing designating the um the program the text would be the program for specialized designated EL instruction period provides an intensive accelerated pathway that supports the needs of English learners including those at risk of becoming or who are long-term English learners whose academic performance is below grade level. We also support the concept of specialized programs for newcomers. Perhaps vignettes

122or designed ELD for newcomers would be created with sample text for various content areas so that teachers can visualize excellent instruction in various settings, small group, whole class or even for a singleton. Thank you. >> Thank you. This concludes public comment for item 15. Thank you, President Darling Hammond. Would you like to share a few of your thoughts? >> Thank you. Well, and thanks for that wonderful presentation and for all of the work that has gone into this uh to date. Um I do want to clarify a few things um with Dr. Torres help. Um, one thing that's come up is the question about having programs resubmit their uh, materials for evaluation. But my understanding is that uh, because we wanted this to be an update so that we could get it done sooner. Uh,

123had we gone back to rewrite the framework, it would have been many, many years. Um, that we don't have the uh, authority to require people to resubmit, but we can add to it. Is that is my understanding correct Dr. Taus? >> Um Dr. Darling Hammond, that is absolutely correct. Um in the sense that had we um received the funding and and the go-ahhead to update the curriculum framework then um that would initiate a whole new primary adoption. However, the development of a curriculum framework uh would take at least two to three years followed by another two to three years for an instructional materials adoption. That's great. Um, yeah, that's great or not great, but it is the it is where we are. Um, so, but I think, you know, we can identify, you know, what

124has been submitted more recently and what was previously submitted when we um push this out. Uh, my other um piece of understanding about the um fact that this is an update is that um we aren't taking out elements of the old guidance. we're adding to it and clarifying it. And so the earlier material on ELTELS uh and um you know uh English learners is implicitly remains and I wonder if we just need to make that a little clearer. Um but let me hear whether I've got that um understanding correct. >> Absolutely your uh check for understanding is correct. um intentionality to um to not make any changes to any existing evaluation criteria um rather provide some clarification um um separated out and and made distinct u within the guidance. >> Great. So we might we

125might want to make that a little bit more clear since it seems like yeah that was not um fully um clear to everyone who was looking at the guidance. Um, another thing I think is true, I'm going to check for understanding, is that um, the foundational skills really are a gateway in the way that the criteria are presented, that they are part of one of the first things that has to be demonstrated. Is that accurate? >> I'm glad you asked that question because I actually had written down some notes that I missed um, in my talking points um, that those foundational skills do exist in criterion statements 1.10 10 to 1.14. And the fact that the those statements are within category one makes them a gatekeeper. So right program submitted for review must include all

126elements of everything within category one. >> Okay. So I think I'm I'm really glad to hear all the public comment. I think this helps us understand what we need to clarify uh as the as the guidance is coming out so that everyone can appreciate that. Now, one of the things I'm a little um concerned about the terminology, uh there's the language in the guidance that uses the term screening three times a year. Um and we don't want that to be confused with our screener uh language and our screener legislation. I'm I I believe it was probably there as um actually I think a carryover from previously about how often you teachers ought to be thinking diagnostically about how their students are doing during the year. But I'm worried that now it's going to create the

127confusion that I believe I'm hearing uh at odds with our own screener requirements and seeming to somehow triple those. So, um I I would actually propose that we take that language out of the guidance because I think it could be too confusing, but I'd love to um hear if there's any other uh response around around that. >> Absolutely. Um so, as as we mentioned earlier in the presentation, um uh we put together this guidance extremely fast. Um, and one of the things I love about the California's process is the transparency and the the many eyes um on our documents. There's many more eyes on the documents now than we had um available to us. Um uh earlier iterations of the guidance included um the researchbased best practice of three time screening three times a year.

128Um and um so that's identified within uh category criterion statements 2.2. 2 and 5.1. Um, it was also mentioned 3.2. We made the change to 3.2 back down to one. Um, but missed the change down to uh one in categories 2 point uh criterion statements 2.2 and 5.1. So, this could very well be a technical edit um that we can make to bring uh that number back down to one. Yeah, I think that given that we have since adopted a whole very elaborate screening process which is different than I think what was intended, you know, 10 years ago when that term was used, we should we should definitely um eliminate any possibility for misinterpretation there and take that terminology out. >> Agreed. We can definitely do that. Th those are my thoughts and um I'm

129sure other folks have others. So um >> thank you very much. >> Thank you Mike. >> Thank you. So we will now open for board discussion. >> Trusty Patil Brown. >> Um I just wanted to recognize how much work has gone into this um and particularly for transitional kindergarten which is a new and exciting but timeintensive process. Um, so I I want to appreciate all that you and your team have done to make this um possible. Um, I was just actually checking the it's it's 150,000 students now across uh California and we don't even have the last year of enrollment. Um so just really excited that these students will actually have something that's targeted that is relatively new um and that can be a model for us but also more broadly. Um I think I

130I was just pulling up the PPIC um study about uh TK implementation and one of the things that districts actually were highlighting was the difficulty of integrating play-based developmentally appropriate curriculum figuring out how to navigate and toggle between the prek learning foundations and the kindergarten standards and people were effectively trying to do it themselves. Um, and this is so responsive to what we're seeing as a great need in the field. So, just really appreciative of where California is blazing a trail and really thinking about coherence and integration from the start. So, it's not TK over here on an island, but actually is being brought into the mainstream of of what our schools do. um the the quote that I always think about um and it was it was funny to see in the guidance this

131language of prevention science um which is not a term of phrase that that I use but effectively the idea of preventing uh achievement gaps down the line by starting early the the quote that I always think of is Frederick Douglas which it's easier to build strong children than to repair broken We were talking about a mindset earlier of what it means to for children to think of themselves as capable mathematicians. And I think literacy is something that helps people define themselves as capable navigators of their own world, able to decipher words and signs, sometimes for themselves, sometimes for their parents. Um, so just super exciting. I know arduous, but really important uh work that I'm very grateful for. Anyone else from our board would like to comment? >> Yes. Yes. Member Rosco Gonzalez. >> I

132just want to appreciate the guidance that recognizes the needs of multilingual learners and early grade students that um Kim really eloquently described. As we move towards the TW 2026 adoption, I think it's important we keep reinforcing clarity and communication with LEA so that districts understand both intent and the flexibility built in this process. I that's what will make the guidance meaningful, not just policy but everyday practice. >> Thank you. >> Yes, member Rodriguez. Um, thank you so much for all of this work. I have been a uh strong advocate of literacy as a volunteer uh for literacy volunteers of America uh way before I became a teacher because it's such an important um skill uh to be able as uh member Patello Bronson said uh to navigate the world and um when students come to

133high school into my class and they don't know how to read for uh so many different reasons It's heartbreaking because we have to take them um we we have to provide interventions, right? And it's the quote uh the broken men, we have to um uh make sure that they have the skills so that they can continue on and make decisions about life and uh access democracy. Uh because if people um don't know how to read and problem solve, they can't access democracy. So, thank you for this and and I also appreciate um the incorporation of uh the culturally responsive pedigogy and all that's included here. And I look forward to reading your dissertation. It's a page turner, I hear. >> Yes, member Lewis. >> Just a short comment. Um, just in addition to all the

134other highlights from the other board members, I just want to highlight the two items, the flexibility that it gives to school districts that they're able to combine the materials that focus on specific skills or standards and meet the unique needs of their their students. So I think that's very important for districts to have that flexibility and also for the strong focus that it put on equity and inclusion for our English learners, our students with disabilities and just it seems like that the guidance just has a purpose for all of our students meeting them where they are and addressing their specific needs. So thank you for all the work you member Yoshimoto. >> Thank you. Just in agreement with all the comments that have been made thus far. Um and quick note as a civic education

135leaison I just wanted to highlight the media literacy component that's also in the guidance. Thank you. >> Okay. Do I have a motion? >> Yes. Member Rodriguez. I'm sorry. Um, I move to approve the re uh CD recommendation for item 15. >> And and should should we add um making sure that Dr. that President Darling Hammond's edits are part of that? Is that >> Yes. To include uh President Darling Hammond's edits. >> Thank you. And I was second by member apologies. just as a point of clarification and to delegate the authority request as part of the CD recommendation to SB and CD staff. >> Yes, please. >> Okay. >> Uh oh, we already had a little >> Sorry. >> Okay. >> Well, how about this? Let's start the voting with member Oaken. >> Yes. >>

136Member Rosco Gonzalez. >> Yes. >> Member Patillo Brownson. Yes. >> Member Rodriguez. >> Yes. >> Member Moritari. >> Yes. >> Member Ake. >> Yes. >> President Darlin Hammond. >> Yes. >> Member Esco. >> Yes. >> Member Lewis. >> Yes. >> Member McQuillin. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. >> We will take a welldeserved break from 15 minutes. We'll be back at 11. I'll take up item 18, which is the California Community Schools Partnership annual update. Presentations also by the CCSP State Transformational Assistance Center, ESTAC, and Delano Union Elementary School District. The CDE recommendation. Uh this again this item is information only. This item will be presented by Dr. Erica Torres and Mindy Parsons of the CDE and Nav Deepep uh Purwal from the state transformational assistant center and April Gregerson from the Delano Union Elementary School

137District. Please begin. Good morning, President Darlene Hammond, Vice President Glover Woods, and State Board of Education members. I'm Mindy Parsons, director of the Career and College Transition Division here at the California Department of Education. We are honored and thrilled to present to you today about California's Community Schools Partnership Program. Today, you will hear from Dr. Erica Torres, deputy superintendent of the student success and readiness branch here at the California Department of Education. Next, you'll hear from Dr. Dr. Nabdi Pirwall, assistant superintendent of educational services at Sacramento County Office of Education. And then you'll hear from April Gregerson, assistant superintendent programs at Deleno Union School District. Today's presentation will include the CDE's implementation of the California Community Schools Partnership Program and how the department is collaborating with our technical assistance system to support grantees and build

138sustainable partnerships. The state transformational assistance center will share student outcome data that demonstrates the impact community schools are making while discussing the support they provide to our regional technical assistance centers and grantees statewide. Finally, Deleno Union School District will present on their promise 180 initiative and the outcomes they're achieving for students and families within their community schools. These presentations illustrate the collaboration and student center commitment driving California community schools movement forward. And now I will turn it over to Dr. Torres. >> Good morning uh board president Dr. Darling Hammond, vice president Dr. Glover Woods, members of the state board of education, chief deputy superintendent Dr. Roersonson, as Dr. Parsons mentioned, my name is Erica Torres, and I'm so proud to serve as deputy superintendent of the student success and career readiness branch at the California

139Department of Education. We are working alongside our state transformational assistance center and all of our regional technical assistance centers to build community schools that are supported, sustainable, and responsive to the you unique needs of our students, families, and school communities. And we are accomplishing this by building capacity for all of our grantees through high quality professional development and targeted technical assistance to strengthen implementation of community schools. We're also developing a sustainability infrastructure, including hosting statewide coherence and sustainability webinars for all of our grantees, but they're actually available to all ELEAs throughout the state of California to participate. And we're really focusing on providing support on how to braid multiple uh funding streams to support the whole child services and how do we use data to inform our practice. um how do we align resources to

140better support our students, our families, our school communities, and also for future planning. We're also working very closely with Sacramento County Office of Ed, all of our arts to develop a comprehensive sustainability toolkit for community schools. Our goal really is to ensure that community schools is fully integrated into the foundation of our education system. We don't want community schools to just be a standalone program or a grant. Um but we want community schools um actually to be a way of doing schooling in the state of California. And so we know that we cannot do this important work alone. And so we have been really focusing on establishing and maintaining and strengthening our partnerships. And so I'm going to begin with uh CDE internally. We're proud to be able to partner with various divisions and program

141offices within the California Department of Education, including our programs that support our foster youth, our students experiencing homelessness, early education, expanded learning, our schoolbased health programs, and special education. We're also really proud to collaborate with other state agencies such as the California Health and Human Services Agency, the Children's Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, and the California Department of Public Health, Office of School Health to ensure integration and alignment. And these partnerships really help us to deepen our reach across community school programs and to strengthen systemwide coherence, ensuring that schools receive the support that they need through aligned resources, shared learning, and cross agency collaboration. And I do want to share with all of you that I've had the honor of visiting several community school sites and what I witnessed was really inspiring. I recently visited Deansza

142Middle School in the Ontario Montlair School District, Fremont High School in the Oakland Unified School District, Valley Elementary School in the Isuza Unified School District, San Gabriel High School and Margarita Elementary School in the Alhhamra Unified School District. What I saw was powerful. These schools are not just implementing programs. They are reimagining schooling for our students in the state of California. I really saw firsthand what happens when schools truly become a center of a community. CTE pathway programs integrated into the community school model with internships, mentorships, hands-on learning built into the school day. Students learning in safe and welcoming environments where joy and love is visible and relationships are prioritized. A strong sense of belonging and connectedness. Students surrounded by caring adults who believe in their potential. educators, counselors, families, and community partners working together

143to remove barriers and create opportunities for every student. And this is what community schooling is. That's what it looks like. It really is about re-imagining what is possible for our students in the great state of California. I want to take this opportunity to thank and acknowledge member Yoshimoto Towery, my amazing colleague from the state board of education, Riel Misaro, uh, for joining me at the Ontario Montlair School District community schools visit. I also want to take this opportunity to thank and acknowledge our amazing community schools um, team that is with us today for all of their hard work and commitment. And of course, I'd like to thank our state board of education for all of your support and advocacy of community schools. And our state superintendent of public instruction, Tony Thurman, for his vision, leadership,

144and advocacy on behalf of our amazing students in the state of California. With that, I'd like to invite my colleague, Dr. Dr. Nabdi Purall, assistant superintendent of educational services for the Sacramento County Office of Education uh to join me today. >> Thank you, Dr. Torres. Good morning, President Darling Hammond, board members, and Chief Deputy Superintendent Roersonson. Thank you for the opportunity to present on behalf of our state transformational assistance center, also known as the ESTAC. On March 5th, 2025, the Sacramento County Office of Education, Scoey, was approved to serve as the ESTAC in partnership with the UCLA Center for Community Schooling, Californians for Justice, CFJ, and the National Education Association, NEA. Together, we collaborate to strategically support and elevate the implementation of the California Community Schools Partnership Program across our state. Our work as an

145ESTAC is grounded in the California way which is rooted in the California Community Schools framework. This visual which you've seen before continues to guide every aspect of our transformational assistance that I'll be sharing with you today. First, I want to take some time to celebrate the accomplishments of the eight regional transformational assistance centers or RTAX during phase one. The RTAX collectively facilitated 826 professional learning opportunities such as community school study tours, rollike networking opportunities, and differentiated coaching. Participant feedback from these professional learning opportunities reflected deep gratitude for the RTAC teams who brought together grantees and non-grantees across regions to learn, connect, and reflect on topics such as student, family, and community partnerships, teaching and learning, and collaborative leadership. Led by the Skoey team, our STAC is intentionally focused on strengthening the capacity of the RTAX

146to engage in continuous improvement and professional learning that fosters coherence and sustainability. This work emphasizes how community school implementation is being tailored to to support specific student groups and outcomes. For example, in October, our RTAC uh community of practice highlighted inclusive practices designed to support individuals with disabilities. Additionally, through the cal through the community schools county office of education coordination grants, we are engaged in a thoughtfully designed and vertically aligned system of transformational assistance. Within this system, we collaborate with our RTAs as they in turn build the capacity of COE community school leads across their regions. The collaboration with COE's has been both intentional and strategic, leveraging their strong relationships with and deep understanding of eleas and their counties through their ongoing engagement with the development of the local control and accountability plans and professional

147learning to support coherence between the implementation of community schools and each LEA's vision and priorities. Next, our ESTAC implements a deep dive strategy that involves close collaboration with CCSP grantees to support implementation efforts and to elevate learning and successes across the state. We are excited to share that in partnership with the Central Coast, Central Valley, and Greater LA Artax, we have identified these six new deep dive sites. The deep dive strategy is a multiaceted strategy that is led by the UCLA team and includes monthly collaboration meetings as well as opportunities for ARTAC and deep dive site participants to engage in a digital storytelling fellowship aimed to build the capacity of participants to highlight and communicate community schools implementation and outcomes. Additionally, there is an opportunity for RTC and deep dive participants to engage in a

148teacher fellowship led by the NEA team focused on centering community- based learning to positively impact teaching and learning. As a team, we deeply believe that CCSP should not be treated as just another program. Rather, it is a strategy to align all programs and services around the specific needs of school communities driven by the meaningful impact from students, families, and community partners. Led by the CFJ team, we have assembled a 20 member community school statewide student advisory board with student representation from all eight RTAC regions. I can't help but smile when I talk about students in an advisory board. These students meet regularly to provide and amplify youth voice, participate in advocacy efforts, engage in youth participatory action research projects, and support the planning and facilitation of our studentled community school summit taking place in September

149of 2026. Additionally, we are proud to welcome three of these statewide student advisory board members to serve on our ESTAC Community Schools Advisory Board and have also included five parent members, further strengthening our commitment to inclusive communitydriven leadership. As Dr. Torres mentioned, coherence and sustainability is an integral aspect of RTA. The Skoey team is collaborating with leaders from the CDE to host six coherence and sustainability webinars this year. We are joining forces to model coherence at the statewide level to promote integration and the sustainability of community schools. Our webinar series launched in September with a focus on the alignment between the CCSP and the expanded learning opportunities program. In October, we explored how coherence can be achieved across local control and accountability plans, school plans for student achievement, and community schools implementation. And earlier this

150week, we facilitated a webinar that explored the aligned objectives of the Mckin Vento homeless education program and the CCSP that identified opportunities for high impact collaboration and strategies to enhance the coordination of services. Throughout these webinars, we have partnered with CCSP grantees from across the state who have successfully integrated programs and plans to share their strategies and outcomes with the field. For example, during our October webinar, leaders from the Ontario Montlair Unified School District, a former deep dive site, shared how they are coordinating and leveraging funding from the expanded learning opportunities program, educator effectiveness block grant, and community partnerships. They also shared how they are aligning community schools implementation with the children and youth behavioral health initiative CYBHI by utilizing the fee schedule program to sustain services provided in their community schools. Skoe is also

151a partner in transforming together or T2 an initiative launched under the CYBHI and supported by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. Transforming Together is a three-year integrated systems project designed to improve student behavioral health and well-being through the coordinated implementation of the CCSP and the CYBHI. This project is currently being piloted in four demonstration counties, Humbult, Alama, and two Artac counties, Fresno and Imperial. These pilot counties are working to align and harmonize the implementation of the CCSP and the CYBHI exploring the tools, mechanisms, and approaches that best support county partners in integrating systems and supports. An important connection I want to note here is the intersection between the T2 work being conducted in counties, the community schools COE coordination grants which are intended to align cross- sector agencies within counties and the COE capacity

152building grants to support the operational readiness of eleas in utilizing the fee schedule. The shared goal of these programs is to build an ecosystem of care within each county. One that helps COE's break down silos among county agencies, strengthen cross-system collaboration, sustain services for students, and ultimately improve whole child outcomes. As our ESTAC continues to provide statewide TA and develop tools and resources to support the implementation, coherence, and sustainability of community schools, we are excited to announce the official launch of the digital comments. Yay. Finally, um a dynamic accessible technical assistance hub featuring a statewide catalog of community schools resources, tools, data, and artifacts. The digital commons also provides opportunities for community partners to submit sh resources and share stories of impact. Led by the NEA team, the ESTAC has created a resources working group

153that includes representatives from each of the eight RTACs who will also be designing and developing resources to support the implementation and sustainability of community schools. Now that I've covered the TA that our STEAC and RACKS are providing, I'd like to move on to how this TA is impacting community schools implementation and outcomes. Led by the UCLA team, our role as the ESTAC continues to include monitoring and communicating progress of community schools implementation through both LEA and site level annual progress reports or APRs. We're also enthused to share that the UCLA team will be designing and launching a comprehensive outcome study to elevate the impact of the CCSP on participating schools and students. This study will use both quantitative and qualitative data to provide a holistic understanding of the program's effectiveness in improving student outcomes. The

154year 2 growth and progress report released in August draws on multiple data sources including APRs, state level student outcome data, cross-sight case studies, and expenditure reports to provide a comprehensive analysis of the CCSP's ongoing implementation, emerging outcomes, and key learnings as California deepens its investment in equitable commun community education systems. The findings reveal both meaningful progress and areas for growth as eleas and schools work to build the capacity needed to implement and sustain the community schools approach. Some of the notable progress includes significant year-to-year growth across the capacity building strategies particularly particularly centered in community- based learning and collaborative leadership. stronger engagement among administrators, educators, students, families, and community partners, and an increase in the range and scope of integrated services and supports offered, including health screenings, mental health support, nutrition services, family engagement, and

155expanded learning opportunities. Partnerships with community organizations have been instrumental in broadening access to these supports. The UCLA team has also developed an interactive data visualization tool using APR data to highlight multiple dimensions of community schooling, including the implementation of capacity building strategies and supports for the whole child and family. Additionally, the year 2 growth and progress report includes analyses of student attendance and discipline data showing encouraging reductions in chronic absenteeism across both cohort one and two grantees with stronger declines observed for cohort one schools entering their second year of implementation. Data analysis suggests that higher levels of family engagement, the engagement of historically marginalized students, and expanded whole child supports are associated with improved student outcomes. It is important to note, however, that the purpose of the CCSP grants is to serve the highest needs

156communities who are struggling the most. As such, comparing CCSP schools to the statewide average provides a conservative estimate of progress and is not representative of the state overall. It is helpful to corroborate these findings with other reports such as the learning policy institute community schools impact report which utilized a methodology that matched CCSP grantee schools with nonCCSP grantee comparison schools. The LPI study found that newly funded cohort one community schools saw consistently positive impacts on student outcomes after just one year, including CCSP schools reducing chronic absence rate rates by about 30% more than similar schools. Reduce suspension rates by about 15% on average compared to similar schools. and improved test scores with CCSP schools showing student learning gains equal to about 43 extra days of learning in math and 36 extra days of learning in

157English learning language arts. I just want us to take a moment there. Wow, amazing impact on the investment and the approach of the community schools work that that we are leading in the state. And while some students while students from all backgrounds benefited from the community schools investments, there were larger than average effects for black students, English learners, and socioeconomically disadvantaged students. The differential impacts for black students translate to approximately 130 days of additional learning in math and 151 days in English language arts, representing substantial acceleration in academic progress. benefits for English learners equate to 58 and 72 days more of learning in math and English language arts respectively through the data analysis shared. It is exciting to know that we are seeing gains connected to the CCSP investment and statewide TA being provided. And

158now it is my pleasure to introduce April Gregerson, the assistant superintendent of instructional programs for the Deleno Union School District in Kern County. April will be sharing how the CCSP has strengthened Delano Union's commitment to providing an equitable worldclass education that meets the diverse needs of students and families. Thank you. Good morning, President Darling Hammond and board members. It is very we are also very grateful to be here this day to highlight some of the work that we are doing in the Deleno Union School District surrounding our promise 180 every school day counts initiative and how the California community schools partnership program has enabled us to magnify our efforts to ensure that our students have access to the resources that they need to succeed. I stand here today representing a the collective efforts of incredibly

159talented and caring group of individuals consisting of 62 administrators, 405 teachers, 547 staff members, and over 6,100 students and countless family community me family and community members and our board members who choose to use their time, their talents, and their energy to help our students build a brighter future. And why do we do this? Because we love them so much. The Delo Union School District serves a richly diverse student population that reflects the vibr culture or fabric of the community. Approximately 88% of our students identify as Hispanic and 8% as Filipino with the remaining students representing a variety of different backgrounds. Our district is committed to ensuring that each and every student is provided with the instruction and supports they need to make the goals that they have for their lives a reality. At our

160core, we believe that every student and child possesses a unique set of talents and circumstances, and we make every effort to ensure that the supports are in place to make their dreams a reality. The California Community Schools grant has helped make this vision possible for our students. We are a district of 12 Joyfield and thriving campuses. We expanded participation in the community schools partnership program by adding Levvenia Middle School and Morningside School to cohort 3. This expansion built upon the district's initial implementation with 10 schools in cohort one um is reflected in has reflected our continued commitment to whole child success across all campuses including Levvenia and Morningside school um has helped us to ensure that across every corner of our district that students receive the academic enrichment, social emotional support and family engagement that

161they keep forgetting to click the button. At the core of who we are as a district is a steadfast belief that data drives improvement. It allows us to focus our efforts, avoid overwhelm, and respond collectively and strategically to where our students need us the very most. During and after the challenges of the pandemic, our commitment to data-informed decisionmaking has guided our recovery efforts and reinforced our belief that failure is not an option. There is simply too much at stake for our students, our families, and community. By continuously analyzing trends in attendance, academic performance, and student engagement, our teams are able to target interventions, and provide timely support, allocate resources effectively, and address barriers to learning that impact student success. Building on this whoops. Building on this foundation of data-driven decision-making, our district's focused and informed

162approach has led to measurable improvements in key area areas, most notably student attendance. Over the past two years, the Deleno Union School District has made remarkable progress in fostering consistent student attendance, a critical factor in academic success and overall student well-being. In 2023, our district attendance rate was 95.1. Through targeted initiatives, including the Promise 180 every school day counts campaign, robust family engagement, and home visits, we have been able to increase the district-wide attendance rate to 96.5 in 2025. As our attendance rates have significantly improved, we have also seen a significant reduction in chronic absenteeism, reflecting the effectiveness of our targeted interventions and consistent monitoring. We have made significant progress in addressing chronic absenteeism with rates declining 23.4% since 2022, bringing us very close to our prepandemic levels. This achievement has been especially not notable

163when compared to the current statewide chronic absenteeism rate of 18.6. Our goal is to continue to this positive trend and return consistently to or even below our prepandemic levels because we know that students being in school consistently every day is what makes the biggest difference for them academically. We are proud to have achieved remarkable progress in reducing suspension rates as well. We are at a a historic 1% for our district. That is well below the state average of 3.2%. This achievement reflects our unwavering commitment to building positive, supportive school environments where students feel valued, respected, and heard. By taking a proactive and restorative approach to behavioral challenges, we are strengthening relationships, promoting accountability and cultivating a culture where students are empowered, supported, and equipped to succeed. The district's average ELA score shows a distance from

164standard of 710 of a point, which is 12.5 points higher than the California state average of -3.2. This indicates on average that DUS students, we are so very proud of this. DS DU USD students are performing much closer to meeting the state's proficiency standard than students across the state. These results reflect measurable progress in literacy instruction and impact of ongoing support of that from interventionists including high impact tutors as well as the district's targeted efforts to in the early lit in early literacy reading comprehension and writing development. Building on these data-driven gains, we continue to analyze performance trends across all subject areas to strategically allocate resources and interventions where they are most needed to accelerate student achievement. And last but not least, our mathematics. Our district's average math score shows a distance from standard of

165- 37.3, which is 10.3 10.3 points higher than the California state average of negative 47.6. six. While our students are still performing below the state's proficiency benchmark, they are demonstrating stronger performance in math compared to their peers statewide. We are continuously exploring and employing innovative ways to make learning math meaningful and engaging, including this year's opening of interactive math labs at each of our district schools, which our students are loving. I'm sorry, I forgot to click on the math slide. All right, now to promise 180. Just as many schools across the state, our d our district face significant post-pandemic challenges, including declining student attendance, increasing mental health needs, behavioral concerns, and gaps in student learning that initially felt daunting. Rather than focus on these challenges, we chose to concentrate on the skills and resources that

166we had available to determine what we could do on an individual basis and well as a team to address these needs. We focus our attention on six key areas. Developing a unified communication strategy. Priorit prioritizing time for attendance focused collaboration. Expanding systems of social emotional support. Providing timely and effective academic feed support and using data-driven decision making to guide and improve practice. And our favorite thing is we love to recognize success no matter how small. As a district team, we developed Promise 180. Every school day counts, a uni unifying initiative built on the belief that each of our 180 days of school represents an opportunity to make meaningful and lasting impact on our students lives. Through Promise 180, the district has been strengthening attendance supports, expanding access to mental health and behavioral resources, and fostering

167a positive school climate where all students receive the support they need to achieve their goals. We were elated when we learned we had the opportunity to participate in the California Community Schools Partnership Program, a program that aligns seamlessly with the work we wanted to do with Promise 180, the Every School Day Counts initiative. Through CCSP, we have been able to expand and coordinate wraparound supports that directly address the factors influencing attendance and engagement. These supports include providing high impact tutoring and targeted academic interventions, access to mental health and social emotional counseling, positive behavior supports and restorative practices, family engagement through home visits and workshops, and community partnerships that connect students to additional resources. By integrating these services, we have removed or are removing barriers that lead to chronic absenteeism and help students build a sense

168of belonging, foster consistent attendance, and keep students engaged, supported, and most importantly progressing academically. One key element of Promise 180 is the protected time from 8 to 9:30 every single morning for vice principles to collaborate closely with staff, students, and families to address barriers to attendance. During this time, school leaders analyze attendance data, coordinate interventions, engage families, and conduct home visits to identify and remove obstacles that may prevent students from fully participating in their learning. Through the California Community Schools grant, Delano Union School District has significantly expanded its network of social workers and behavior intervention specialists to ensure that students physical, emotional, and social needs are addressed alongside their academic goals. And I we ran a query of of unique interactions and we have had over 18,000 documented student reactions with social workers. That would

169not be possible without the work of the community schools program. These professionals collaborate closely with school staff, students, and families to provide targeted support, monitor progress, and remove the barriers that prevent students from reaching their goals. Weekly emotional weekly social emotional learning surveys allow staff to identify student needs in real time while home visit and parent trainings foster authentic relationships and deepen family engagement. All students participate in a weekly SEAL curriculum designed to build connections and resilience reinforced by the district-wide principal. You can get mad but you can't be mean. reminding students and adults that alike that feelings do not define actions. A particularly rewarding moment just actually happened this last Friday when a class of our youngest special education students had an opportunity to visit our office and one of the students pointing to

170a camo's figure on the wall said that is cat. He has band-aids in his pocket because sometimes he makes mistakes. And we just pause for a minute because that simple observation highlighted how even our youngest learners are internalizing lessons about empathy, self-awareness, and resilience. This is one illustration of the power of the community schools framework. Promise 180. Every school day counts strengthens parent and family ga engagement by creating a consistent bridge between home and school through through transparent communication, collaboration, and a district-wide culture of awareness. We have made a focused effort to advance messaging about the importance of daily school attendance across multiple channels, including school websites, social media, parent communications, award ceremonies, and community events. We are always talking about every school day count all the time everywhere we go. Um we have made

171it a priority to ensure that every staff member is aware of their important role to give their personal best every day. From teachers in the classroom to our food service workers, bus drivers, custodians, every DUSD team member contributes to the learning experience by keeping families informed, involved, and connected. Promise 180 empowers ACT to actively support their children's regular attendance, reinforcing the value of every school day. Academic support. Our commitment to teaching and learning is anchored in the belief that every child deserves access to a high quality instruction and meaningful learning experiences every day. The curriculum and instruction team works closely with the community schools lead to ensure that academic rigor, student engagement, and whole child supports are aligned to fulfill the pro vision of Promise 180. Every school day counts. At the foundation of this

172work is best first instruction where standards aligned instruction is connected to clear learning and clear language objectives. Teachers use a variety of formative assessment strategies to monitor understanding and prevent gaps in learning before they occur. Ensuring all students receive strong instruction the first time a concept is taught. We are precise in our scheduling to ensure that when students participate in things like band sectionals, interventions or other specialized programs that these do not occur during firsttime instruction so all students receive core learning without interruption. Our district also implements aligned systems of support to strengthen instruction and student outcomes. This includes monthly comprehensive data data reviews, analyzing trends in chronic absenteeism, local assessment results, and survey feedback, as well as bi-weekly teacher collaboration during late start Wednesdays. These systems allow us to identify students in need of

173additional support or enrichment and provide timely interventions to keep all learners on track. Through community connected classroom instruction, teachers extend learning beyond the classroom by integrating local partnerships and family engagement. Students participate in programs such as the Soptimist Dream and Be It workshop, which empowers young women to explore career opportunities, build leadership skills, and set goals for their future. The Kuana's annual pumpkin patch providing hands-on learning about Delano's history in one of the city's original school houses. and the community farm and school garden where parents and community members help cultivate fruits and vegetables while her learning hands-on gardening skills supporting students in connecting with healthy food and sustainability. CCSP has allowed DUSD to expand and enrich student learning. Promise 180 supports academic excellence through reading and math interventionists, high impact tutors, and student academic support

174programs that operate during and beyond the traditional school day. Tutors are trained in reading, the English learner toolkit, hands-on math strategies, and literacy skills that help to provide individualized learning experience. These not only help accelerate growth, but also strengthen our students sense of confidence, motivation, and belonging. I wanted to also acknowledge the role of the RTAC in our county superintendent schools office. Um, through ongoing partnerships with the ARTC and KCSOS, led by Anita Cruz and her incredible team, we have strengthened the implementation of the California Community Schools Partnership Program by developing both district and sitebased advisory councils, collaborative meetings, and a deeper understanding of the CCSP framework as well as for school leadership including our bargaining units and some members are here today. We brought a whole team of people with a with a focus

175on shared decision- making, mindset shifts, and collaborative leadership. They provide professional learning and targeted prof um targeted support and little refreshers to keep us um reminded of all of the things we need as well as our technical expertise and support to ensure that the strategies are effectively integrated into both school and district level practices. The alignment of Promise 180 every school day counts with the community California community schools partnership program has truly propelled our work forward in the Deleno Union School District. Together, these initiatives provide the structure, support, and partnerships that allow our students to expand their realm of possibility academically, socially, and emotionally, where they are able to dream big, accept challenges as opportunities, and feel empowered to reach their goals and dreams for their lives. By ensuring that every day is meaningful, we

176are creating a culture where students are present, engaged, and supported in their growth. At DUSD, we believe that when every school day counts, every child succeeds. And the California Community Schools Partnership Program, combined with the heart of Promise 180, every school day counts, is helping to make that belief a reality for each and every student in our district. Thank you. Wow, amazing presentation. Love the cross-sectionality of all the data, both quantitative and qualitative. Amazing transformational work. So, we will now open the phone line for the public comment queue. Members of the public wishing to provide comment on this item may do so by calling the telephone number and using the access code provided on the slide that is shown now. And while we're waiting, I would like to ask our liaison, President Darling Hammond and

177member Yoshimoto Tarry if they have any initial comments. >> Would you like to go first, President? >> Thanks. Um, I will uh echo your uh initial comment. Wow, it is wonderful to see uh how this is all coming together over these years of work from the department through the you know um est tax and the regional tax and all of the parties that have been working together uh in our now nearly 2500 you know community schools across the state. Um it's it's really powerful to see how the community schools program has unfolded. uh and it has been a partnership across uh you know districts and labor and parents and family members and community members uh you know in all of these uh districts. I do want to note that California's approach is very different from

178what has come before um in the work around community schools policy and um different than most other states as well. uh rather than just individual schools as sort of tubs on their own bottom trying to orchestrate all of these resources. Uh you we have networks of schools that are supported by local education agencies, districts or county offices um with technical assistance providers with county offices that have a specific role to integrate and support uh and make available a set of services uh and to help schools more quickly learn how to become community schools. uh which as we just heard in that wonderful presentation uh from April um Gregerson is much more than just integrated student support services. It is all of the you know supports of health services and mental health services and you know

179sometimes tutoring and academic support services uh and after school and um summer school. It's also social and emotional learning, creating a safe space within the school for every student to feel and be cared for. It's restorative practices. It's community connected learning. Uh and uh I appreciated the uh way in which Dr. Pural described the uh emerging research that we have about the broader effects across the state uh of these initiatives. Um and uh I wanted to just add a couple of additional data points on that. Um in the learning policy institute study that she referenced uh we found not only that there were greater gains on chronic you know reductions in chronic absenteeism and suspension rates but that the more community schools reduced chronic absenteeism the more they gained in achievement. And you heard those

180pretty stunning um uh statistics about the achievement gains overall and particularly for black students and English learners stu and students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged which have contributed to the gains that we saw in our um statewide student achievement this year. We um also were able because it's a large district to do a deep dive in Los Angeles Unified School District. And there because there's been a lot of work on community schools for a period of time, they really dived in as a district to work on the teaching and learning aspects um of the of the work around project-based learning around linking for high schools the work to linked learning and so on. and they had even larger gains overall than um similar schools that did not uh initially receive the community school grants uh associated

181with that. You know, uh I think even deeper dive into the um teaching and learning process which we heard underway uh in the work at Delano Union Elementary School. So it's clear that we need to be thinking about and the department is uh helping lead in this uh the sustainability um how do we preserve this uh how do we enable uh community school to become the way that we do schooling in California. Uh and this was just a really powerful um set of examples of how the work is unfolding across the district across the state. Uh and I just appreciate all those who participated in the presentation. >> Thank you board president. Um so just a few words to to build upon what you said. I just wanted to acknowledge that in the room today

182we do have a huge team here from Delano Union School District. So thank you for for your participation. Uh I wanted to acknowledge Superintendent Rosalinda Ria who's here with us in the room. Thank you. Uh Dr. Rodriguez who's here representing the board of education. Thank you very much. And David Winger, who's the president of DUSTA, the the teachers union. So, thank you very much. Um, together you've really showed uh how the collaboration in Delana Unified has uh reflects the true heart of community schools with the shared vision, the shared commitment um and the shared responsibility for student success. So, we deeply appreciate you being here today uh and for helping us guide the guide the way for the entire state. Thank you. Um so as a liazison for community schools um I also want to

183give kudos to CDE Erica Torres the team uh the team the STAC team Nadiv Peral thank you um they've also been modeling this collaborative leadership um so from the state to the regional to the school level um that that collaboration is really uh I'd say like a signature practice of the community school effort uh to support the alignment and coherence um and I just wanted to highlight I think it It was Nadiv who said uh this or maybe Erica who said this is not another program. This is a strategy to integrate all other programs and I think that becomes um extremely important when we think about coherence and really supporting sustainability for whole child education. So with that I will turn it back over to >> Thank you. Thank you very much. Are there any

184speakers signed up to provide public comments uh in person? There are three people signed up for in-person public comment. Please state your name and affiliation for the record when it's your turn to speak. Will the following people please line up at the microphone in the back of the room. Lindseay Tornator, Angela Steagle, and Rachel Murphy. Good morning. Lindseay Tornator. On behalf of the California County Superintendent, we deeply appreciate the ongoing leadership of both the CDE, the state board, and the Sacramento County Office of Education under the leadership of Superintendent Dave Gordon, and the enthusiastic coordination of Dr. Navdi Purall. Um, thank you to the Delano team um for being here to share your story, a really inspiring uh story of policy to practice. County offices are deeply committed to the ongoing implementation of the community

185schools partnership program and we are seeing the benefits of to quote Dr. to what can happen when a school becomes the center of a community. And we believe that a critical first step of student success is ensuring every school offers the safe and inclusive conditions where all students, staff, and communities can thrive. And so therefore, as funding for this historic initiative approaches its conclusion, it is essential to support awardees and shifting their focus toward long-term program sustainability. We look forward to future continued partnership. Thank you. Good morning. Rachel Murphy with Public Advocates and the California Partnership for the Future of Learning, a statewide alliance of over 30 grassroots advocacy, research, and philanthropic partners advancing a shared vision of schools as places of joy, belonging, and deep learning for every student across California. This summer, as

186our public schools and communities have been under attack, we conducted a listening campaign to hear what would make students, families, and educators feel safe and supported. They reaffirmed what the research you've heard today shows. The community schools approach is necessary and working. In addition to improved student outcomes, we see the benefits in the unique partnerships created where students, families, and schools can work together to address their needs. From transporting children whose parents are afraid of immigration enforcement actions to helping feed those struggling with the loss of SNAP benefits, community schools provide infrastructure for community care. We appreciate the board and the department's work in implementing and supporting this historic investment, and it's critically important that we sustain the progress made so far and continue this transformative investment for students in the years to come. Thank

187you. >> Hello, SBE members. My name is Angela Stagel. I'm a classroom teacher representing the California Teachers Association. Thank you for providing an annual update on the California Community Schools Partnership Program and the implementation of the historic statewide investment into community schools. Community schools are a proven evidence-based peoplepowered model that deliver meaningful results. Bringing educators, parents, students, administrators, and community organizations together to make decisions about their schools is a critical component of community school success. When all interest holders and partners have a voice in determining how to best serve students, we create the schools our students deserve. Continued, stable, and expanded funding is necessary to continue California's fundamental shift from traditional industrial model schooling to a whole child community-engaged approach. Community schools are how we strengthen public education. Thank you. >> Thank you. Is there

188anyone waiting to provide public comment on the phone line? >> Uh there is. We have five callers in the queue. I will open the phone line now. Um caller with the last four digits 1813. You are now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute. Caller with the last four digits 1813. You are now live. Please start your public comment. Okay. Hearing none, moving on. Uh, next caller with the last four digits 5137. You are now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute. >> Good morning. My name is Katie Nunesler and I'm the statewide coordinator with the California Partnership. Our network has been building the capacity of students, families, community organizations, and educators from the classroom to the capital to advance school and system transformation through a community schools approach.

189The California partnership has deeply appreciated collaborating with staff at the ESPAC and Artax as part of the statewide and regional systems of support. One example of our support role is a November 19th site visit to Oakland High School that we're co-hosting with a partner. School and district level teams inclusive of students, families, and educators from across the state will see firsthand redesign community connected college and career pathways in a school that integrates mental health and wellness with effective co-governance and coherently braids and alliance initiatives such as community schools, high school redesign, and youth behavioral health. Given the brazen attacks on public education and the safety of youth and families, it's more important than ever that we continue to work together to sustain our shared vision of community schools. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, next

190caller with the last four digits 8508. You are now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute. Hello, my name is Marita Benmulus and I am a community organizer with OKO, a parent leader with both Anaheim Elementary and Anaheim Union High School District and a proud partner of the California Partnership in Anaheim. Oko is working closely with our Anaheim Elementary and Anaheim Union Districts to deepen authentic family engagement and leadership in ways that reflect community schools approach where students, parents, educators, and community partners come together to create schools rooted in equity, connection, and shared leadership. A powerful example of this work was our educator diversity forum. Educators being the moment today and tomorrow held virtually on October 21st. A space led by parents and students with a panel discussion made up of superintendents,

191teachers, and local teachers union president and support from state allies like public advocates and Ed Trust West. Together, we lifted up the importance of having diverse and wellprepared educators who reflect our communities and connect meaningful meaningfully with students and families. We shared stories, identified barriers, and explored strategies to build a more inclusive educator pipeline here in Anaheim. This is the heart of community schools. When families and students lead alongside educators and partners, we create schools where everyone feels seen, supported, and empowered to thrive. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, next caller with the last four digits, 0208. You are now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute. >> Yeah. Uh, good morning. De Bray Sanders from Catalyst California and the California Partnership for the Future of Learning. I mean, as previously mentioned,

192the partnership conducted listening sessions with over 1800 youth and families across 12 counties. And what we heard was that students and families stream of well-resourced, inclusive schools that prepare students from diverse backgrounds for success in multiple career pathways, nurture student mental health and wellness, and are rooted in relationships with trust, collaborative leadership, and community partnership. In other words, all that community schools can offer. Uh the data and stories you heard today along with the findings from our listening campaign demonstrate the enormous impact of this approach especially in closing opportunity and achievement gaps. Five years ago during the co pandemic a similar statewide listening effort grounded our network support in the state's historic investment in community schools plus other full child initiatives. We've been deeply committed to partnering for strong implementation. Every student deserves a joyful

193just education. We hope that once again the state hears students, families, and educators and their calls to sustain the sustain this transformative approach to schooling. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh next caller with the last four digits 7655. You're now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute California partnership. Bridging the gap between home and school district family engagement network. California Partnership High Expectation Consulting. Integras. Hello, my name is G. Maria Gonzalez and I'm a parent leader with OXO in the Anaheim Elementary School District as well as a proud partner of the California Partnership. In September, I participated in the bridging the gap between home and school training with my district, Anaheim Elementary, a collaboration between the California Family Engagement Network, California Partnership, High Expectation Consulting, and OXO. These community partners are supporting

194our districts and schools by bringing together families, educators, and leadership, strengthen relationships, build trust, and advance a community schools model. At my school, this training inspired us to build on existing family events and intentionally integrate learning into those spaces. During our trick-or-treat event, teachers created literacy activities by grade level and families participated alongside their children. It was a great success. This is what community schools make possible. When families, educators, and community partners work together, we create joyful spaces for learning and stronger schools for all students. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, next caller with the last four digits, 1813, you are now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute. Okay. Um, the caller hung up. That concludes public comment for item number 18. >> We will now open for board discussions. Yes,

195member Yoshimoto Tawari. >> Thank you. I just wanted to also uh recognize that we have uh Central Valley Regional Technical Assistance Center staff here today, leaders uh Anita Cruz, Octavio Pentino, and Angela Rock. Thank you for being here. We appreciate you. Uh the the reason why it's important that we have um our regional technical assistance staff here as well is that um I'll give you an example. Last month all eight uh we call them artax regional technical assistance centers met together to focus on in a community of transformational practice to focus on inclusive practices and adult learning to support student success. um focusing on belonging and accessibility as opposed to simply accommodation for students with disabilities to address barriers to learning. And so the community school model is a great example of how the state

196is working from the policym so from the legislature to enactment uh implementation from state to the regional to the local level. Um, and so we're seeing it really play out nicely. And so, thank you for being here also. Any other comments from the board? >> Yes. >> No, I would just like to thank everyone for their presentation today and I appreciated the seeing the work come to life in the Deleno Union School District, my neighbors 30 minutes to the north. And just uh a comment for assistant superintendent uh Gregerson. You need to show a little bit more enthusiasm. >> Thank you for the presentation. >> Fabulous. Yes, member Rodriguez. >> Um I want to thank you all for being here and for such a wonderful presentation. Uh very uplifting and um also the public comment.

197Uh, it fills me with joy to hear the joy, the word joy used in learning. And I have a little note to self to write on my bulletin board in my classroom. You can be I'll have to, you know, adjust it for high school. You can be angry, but you don't have to be mean. So, I love that. Thank you. Uh I I I would like to add I think uh yesterday member Rosco Gonzalez brought up the importance of student advocacy and just seeing how a statewide student board was created through this initiative. It's very uplifting just different ways that our students can have a voice and assert their leadership. Really appreciate that. >> Yes, member Orosco Gonzalez. And I just want to say how exemplary it is to see um Delena put shared governance

198um to really exemplify those pillars uh by seeing not only um your local representatives but student advisory groups the teacher involvement um it's so impactful and I think that's why it's working so well. So I appreciate that. >> Member Ja Yeah, first I just wanted to echo what um all the other board members said, but again I'm just really appreciative that you have a CI advisory board, but not just a student advisory board, but that you also allow students to serve on like the actual just regular advisory board. I think that's just so integral. And so thank you for allowing students to become leaders in their own communities and to allow them to shape the future of their communities and especially as California continues to find and research ways to not only prioritize learning but

199prioritize the well-being of the students simultaneously. Um, I just think especially just the qualitative qualitative and quantitative data that we saw, um, of the success of the implementation of these restorative practices and programs like these, I just can't wait to see more California schools be able to have these resources and these programs. And yeah, I'm very hopeful for the future of California classrooms after this. >> Thank you, member Patil Brown. >> Um, I wanted to thank you all for coming out. I loved actually looking back and seeing you all cheering for your teammates. Um and and the charts actually it's it's a strange turn of phrase, but these charts feel joyful. um seeing the the steady climb um towards eliminating the distance from standard in both ELA and math and um the steady decreases in

200suspensions, expulsions, and increases in um uh ongoing attendance which are really honestly just beautiful, inspiring, um and thank you for sharing it with us. I I also want to um call out gratitude for the LPI study that sometimes it's easy to celebrate the sort of outlier and what is really exciting about the LPI study is is shows that it's not an outlier, right? That this is happening in many places around the state. Um which is incredibly exciting. I I do have one question about sort of the future of sort of what we're expecting to learn. Um I'm so delighted to see these um year one and year two data and um just wondering if you might comment a little bit about um those of us who are feeling now data greedy and wanting to know

201what's next. as someone's coming up to the podium. Um, Delena Unifi Union was featured in the New York Times for their their recovery for their test scores. >> Thank you for that question. Um, as the ESTAC is going to be conducting the outcome study which will include include quantitative and qualitative data, we are really looking at the how, right? We know that we should see a steady decrease in chronic absenteeism and suspensions which as President Darling Hammond mentioned will you know you know impact the the learning aspects in ELA and math and the climate and the culture aspects but we're really honing in also on these data studies around what services what supports what strategies which are part of the framework are actually leading to these tangibly so that we can replicate and scale across

202all schools, not just community schools that are funded through the grant. And so really thinking about that tying into the how and the why. >> Does does that mean that part of the project moving forward will also be more about narrowing the model sort of elements that are most impactful and >> very good point. Yes. So often when we when we provide uh transformational assistance around thinking about sustainability which um we need to right now it is thinking about progress monitoring. What aspects of the strategy are really uh contributing to increased impacts and substantial impacts? And what are some strategies where you know you're really just building the capacity of your families, your educators and your leaders in which that investment may not need to be continued with with resources. And so it is determining

203as well is when we think about sustainability if we can't sustain everything which we hope we can but if we are at the point where we can't it's it's providing more of a focus you're correct more of a focus and intention around what are some non-negotiables about ensuring that this strategy and this um this transformation continues to remain at our schools. Thank you so much again. This uh is anformational item. I would like to uh conclude this this item. Thank you Erica and Mindy for an amazing presentation and future to come. We now will break for lunch. We'll reconvene at 12:40. We will now reopen item one to take up with SVE screening committee recommendations regarding appointments to the advisory commission and charter schools, California practitioners advisory group and the instructional quality commission. The item

204will be presented by the screening committee chair, Vice President Glover Woods. Vice President Glover Woods, please begin. >> Thank you. Thank you so very much. And again, good afternoon everyone. Just wanted to share with you that the SBE screening committee met last month to select candidates to appoint to the advisory commission on charter schools, the California practitioners advisory group and the instructional quality commission and the IQC 202627 student board member position. um as I had shared with you on yesterday with the student SBE member applications and I want to just echo that same concept that we had a wonderful group of applicants this year uh from the educators who applied to the students who applied for the IQC student member position. We had a record number of over 90 applications that we screened for the

205positions that I will share with you shortly. The applications were reviewed by the screening committee on October 9th and 13th and candidates were selected to interview on October 14th and October 20th. Uh along with uh myself, members Lewis Escobedo and I interviewed candidates. Uh we were impressed with all the candidates and um as again I said LA yesterday in relation to the student board member positions. Uh it was just a very difficult task to um select just a few applicants uh because we have so many qualified um educators and students that are out there doing some great work in our schools. First, I will acknowledge the commissioner's recommended for reappointment to the advisory commission on charter schools. Um, one thing I do want to let you know also is that the individuals that are, if

206they are approved by the SVE, will begin their terms in January 2026. So, first we'll acknowledge commissioners that are recommended for reappointment to the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools, ACCS, for a two-year term. And these individuals are currently serving and again are recommended reappoint. Their names are Derek King and Mike Walsh. And Mike Walsh uh will continue to be appointed as chair. Next, I will acknowledge the members we are recommending for reappointment to the California Practitioners Advisory Group, also known as CPAG, and this would be for a two-year term. These individuals are Holly Letterly, Kelsey Carlson, and Samra Palco. The screening committee is also recommending the following three individuals for appointment to CPAG in a two-year term. The individuals are Jamie Rogers who is principal at Sierra Pacific High School, Emily Hermoio who is a

207multilingual department leazison at Ewanda School District and Ruben Aurelio who is the superintendent of the Vallejo City Unified School District. Additionally, the screening committee is recommending that Corey Greenlaw, who is assistant superintendent for the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, be appointed as chair and that Gabriella Tvidian, who is superintendent at Lennox School District, be appointed as vice chair of the CPAC. Continuing on, the screening committee is recommending three individuals for appointment to the instructional quality commission, the IQC, for a four-year term. Uh you got to see a lot of the work of the IQC at our first item today. Actually, so you know how important the those commissioner positions are. The individuals being recommended from the screening committee are Rebecca Lewis who is a curriculum coordinator at Whitmore Elementary School District, Julie Goldman, who is

208a director at the San Diego County Office of Education, and Bonnie Sides, who is a teacher on special assignment at Oxnard School District. Lastly, it's my pleasure to announce the candidate for the 2026 27 Instructional Quality Commission student member. Her name is Rebecca Yang and she is a junior at the Orange County School of Arts in the Orange County Office of Education. Her one-year term begins September 1st, 2026, and she will serve until June 30th, 2027. So congratulations to all the candidates and uh again the screening committee would like to recommend those who I've just shared for appointment to the commissions as was read. Thank you. >> You we will now open the phone lines for public comment. Members of the public wishing to provide comments on this item may do so by calling the

209telephone number using the access code provided on the slide as shown. Now, while we're waiting for members of the of the public to call in, I would like to ask member Lewis uh who's also served in this year's uh screening committee. Any comments? >> Just briefly to just support um the comments already made by Vice President Glover Woods. We had a lot of great candidates. We appreciate everyone who applied and um yeah, it's a great process. Thank you. And I also commend the collaboration of CDE in this process and our vice president's amazing organizational skills in keeping us focused. I truly appreciate that. So u are there any speakers signed up to provide public uh comments in person? >> There is no inperson public comment. >> Is there anyone waiting to provide public comments on

210the phone line? >> There are no callers in the queue. We will now open for board discussion. I see none. Do we have a motion? >> Member Lewis recommendations. I make a motion that we approve the recommendation for appointments to the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools, the California Practitioners Advisory Group, and the Instructional Quality Commission. >> Do we have a second? Okay. Member Rodriguez second. Brooks, can you please call the role? >> Member Yoshari, >> yes. >> Member Rodriguez, >> yes. >> Member Patillo Brownson, >> yes. >> Member Rosco Gonzalez, >> yes. Member Alen, >> yes. >> Member McQuillin, >> yes. >> Lewis, >> yes. Vice >> President Glover Woods, >> yes. >> Member Esco, >> yes. >> President Darlin Hammond, >> yes. >> Member GK, >> yes. >> Motion carries unanimously. >> Thank you.

211We will not take up item 19 with which is the update regarding uh the CTE model curriculum standards process. Approval of the arts, entertainment and design model curriculum standards, management and entrepreneurship model curriculum standards and the marketing and sales model curriculum standards. The CDE recommendation is for us to recommend and approve the updated CTE arts, entertainment and design model curriculum standards, the management and entrepreneurship model curriculum standards, and the marketing and sales model curriculum standards. And this item will be presented by Dr. Erica Torres, Mindy Parsons, and Allison Frenzel of the CDE with guest presenters. Matt Carl Carlson, chair of the CDE Industry Advisory Board, Michael Buckston, a CTE business instructor from Powe Unified School District, and Abby Snay, um, deputy secretary of the workforce strategy for the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Dr.

212Torres, >> thank you so much and good afternoon. >> I appreciate the opportunity to be with all of you today and um just want to thank and acknowledge all of you for your ongoing support and commitment to all of our students. Um my name is Erica Torres and I'm proud to serve as deputy superintendent of public instruction at the California Department of Education. And the branch that I support um is a student uh success and career readiness branch. And I am really honored to be here with all of you with amazing colleagues that are going to be presenting with me. Um we're going to provide an update on the career technical education model curriculum standards for three of our clusters. And we're really proud of this critical work. arts, entertainment and design, management and entrepreneurship,

213and marketing and sales. And what I'm really proud of is that this work really represents cross- sector collaboration representing voices from educators, industry partners, our students, workforce leaders throughout the state of California. And the California Department of Education has prioritized this important work because we really recognize how critical it is to ensure that all of our students are prepared for their futures and that our educators have the tools and resources and supports that they need to offer highquality and relevant instruction. As was referenced, um I have the honor of presenting with amazing leaders that are with us today, Dr. Mindy Parsons, Allison Frenzel, who has really championed this work on behalf of CDE, on behalf of all of our students in the state of California for many years. Um, and so today is a milestone

214and I'm so proud of their work. Matthew Carlson, Michael Buckton, and Abby Snayan. Each of these amazing leaders brings deep expertise and a shared commitment to preparing our students for college, career, and life. And just to give you an overview of our agenda for today, um we're going to provide you with an overview of the updated model curriculum standards, including alignment with the national career clusters framework. Um, we're going to provide you with information on the goals and guiding principles that shaped this critical work, ensuring alignment with state workforce priorities, industry needs, and the emerging trends such as youth apprenticeship, and technological investment. We're also going to provide you with key updates on arts, entertainment, and design, management, and entrepreneurship, and marketing and sales clusters. including the structural changes, the updated pathways, and the expanded

215standards. We're going to also share an overview of the process to develop um these standards such as the formation of the standards development committees, industry validation surveys, and the public feedback cycles that were really critical in this process. We're going to also share details with regards to the role of cross agency collaboration in this process especially with the California labor and workforce development agency and also in alignment which is really important for us in terms of coherence and sustainability uh with statewide initiatives like the career education master plan and skills passport. And so we're really proud of the updates that we're going to provide to all of you today. Um it's a dream come true to be here with all of you um and the amazing leaders that are going to be co-presenting. Um this

216is truly a result of a multi-year collaborative effort to ensure that our programs reflect both the needs of California students but also their aspirations. And so the California Department of Education um recommends that the state board of education approve the updated CTE model curriculum standards for arts, entertainment, and design, management, and entrepreneurship and marketing and sales. And we believe that these updates are critical to ensuring that our students are prepared for high wage and high demand career opportunities. And so with that, I am pleased to introduce Dr. Mindy Parsons, our director of our career and college transition division. Thank you. So I'll provide an overview. So the national career clusters framework provides a cohesive structure that connects education and the workforce. It aligns career technical education, CTE, with labor market and federal workforce data systems,

217ensuring programs are guided by real work demand and emerg emerging industry trends by linking classroom learning with career exploration and industry readiness. The framework helps students understand how academic concepts translate into practical career skills. It also enables a shared national structure for federal reporting, promoting consistency and accountability across states and programs. Ultimately, the framework enhances collaboration between educators and employers, ensuring that CTE programs are relevant, data informed, and designed to prepare students for success in a dynamic economy. So the CTE model curriculum standards are undergoing important vocabulary and terminology updates to better align with current practices in the framework. So we're transitioning from what we're using industry sectors now to career clusters. So this shift involves moving from the 15 industry sectors to 14 career clusters, streamlining the organizational structure while maintaining comprehensive coverage of

218our career pathways. Additionally, the standards terminology has been consolidated and clarified. So, the California standards for career ready practice and the anchor standards, those are the ones that we currently use now, will merge into a unified set called the career ready standards. This consolidation simplifies the standard structure and reduces redundancy. Now a new category is called career pathway standards and that has been introduced to address the competencies that span between multiple career areas and are essential across different career clusters. Meanwhile, the pathway standards will continue to be called pathway standards maintaining continuity for before the for the specific technical knowledge and skills that define individual career pathways within each cluster. These changes are designed to create a more more coherent and accessible standards framework for educators, students, and industry partners. So here are the 14

219career clusters. So we have advanced manufacturing, architecture, arts, entertainment design, construction, digital technology, education, energy and natural resources, financial services, healthcare and human services, hospitality, events and tourism, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, public service and safety and supply chain and transportation. So here we've put together crosswalks showing the 15 industry sectors and the alignment to the new 14 career clusters. And here are some of the changes between. So agriculture natural resources will now be updated to agriculture. Arts, media and entertainment that name will be changed to arts, entertainment and design. Building and construction trades will be updated to construction cluster. Now business and finance that's going to be broken up into two clusters. So um financial services and management and entrepreneurship, education, child development, family services will now just be called education, energy, environment, utilities

220will now be called energy and natural resources and in engineering architecture will now move into two clusters. It will be within the construction and advanced manufacturing clusters and the fashion and interior design has been moved to the arts entertainment design cluster. The remaining industry sectors reflect slight modifications when aligned to the new career clusters. As you will see, there are not a lot of changes within the naming conventions between industry sector and career and career clusters. California's move from the 15 industry sectors to 14 career clusters involves mostly minor changes. Most pathways will simply have updated names to align with national terminology and a few closely related rel related sectors will merge into more comprehensive clusters maintaining all essential content while improving organization. Now that we've covered the benefits of aligning to the national kirk

221clusters framework and the key terminology, I'll turn it over to Allison who will walk us through the CTE model curriculum standards development process. Hi everyone. Thank you so much for this opportunity. We've been waiting a long time to be here and I'm really honored and excited to be presenting this to you today. So my name is Allison Frenzo. I'm an education programs consultant in the career and college transition division and prior to that I was a classroom high school English teacher and CTE teacher for 15 years. So, um, before I jump into the development, I want to just extend a special thanks to all of the professional associations, the student leadership organizations, and the teacher organizations and associations that helped with this labor. Um first I want to thank a AIGA which is the professional

222association for design. The brick foundation which leads an entertainment industry think tank. The international alliance of theatrical stage employees IATSI which is the union for film and television production and um live entertainment. MBA research and curriculum who really led and supported the process for the management and entrepreneurship and marketing and sales clusters. California FCCLA, our student leadership organization, FBLA, DECA, Skills USA, and the AM Institute that supports 1500 plus teachers in the state of California supporting career technical education for arts, media, and entertainment, now to be called arts, entertainment, and design. So all of these entities were instrumental in the development process by supporting us with um humans that really contributed their content expertise and um I wanted to acknowledge them publicly here today. So I'm going to talk a little bit in more depth

223to some of the topics that Erica addressed in her introduction. Um first the thing that I want to express before I even start on the bullets here is the importance of having teacher input in this in this work. Um as a teacher and as somebody who understands the classroom implementation world um their voices were crucial to this process as were the voices of our industry advisory members and professionals that contributed. So as we uh waited for the national career clusters framework to be complete, it was completed in 2024. We were actually also able to support that work with some of the industry advisory members that that wrote our standards. So that was really exciting because these these processes were occurring concurrently. Um one of the most important things is understanding the college and career landscape

224in California and all of the work being done by our agency partners. So really really honing in on what's happening in the state um from the labor and workforce development agency perspective from the California Workforce Development Board perspective in our dual enrollment programs which are robust in CTE. We really wanted to make sure that all of these interest holders had a voice in this process. Um that was one of the key guiding principles. We also really wanted to focus this document on skills, knowledge and competencies. One of the things that was essential to the development was that if you have to ask what it means, it needs to be rewritten. So everything is extremely direct, extremely clear, extremely concise and that was really essential to this work. Um I want to be explicit that this

225is a guidance document. It is not a mandate. Right? What we are doing is providing teachers with a resource that they can pull from that as we like to say choose your own adventure to help steer their instruction. So that's something that's really important to understand as we're going through this presentation today. And then finally, um, one of the most exciting things for me around the new national career clusters framework, besides the fact that we will all be required to report our Perkins to that framework by 2027, is the fact that it was intentionally integrated into the ONET database, which is the the database that we're able to pull up labor market information around any occupation. So now our teachers in schools who under want to better understand their regional workforce needs can go in

226to ONET. They can search by career cluster and they can pull up or curate a list of occupations specific to their pathway. Those occupations tell us whether they're right outlook. You can search for college programs in your region. It's really an amazing resource and it's all fully embedded now. So, um, those are just some of the Oh, and and I would be remiss to not state the importance of aligning to our state priority of expanding registered apprenticeship and youth apprenticeship. So, I am also the youth apprentichip lead here at CDE. And so the work was done really intentionally with our partners at the Division of Apprenticeship Standards to make sure that our our our CTE programs can more effectively align and map to those um those programs that exist, making youth apprenticeship a much more

227viable reality here in California. Okay, let's see if I can find the cursor. Okay. So, I touched on this briefly, but one of the things that I think is important to understand about the the model curriculum standards for CTE is these are different than what we see in our academic standards. As a secondary English teacher, um I'm very familiar with the scope and sequence, the the grade level or band standard model. Industry standards, these are reaching for industry readiness. So, these standards are are not grade banded. They are the ultimate goal and they are designed to be differentiated. They are they are the what, not the how. So that's something important to note um with this process is that regardless of your your grade level, these can be differentiated and and modeled and adapted to

228level of instruction, grade level. RCTE classes are not grade leveled. Generally, there's multi-grades within a class. So that's one of the intentional reasons that they are designed this way. Um really the goal is to identify what students should be able to know, understand, and do by the end of a CTE pathway. But it is not expected that somebody, it's actually probably impossible for somebody to cover all of these standards in their class or in their pathway. It's more designed for them to be as like a menu of of options for their lesson design. They are also organized in a way that is um very occupationally aligned. So, so it's now very clear if I'm at a design, visual and media arts pathway for instance, but my focus is animation, I have a very clear road

229map on what should be covered in an animation class versus a design and graphic arts class. So, they're organized in a way that should make it much easier for teachers to understand what to cover. Okay, let's see. I think I need to go back a slide. Sorry. Okay, I'm skipping ahead. This is my PC literacy here. There we go. Okay, great. Thank you. So, a little bit of our process. Um, I've stated some of this, but one of the goals to form these standards development committees was to make sure there was content expertise from the teach teachers and the industry professionals who participated. um we leaned heavily on our professional organizations and associations to support that and we um formed these committees some of them were formed over co actually so we had a lot

230of time of industry professionals to participate during that that moment um and that's for the arts entertainment and design standards that process was extensive um it's our largest sector we have 261,000 students in the state of California approximately in arts media and entertainment pathways is currently and so that process started um and over 180 individuals contributed to the development of that document over the course of three years. The first step was to do an assessment of the 2013 standards. What should we keep? What's redundant? What needs to be updated? Um and that process was what was undertaken by both the teachers and who had been using these standards in their classrooms and the industry professionals who are looking at them for the first time. So that was step one. We did these they were we

231we did this through a process that we're calling industry validation surveys. Um I think we renamed it standards validation surveys because we're sending those out to educators as well. and and they basically ranked the old standards. Are these critical? Should we retain them? Um we still recommend these or we're neutral and no, these are no longer needed. Then we were able to synthesize that information and identify through multiple working groups what was missing, what do we need to add, what are the technological advancements that are coming. I will tell you right now, and I think Matthew Carlson will speak a little bit briefly more about this, but AI started in the midst of this process. like it literally it was like boom here it is and so now we had to re-evaluate some of these

232conversations right and so that was also a really interesting dialogue that took place um these groups participated in the writing review and revision cycles there were several writing workshops one-on-one sessions etc to get these to the point that they are today and then they released we were able to release them for public comment we were very intentional about the public comment process um many incredible comments came in and we actually went through and and updated the standards as a result of those comments, especially some from our labor partners who really wanted intentional language around workers rights and whatnot. And so, um, that was actually a really helpful part of this process. And then finally, we completed our final review and we pulled everyone together. We invited everyone who leaned into this document or all three

233documents to participate in a three-hour session where we went through every change and had the thumbs up, right? And so that was the final review process of this um the development. So just to reiterate, it was a very collaborative development process. Um I like to rally people with like-minded and passionate um interest in these subjects. And so we had a lot of buyin from our educator and our industry experts to work through this with me. It was exciting. It's it's exciting to be able to have a voice in this work. And so I I I feel honored by the amount of time people contributed to this work volunteered voluntarily. Um our goal was really to ensure these standards were current, relevant and aligned with workforce needs. Um so we did work closely with with as

234I mentioned industry to do so. Also very iterative review process. They went under multiple review cycles. As I mentioned, when when AI emerged in our worlds, we had to go through and do an additional review and make sure that language aligned with our CDE guidance. So, I worked very closely to with with um our CDE lead on that work here to make sure that that language was appropriate and in alignment. And um and we wanted clarity. It should mean what it says. And that was a big part of this work. Something else to note is there was a lot of redundancy in the 2012 or 2013 standards. Um instead of saying this is one of the reasons the cross pathway standards emerged. We'd find the same standard in every single pathway. So one of the

235the template was kind of developed as a result of this process like why are we repeating this over and over again? Let's roll it up into a cross pathway standard set. And so that's how the new template emerged was just to eliminate the redundancy. say it once in a place. It applies to all pathways within the sector. And then again, the final review process was very collaborative as well and everyone was invited to to participate in that. And so the template includes these three components and I always disc I should have created the visual of an inverted triangle, but I always discuss this as an inverted triangle. So our career ready standards are universal for all of the 14 clusters. And these will actually undergo review through every advisory in every industry because we need

236to get these right. Um 1 through 12 they are the essential workplace skills. They include academic integration, critical thinking, digital literacy, decision making, management, leadership, those types of skills. The cross pathway standards are those new component to the the template which addresses the interdisciplinary skills, knowledge and competencies that apply to all pathways within a cluster. This was the avoid redundancy piece of this document. They are both prerequisite and co-requisite. I'm going to say that as an adult, I'm still learning some of these things, right? And so as we move this document forward, we we're looking at it as as a as a as a guidance document that that we know that no one's going to master everything in this document, but it's the things that we should be making sure our teachers are including in

237their instruction or at least have at the tip of their fingers as a resource. And then finally, the pathway standards build on the career ready standards and cross pathway standards to incorporate the more technical skills, the practical application and the industry practices. And these are organized by those focus areas that I had mentioned earlier when I gave the animation example. So everything's very clearly organized now. It's all intentionally aligned to our occupation code set that we find in ONET that's universal. So you can search labor market information very easily now for your pathways and and so that is um that is our development process. So at that um I am going to it is my honor to introduce my advisory chair for the arts entertainment and design industry standards development kit committee. Matt Carlson um

238is the director of user experience and fonts and drawing and education at Adobe. And he is here today to talk to you about the process that and he's worked for Twitter and Facebook and multiple creative agencies. and he is here to talk about the um the process that he helped me lead with the industry workg groups. >> Hi everyone. I'm um thank you so much for allowing me to come and visit and speak to all of you today. Uh I have never felt more lucky or more nervous uh despite the fact that I present to you know creative stuff all the time. But I'm here today to talk about the arts, entertainment, and design um pathway and kind of walk you through some of the process that we've gotten there. So, first let's just go

239through the timeline. This began um in December 2021 um back smack in the midst of COVID as uh as um Allison mentioned and this that was where we dove into the standards development process. I'll walk in through that in great depth. We developed the first set of standards and put it up to public comment on December 22nd and then we um let it kind of stew for a while uh until March 2025 where we went through a standards revision process and kind of broadened out to encompass all of AED and then a second round of public comment and then separate 2025 was our final review meeting. I'm just going to go through some of the changes and we u we touched on them earlier but here was the original set. You know the 2013 version

240was arts, media and entertainment which encompassed design, visual and media arts, performing arts, production and managerial arts, game design and integration. And as we mentioned those have gone through some shifts. So the overall shift was um bringing design up to arts, entertainment and design. Now it's part of the um of the overall cluster and the name of the cluster within design. That's design, visual arts and media arts which includes game design. We wrapped that into um into the first cluster. Also, performance, music and live entertainment, media production and fashion and interior design was once again brought in through some of the national um CTE efforts. Performing arts once again to expand on that performance that's in performance, music and live entertainment. Performing arts was expanded to include stage technology and renamed per our SDC recommendations.

241Production and managerial arts has shifted to media production. So production manual arts once again renamed to align with the industry terminology per per the SDC recommendations. Fashion design and and merch merchandising interior design through that national effort was brought into this cluster because there's so many overlapping threads. Yeah. And we'll talk about that in a moment. No pun intended. So fashion design and merchandising and interior design were relocated under AED. Um and then game design and integration. There's so many overlaps between design, visual arts and media arts with game design that it felt like a natural fit. So game design is now included in design, visual and media arts pathways. So my role in all of this um was u being brought into first I was a participant and invited to participate in some of

242the process but um I'm pretty good at facilitation. So pretty quickly I became more of a chair of the arts entertainment and design advisory council. So I led SDC meetings. I facilitated a range of brainstorms and workshops. We'll go through those in more depth in just a moment with industry leaders and educators from CT programs in California public high schools and community colleges and universities and some art schools as well that were very concerned or not concerned but um invested and passionate about the education happening across California high schools so that people could be ready to um step into arts programs and I also was a co-author of the career ready standards the cross pathway standards and design visual and media arts pathway standards and as part of this process Um I think Allison mentioned

243she also roped me into the national SCTE um process and so I played a role in working with a a really broad range of people in helping to define those clusters. So I want to take a moment this is just a a small sampling of some of the people that were involved. What we did is we brought together um leaders in um from academic leaders in arts, entertainment and um and design from a a very broad range of California high schools, community colleges, some California universities and uh and then um some art schools that once again were were really cared about the state of arts in California and we married those or we brought the we also brought together a broad range of creative industry professionals from agencies, design studios, tech companies um and marketing

244studios, a a broad range of creative businesses, companies, and and organizations. Allison mentioned the Brick Foundation as well. Um and IATS, I'm sorry, I s and I should have that I can down by now. But we brought all these groups together so that we could look at at um the way that that creative industries and arts overlapped, identify best practices, identify career paths and job titles, identify all the clusters within that, and then begin to look for some overlaps. And so next I'm going to walk through a bit of the process that we took. And also I am a Mac person, so forgive me. Okay, looking for the mouse. And there we go. I do use computers every day. >> Got it. >> Okay, so the first step of the process was once again discovering

245and defining. We we had weekly workshops with that broad multi-disiplinary advisory group, sometimes the full group, sometimes breaking into small groups for three months. Um all of these were remote which allowed us to bring a really broad range of people to contribute to the conversation. We did these through virtual brainstorms and design workshops and we looked to define what were the best pract practices, what were the um career names and career paths from high school to college and on um and begin to look at um what were those sort of those really strong overlaps and what were the exceptions where things diverged and went into unique careers. That looking at the overlaps helped us build this really strong creative foundation, the things that we thought anyone within arts, entertainment or design should know and then

246we're able to look at specialization beyond that. That fed into the development of the standards themselves where we where we took all those findings from those broader conversations and those workshops and we took a smaller group and we began to kind of build out that unified set of recommendations for arts, entertainment and design across the full range and then a series of drafting refining revisions. There were um I'll mention that we did surveys through this as well at many steps in the process to make sure that we were looking at the right set of best practices, the right creative foundations, the right career fields to get that feedback even as we were writing the standards. So then we worked with that focused small team of contributors to draft and refine and then really figure out

247how we could take what we knew from the industry side and begin to connect it to the way that teachers wanted to teach, needed to teach, how they needed to reach the students. So uh rounds and rounds of validation both validation back at those early assumptions when we shared some of the um specific best practices and the kind of career paths and quite a few different career paths had evolved since the first set of the standards in 2013. We were looking at a radically different set of industries and opportunities. So we validated early, we validated also the um different drafts of the standards as they went and then finalizing we refined the MCS and then looked towards final drafts which are what we're going to be um have finally reached. So before I hand it

248off and I think Allison's going to come back up and introduce the next speaker, I just wanted to say this has been um an incredible process in helping a broad range of industry professionals connect and connect with teachers, connect with educators, connect with academic leaders so that we can help figure out how we can start crafting together to help students find those future creative careers. And it's been a really meaningful process. And as someone who um uh outside my day job at Adobe, I do quite a bit of outreach in Oakland Unified School District, LA Unified School District, and San Francisco Unified School District. And being able to be part of this and and understand the way that we can connect creative careers to creative education has been um a real uh joy for me.

249So, thank you very much. >> Wow. Thank you, Matt. Um so it is my pleasure to introduce uh a teacher who is here today to speak on behalf of the educator perspective of this process. He was instrumental in the writing and revision process of the management and entrepreneurship and business and I got still getting the names right in my head marketing and sales clusters. Um he is a CTE business teacher. He is also the president-elect of DECA, one of our student leadership organizations. and he is um he's he's with Powe Unified School District. So, it is my pleasure to introduce Michael Buckton. >> Uh good afternoon. Thank you to the board and thank you to CT CDE for having me today. Um thank you to Molly Anderson and Allison Fronzel of CDE for really championing

250this process. And uh thank you to my students who allowed me to uh uh leave and their grace uh during finals week. Um and uh if you've already haven't already seen uh this has been a really become a family in this process to create really good standards to allow teachers and those of us in the classroom to really empower our students to learn and to really engage in the process of these career uh technical education pathways. um and really have a choose your own adventure for us in the classroom to have student voice to see what students want to learn. Uh take the local standards of our courses that we teach and really empower our students in the learning process through these standards instead of uh standards we sometimes look as a teacher kind of

251handcuffs in the way that we teach. Uh this is not that way. This is this has very much been developed in a process in which we are allowed to to teach in a choose your own adventure fashion to really empower our students. So, I just want to give a a big thank you to the army of people who uh really came together to look at these standards and uh build something that's really going to be powerful um in the classroom uh for those of us that uh are going to use these to to create great minds for people like Matt to hire. So just uh uh going through the process similar to Matt and what he did with the AED standards um for I mean looking at the market and the management entrepreneurship and marketing

252and sales um our timeline was somewhat similar but a little shorter. It was over a one-year period of time uh in which now retired Molly Anderson um kind of led the process and now has been championed by Alison Fronzel. So, and also looking at the changes that Matt went over. Um, I'm going to be looking at the changes that we uh looked at in these two uh two clusters. Um, now from uh sectors to clusters. So we had the marketing, sales and services uh sector which included uh professional sales, marketing um entrepreneurship and self-employment and now is going to be the uh cluster of marketing and sales including marketing, advertising and public re relations, digital marketing and retail and customer experience. So in marketing we expanded marketing to incorporate marketing, advertising and public relations. Uh

253we also in looking at professional sales and consumer services we have uh expanded it to be retail and uh customer experience. Uh we actually moved uh consumer services from the fashion interior design sector um per the advanced CTE national framework. Um and then we renamed it retail and customer service or customer experience uh to reflect uh the addition in the growing expanse of of marketing and really looking at the careers uh that marketing um en encompasses. uh we have uh created a new um pathway of digital marketing um per SDC um recommendations from SDC uh in looking at those um kind of expanding of the of the industry in looking at the sector of business and finance which used to incorporate business management, financial services and international business. We are now going to incorporate the

254cluster of management and entrepreneurship uh through business management, entrepreneurship um and business law, regulation and corporate responsibility. Uh the financial services component of the sector of business and finance will then be moving into the financial services cluster. Um we have removed international business from being its own its own um element and is now incorporated into every element of these different um pathways as international business is a aspect of um many if not all of these pathways. Um and then looking at the entrepreneurship and self-employment um is now created the entrepreneurship uh pathway with um entrepreneurship and self-employment uh being moved uh to marketing, sales and service to align with the advanced uh CTE framework in looking at kind of expanding these to create a more new um pathways to incorporate what we're doing in the

255classroom such as my business law classes that I teach um business law regulation andor corporate responsibility um is going to be now a new subcluster in the uh is going to be a new uh pathway in response to it being a new subcluster in the advanced CTE framework um and was added per SDC recommendations. So why are teacher like teachers like me excited about these pathways or these these new standards is it really it lets us have a choose your own adventure in our classroom. It allows us to take the topics that we choose to teach per local controls, our courses, um, tying tying in with our local advisory boards and really lets us use our good teaching practices to engage all students from universal design from learning, project-based learning, cultures of thinking, and whatever

256we're doing in the classroom to empower all students from um, English learners, special education students um, in all of those students in my if you walked into my classroom right now, you're going to see students from all aspects of learning. Um those from uh EEL to special education to those that already own their own businesses. And I believe that these standards are going to be a really good framework for teachers to allow us to empower and engage all of those students as they start to explore uh what they're going to do for a living and what they're going to uh do in their careers and how they're going to find their way working for Matt. Um so it's really um gives clear structure to teachers that support a skills-based and project based implement implementation. Um

257they're aligned with industry expectations of CTE programs. Uh they're usually userfriendly. They're direct um and understandable for teachers and students and really allows for uh teacher and student choice and the standards. Um it's also going to support new CTE teachers with clear cleral guidance. um those of us that have been new CTE teachers, it's a it's a struggle to become a teacher um in the CTE lens and kind of knowing what to teach and how to teach it and all these different things. And I think these standards will when a new teacher reads them or even an experienced teacher reads them, they're going to start getting ideas of what they're going to do in their classroom, which I think is very empowering for a teacher and for our students. And kind of the way that

258these standards work, we kind of did this a little bit differently. So we broke it up into four. Each pathway is broken up into four different categories that of skill building, process and practice, career exploration and advanced technology and impact. Basically, it's looking at a bunch of skills that these uh students are going to learn, different ways they can implement them with deliverables that would be a representation from industry. uh the career expectations of the actual careers in which these translate to and then the technology such as AI, social impact and other elements that this pathway incorporate incorporates um into kind of the knowledge of the of the working world. So in this it allows students to have provides clear expectations for students to know what they are learning know what they're being asked to

259demonstrate and how it will impact their career journey also how it impacts the greater world. um teachers. uh it gives us the de uh detailed uh curricular guidance and skills-based student learning outcomes and it also incorporates with the co-curricular um CTSOs of DECA, FBA and Skills USA to really um allows us a structure to align to those uh competitive elements of those competitionbased organizations and then allow students to then engage in those competition structures to then empower them to go into the workforce. course. So again, I just want to say uh thank you for being here and thank you for the work of the team and for everyone uh that's created standards that which we can really use in the classroom to empower our students learning. Thank you. >> Great. Thank you. And it is

260my honor to present our next speaker today. um one of my collaborative partners at the workforce labor and workforce development agency um Abby Snay has been an instrumental cross agency partner for us at CBE and we're so honored to have her here today to speak about the alignment to the workforce priorities and initiatives in the state and how these standards and this work will support continued collaboration. Thank you so much for the honor to speak with you today. I have spent my entire career working at the intersection of education and workforce development, 40 years building partnerships at the local level and then these last six years at the state. And I was surprised perhaps naively um when I joined the state of the silos and the lack of connection among these different functions and have

261spent much of my time building those connections with the department of education with really Allison as an amazing partner and the chancellor's office in multiple ways and would like to tell you about some of them. Um, a priority of mine and part of my motivation for joining the state labor agency was to really do a better job at the local level and our public workforce system serving youth. We we don't do that as well as we should, especially opportunity youth, disconnected youth. And um over the last few years, we've been able to target funding and program development for the kinds of programs that we know work best um for young people and adults. Um programs that are sector focused. They start with a job and then go back and train skills for those particular jobs.

262They're cohort-based. We know the power of how youth and adults really bond and support each other in the classroom. We use a trauma informed lens and surround students with the supports they need. We integrate literacy foundational and technical skills for good quality jobs. We also know that sector strategies and I'm going to start using the career cluster language and and really like that um are the most effective workforce strategies. Again, you start with the jobs focusing on good quality jobs and design programs to train people for those jobs. We've really been able to grow and deepen our partnerships with CDE, the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, the State Workforce Board, and the Chancellor's Office to support sector strategies across state agencies, and do this in a way to coordinate program development, align sector definitions, more on

263that in a minute, and partner on employer and industry connections. I think one really good example is the youth apprenticeship committee which was set up through legislation a couple of years ago and um also have to praise Allison for her leadership on that youth apprenticeship committee um developed a set of policy recommendations to expand youth apprenticeship in California with CDE in a lead role. We're just waiting for the green light to release that report, but it calls for the establishment of a high school career apprenticeship that would enable a high school student to complete an apprenticeship in high school and then continue post high school to get to the the journey level. Um, we've also worked closely together on the California Art Commission's creative economy working group and um think Allison and I uh join

264forces to really center education and workforce solutions in the broad analysis and recommendations around the creative economy centering earn and learn strategies and build on the impressive work that you've heard about today that CDE has been doing at the state level and at the local level in arts and and media and you got such a great example listening from that um and and seeing his industry leadership from Adobe. So recently um we we have an informal um sector team under the labor agency and recently and you know again with with Allison really in the lead bringing the new advanced CTE framework to our attention we've been looking at it as an opportunity to align sector definitions across state entities as a way of creating seamless pathways shared program development velment and industry partnerships. I mean,

265what if we actually all use the same definitions um and want to keep that vision? Uh at our last meeting um last month, we brought the chancellor's office centers of excellence into our discussion and you probably know that the centers of excellence are the is the entity that defines sectors for the colleges to use in program development and they are gradually moving towards adoption of the framework. I think given their parameters we'll do that um on their own time incrementally. Um but if the ch if the colleges and the um K- through2 system use the same framework, you can see how that's going to increase opportunities for more seamless transition of young people as well as partnership on um cross- sector pathways. Um so just having a shared language and structure will enhance apprenticeship development,

266workforce and education partnerships and serve as a bridge across some of the states major efforts across the career education master plan and the jobs first economic blueprint. The career education master plan, as you may know, calls for the creation of a career passport. This will be a digital wallet that will enable students and workers to demonstrate the credentials that they've earned and the skills developed in both academic and ultimately work-based setting to use as a tool for applying for jobs. especially a tool to encourage employers to move away from credentials based hiring using a four-year degree as a proxy for a certain level of of co cognitive and foundational skills and um to also be used as a tool for career navigation and planning. Um I'm excited that the labor agency as part of our

267partnership on the career passport with the um department of education with the chancellor's office with the department of finance with cradle to career is leading the work on a credentials registry. Actually at 4 today we have our our kickoff meeting for our steering committee and the credentials registry which already exists in about 30 other states will be a set of industry valued and vetted credentials that will be one of the building blocks of the career passport and a tool to expand the use of skills-based hiring as I mentioned and expand in doing so expand opportunities for people who may not have four-year degrees but have developed skills in both academic and work-based settings. The credentials registry will support and enhance the community colleg's expansion of credit for prior learning through which they are awarding college

268credit for skills and credentials attained outside of traditional community college classrooms and will support student career exploration and early experience using the lens and the structure of the cluster framework. We also now have the opportunity to expand financial support for short-term training through workforce pel approved this summer through HR1 and we'll be encompassing guidelines and policy for workforce pel in California um and see the through this same structure and see the credentials registry as a tool in guiding policy around workforce PEL eligibility and implementation. So again, thank you so much for being here and um you know, thanks to you Alex Allison for your endlessly creative thinking and partnership. >> Thank you, Abby. So the CTE will be implementing the revised um CT model curriculum standards through a phased approach over the next couple years.

269So phase one is what we are presenting um today. Phase two is scheduled for completion and presentation to the state board of education November 2026 while phase three will follow the completion of presentation to the state board of education November 2027. Each career cluster has been strategically assigned to either phase two or phase three based on the availability and readiness of key stakeholders including standards development committees, industry representatives and educational partners. This phase timeline ensures that each career cluster receives the necessary input and expertise from all stakeholder groups to produce highquality relevant standards that meet both educational and industry needs. The CDE is committed to supporting the successful transition of the CTO curriculum standards through sustained collaboration and comprehensive support. will be working closely with the California Commission on Teacher Credentiing to ensure that the

270the designated subject credentials are aligned to the CTE model curriculum standards. We will also be working with Calpads to ensure our course codes and career pathways are updated, providing the data infrastructure necessary for accurate tracking and reporting. And then throughout each phase of the CT modern curriculum standard update approval process, we'll maintain active engagement with both industry partners and our educators. Through these coordinated efforts across credentiing, data systems, local support, stakeholder engagement, we are ensuring that California CT programs have the foundation they need to prepare students for meaningful careers. And so with that, the California Department of Education recommends that the state board of education approve the updated CT model curriculum standards for art, entertainment, design, management, entrepreneurship, and marketing, and sales. This does conclude our presentation. I want to thank you so much for

271allowing us to present today, and we welcome any questions that you may have for us. And it's truly a celebratory item. It took a long time to get here today. Allison, other education partners, um, industry partners, it took them, they've been working on these standards for years, and so we're very excited to be presenting to you today on phase one. >> Thank you so much for the amazing presentation and collaboration that took some time to gather around and agree to. So, thank you. Um, we will now open our phone line for the public comment queue. Members of the public wishing to provide comment on this item may do so by calling the telephone number using the access code provided on the slide that is shown. Now, while we're waiting, I will like our liaison, member

272McQuillin and member Rodriguez, if they have any initial comments. >> Well, thank you. Thank you for the great presentation. Very exciting. And u the key words I take away with is alignment and the strengthening of alignment between uh education and the real word real world industries and then connecting classroom learning career exploration and industry readiness. I I think that's just fantastic in bringing that together and u these standards have not been updated in some time several years and it's time definitely time to update them. I also think about my first grade uh granddaughter and the jobs for the future that we are sometimes trying to strain to understand what those jobs in the future will be, you know. And I I think will will she be a a cyber security analyst in the future or

273will she be a a 3D specialist printer or an AI technician or other jobs that we are trying to imagine that uh will be there for her. She's a first grader right now in a school that really pushes the arts and entertainment. So I appreciate the standards update there. Uh but uh thank you for the great presentation and uh all your work. >> Member Rodriguez. >> Thank you member McQuillin. Um said it all and I will just uh continue by thanking uh thanking you for all the work the industry partnership. This presentation was uh very uplifting as a creative person who encourages creativity in the classroom. Um, you know, I was like holding on to all your words and I do use Adobe products. Um, but uh and you know, a former uh as a

274former visual and performing arts coordinator uh where we had you know a arts arts media entertainment um as a component just listening to the choose your own adventure and the ability to um unleash right which is what creativity should be. uh teachers to be able to um implement this in the classroom and take our students into the future. So, thank you so much. >> You So, are there any speakers signed up to provide public comment in person? >> There are eight people signed up for inerson public comment. Please remember to state your name and affiliation for the record when it's your turn to speak. Will the following five people please line up at the microphone in the back of the room. Angela Steagall, Lindseay Tornator, Michael Buckton, Clay Mitchell, and Sarah Brandon. Forgive me. Let's

275scratch Michael Bton as he was a part of the presentation. >> Hi, Sarah Brennan on behalf of NextGen California. NextGen is a black le nonprofit that works to advance sorry um policies and programs focused on equity and justice for all Californians. Deeply embedded in our work is addressing economic inequality and facilitate facilitating the development of pathways to quality family sustaining careers with a focus on realizing the potential of non-traditional apprenticeships. For that reason, we are pleased to offer our strong support and appreciation for these updated California career technical education model curriculum standards. By bridging skills and competencies with applied hands-on learning, the standards strengthen the connection between secondary, post-secary, and workforce systems, creating a clearer, more accessible routes to many meaningful careers. This alignment ensures that students not only gain technical and academic proficiency, but

276also develop the problem solving, communication, and teamwork skills essential for success in any field. Given the rapidly changing nature in the labor market and economy, it's imperative that our workforce and educational systems are aligned to ensure that all students have the opportunity, skills, and experience needed to successfully navigate pathways to quality careers. NextGen California looks forward to supporting California's continued commitment to advancing this work and to partnering with the state board of education and other stakeholders to advance highquality CTE and work-based learning systems. Thank you. >> Good afternoon. My name is Klay Mitchell. I serve as the state executive director for Skills USA California. I represent over 50,000 plus students and professional members across the state of California. one of six current technical student organizations. We are very excited to see the model curriculum standards

277finally be updated. I served on the committee that originally wrote these many many years ago and it's it's well overdue and we appreciate that. Um, the new model curriculum standards will provide and inspire the teachers and the students with great opportunities and give them quality career and technical programs that are going to lead to quality choices and lifetime success. Thank you for your time. >> Good afternoon. I'm still Angela Steel and I'm a classroom teacher representing the California Teachers Association. We appreciate the long overdue updates to the CTE model curriculum standards and the phased approach to updating career clusters. It is crucial that educators are not negatively impacted by the change to the career clusters and we urge the CDE to work closely with the CTC during the transition. We also request that future items

278provide more detail regarding the collaboration between the agencies and what is being done to ensure accurate alignment. As the process continues, CTA emphasizes the importance of educator feedback in the development of standards in all industry clusters and we look forward to future opportunities to engage in this process and uplift teacher voice. Thank you. >> Will the following please line up? Jack Mitchell, Amos Nent, and Alyssa Gonzalez. Ongoing standards revision is a critical component to keep education relevant. My name is Jack Mitchell. I was a classroom teacher in LA Unified School District for 22 years and I held Miss Frenzil's position here at CDE from 2007 to 2020. While at CDE, I had the opportunity to work on three different standards revision processes. The National Core Art Standards 2011 to 2013, the California Arts Standards from

2792017 to 2019, and the CTE standards from 2012 to 2013. The fundamental difference between academic standards and CTE standards revision is one of urgency. Industry practices change much more rapidly than academic content and pedigogy. While the emergence of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship as a pipeline to careers increases the importance of workforce involvement in the new standards has been gamechanging. California students will not be ready for apprenticeship and career opportunities until they have the industry relevant standards to guide classroom instruction. These standards will ensure a robust workforce in California led by California students. Good afternoon, state board members and public. My name is Dr. Amos the third and I have the privilege of serving as the director of career pathways and adult learning with the Pleasanton Unified School District. I'm here today to share a brief story

280that really reinforces the importance of updated industry standards to help ensure CT students are current, ensure that this competency based work serves as a model for youth apprenticeship and really highlight the value of the ONET codes being embedded. Our team has had the privilege of establishing the first competencybased youth apprenticeships here in the state of California in the areas of cyber security and robotics. We launched that program and registered that with DAS. Excuse me. We registered that with DAS and launched it last year. We had two completers finish last school year and become journey persons in cyber security. So to the trustee that said his first grader wants to be in cyber security, we got you covered. Our students receive certificates of recognition from our local assembly member, our uh local representative from the US.

281Uh Mr. >> Speaker, your time is up. >> Thank you. Hello, Alyssa Gonzalez. I'm the state director of California Future Business Leaders of America and a former business teacher and high school assistant principal who oversaw the CTE programs at my site. Um, FBA is one of the six recognized uh CTSOs in California and we're currently updating our competitive events. Now, the co-curricular piece of FBLA is so important because we teach in the classroom what the students get to practice in competition and those competitions are on our national level aligning with career clusters. So, it's very important that our curriculum is up to date here in California so that those students are learning in the classroom what they'll be able to practice in their comp um competitive events in FBLA. Not to mention that business moves

282very quickly and staying up to date with those industry standards will allow our students to gain internships and other um very important skills that they'll need for jobs in the workforce today. So, thank you for your time. >> We will now move to public comment on the phone line. >> Uh we have 10 callers in the queue. I will open the phone line now. Uh caller with the last four digits 1813, you are now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute. Oh, >> go ahead, caller. >> Hello. Can you hear me? >> Yes, we can. >> Okay, thank you. Hi, distinguished members of the California State Board of Education. My name is Kate Kramer, executive director of ANCT. On behalf of my organization, I want to extend our strong support of the

283new CT model curriculum standards, which brings California's CT system into alignment with the newly modernized National Career Cultures Framework. The modernized career cultures framework was released in October 2024 by advanced DT after extensive and inclusive two-year development process which is anchored in labor market data, direct industry input and validation from the education field. The updated framework represents a comprehensive reimagining of how CT programs and studies are structured, reflecting state's evolving economy and the skills essential for learner success. The framework was designed to be flexible, enabling California to identify the standards that are most important to your community while organizing in a way that facilitates collaboration and shared learning with other states, a critical advantage in increasingly mobile and interconnected country. Importantly, this rep represents the first major update to the state CT standards in over

284a decade. Given the need for CT system to be responsive to industry demands, changes to labor market, and learners needs, the modernization of California standards is essential for the state's competitive edge and economic prosperity. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Uh, next caller with the last four digits, 0632. You are now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute. >> Uh, good morning, president, board members, and superintendent. My name is Kevin Lee, and I teach film and video production in the arts, media, and entertaining pathway at Marco Antonio Fireball High School in Lynwood Unifi. I want to express my strong support for the new California arts, media, and entertainment model curriculum standards, especially as they relate to film and media education. Every day I see how powerful film could be in the

285lives of students. It gives them a voice, a way to tell their own stories and a path toward meaningful careers in one of California's most vibrant industries. In analyzing the screenplay structure, story, and performance in Rocky, we learn courage. In applying the themes and relationships of Karate Kid, we learn how to stand up to bullies and cope with missing parents. In watching excerpts from Bong Jung-ho, we learn the power of production, design, class analysis, and editing. Applying all these visuals and lessons to our lives and work, these new standards truly reflect the realities of today's film and media landscape. They empower teachers like me with clear industry aligned guidance that keeps classrooms learning relevant whether students are behind the camera in the editing suite or developing digital content. I want to thank Allison Franzel and

286the industry contributors who helped shape the vision. Their work ensures that film education California isn't just about making movies. It's about preparing students to be creative problem solvers, storytellers, and innovators. Thank you to the board for recognizing the value of film education, giving both students and teachers the tools we need to succeed. >> Thank you, caller. Uh, next caller with the last four digits. Uh, 4321, you are now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute. >> Good afternoon, esteemed board of education. My name is Rose Gonzalez. I'm the senior director of CTE, ROOP, and partnerships for our Compton Unified School District. Here in Compton, we truly appreciate the intersegmental cross collaboration that went into the development of these standards. This new design will allow us to offer more innovative programs of study

287through the flexible course sequencing within the career clusters. We also appreciate the alignment to the ONET standard occupational classification system. This feature will uh is crucial as we continue to develop and implement registered pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships aligned to each of our CTE pathways. We also look forward to Compton USD teachers joining the standards development committees for the career clusters in phases two and three. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Uh next caller with the last four digits 0519. You are now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute. >> California's AED teachers have been waiting for this day for many years. Thank you to the board for investing in our students, educators, and the future of our state's creative industries. My name is Ashley Adams and I'm the executive director of the

288Arts, Media, and Entertainment Institute. These new AED standards affirm California's commitment to ensuring that our classrooms are truly industry aligned, where students learn not just creativity, but collaboration, technical skill, and innovation. They prepare young people for the jobs of the future in film, design, animation, game development, live events, and emerging media. I want to acknowledge the unwavering leadership of Allison Frenzil. Miss Frenzil has brought industry and educators together to develop a document that is the gold standard for industry alignment in our career cluster. I'd also like to thank Dr. Erica Torres for her support of this work and extend deep appreciation to Matt Carlson and the advisory committee of hundreds of industry professionals who contributed their expertise. Their dedication ensured these standards reflect the realworld needs of California's creative economy, one of the largest and

289most dynamic in the world. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, next caller with the last four digits, 7301. You are now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute. >> Good afternoon. My name is Jamie Tracy and I work with the Oakland Unified School District as a CTE coach for the arts, entertainment, and design pathways. I am also the professional development lead for the AM Institute. I'm calling in today to express my enthusiastic support for the CTE AED standards and I'm here to share about the new standards as a tool for teacher professional learning. Over the past year and a half, I have coached teachers in the arts and media courses in Oakland in using the industry skills framework. This work has involved teaching industry skills and alignment at the course outline level

290and at the project level with arts media entertainment institute. I have worked with teachers across four different school districts throughout California and to with our amme alignment professional development around designing rich and industry aligned experiences. The work Allison and her advisory board has done to articulate the teaching and learning of not only our technical skills but creative strategies has been a powerful guide for teachers in writing curriculum and assessing learning. >> Thank you. Uh next caller with the last four digits 0467. You are now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute. >> Thank you. Thank you to the board. My name is Djon Ellis Jr. I am the business manager of IATSC local 80. Um that's international alliance of theatrical stage employees specifically local 80 and I represent grips medics and craft

291service. I want to thank the state and thank uh CPE and AM um Allison Prrenzel for um involving I was proud and honored to be invited and be involved in writing these standards. they are aligned with the industry and the jobs the middle class jobs that the industry provides and um I thank you for the opportunity and I stand in strong support. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh next caller at the last four digits 0310 you are now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute. >> Thank you. Uh good afternoon steam board. My name is Gail Nichols Ali and I recent I'm a recently retired AM educator, contributor to some of these new standards and an arts education and career teched advocate. I'm on the board of the California Arts Education Association

292and the AM Institute. I want to express my strong support for the adoption of these new standards. Uh these updated standards reflect the collaboration the collaborative efforts of dedicated educators like Allison Frenzil and industry professionals like Matt Carlson who understand how creative careers connect directly to California's vibrant economy and to our students ability to see their future. These standards represent a critical step forward for California students bringing creativity with career readiness, innovation and equity. These new standards are future ecosystems that acknowledge pathways to entry skills for students to enter the workforce via industry opportunities before they even leave high school. As an educator, I've been uh I've seen firsthand how Amy uh programs transform student engagement, open doors to career opportunities, and give >> of purpose and belonging. Thank you for your consideration. >> Thank

293you. Uh next caller with the last four digits 0102. You are now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute. >> Uh, good afternoon, members of the board. My name is Sam Lee, senior adviser to the chancellor of the California Community Colleges. My focus is credit for prior learning, where we're building technology and capacity across our 116 colleges and beyond to award college credit for all forms of learning. Our goal is to award CPL to 250,000 Californians by 2030. I'm calling to express my strong support for approving the updated CTE model curriculum standards. This framework will directly accelerate our CPL infrastructure work. When we equate prior learning to college courses, we ask faculty to identify and validate the skills that align the two. But we've lacked the skills taxonomy on which to build

294until now. That is instead of building from scratch, we can leverage these industryinformed skills in our infrastructure which will populate the skills listed in the forthcoming credential uh uh credential registry and career passport. This uh K12 CT to community college to career alignment exemplifies California's commitment to seamless and accelerated pathways from high school through college to career. and we love your phased approach through 2027 which will allow us to develop parallel infrastructure alongside our adoption timeline. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh next caller with the last four digits 5305. You are now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute. >> Good afternoon to all. My name is Colobby Franklin. I represent Sutter County Superintendent of Schools and Tri County RO. I would like to thank my former colleagues at the California Department

295of Education and our state industry partners for moving this important work forward. The alignment of California CTE model curriculum standards to advance CTE's national career clusters framework not only allows career technical education to evolve, it also allows California to take the lead and have an impact on career education nationally. I enthusiastically encourage our state board to fully adopt, endorse, and support this evolution to ensure that California grows the workforce of the future by giving our students and teachers a framework to be successful. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, next caller with the last four digits 5665. You are now live. Please start your public comment. You have one minute. >> Thank you. Good afternoon, Chair Darling Hammond and members of the board of education. I'm Michael We, recently appointed assistant deputy director of workforce policy

296and external affairs at the California Workforce Development Board. Great to see your familiar faces, even if you can't see me. A special shout out to Allison and the presenters for the collaboration with us towards this effort. As some of you know, this sort of alignment is what the administration has been working towards through various efforts to provide Californians the pathway to achieving their dreams. The inclusion of industry standards, the skills and competency based framework, all aligned with workforce development priorities. and it's essential to remain current, relevant, and responsive to labor market needs. We're excited to continue our collaboration with CDE and shaping standards uh to ensure voices from workforce boards, industry partners, and employers are represented in the partner uh in the process. This partnership exemplifies the cross system alignment that was envisioned in the

297master plan for career education and strengthens the bridge between education and employment, ensuring that we're prepared for the rapidly changing economy. Great to listen to this discussion and excited for many more. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh that concludes public comment for item number 19. >> Thank you very much. I want to remind my colleagues that we are definitely running out of time, you know, especially with flight uncertainties. If we could keep our comments brief, but uh we're now open for board discussion. Anyone would like to talk or discuss this item? So, do I have a MO? Oh, yes. Member Olen, >> I'll make a motion, but then I get to also say thank you. >> Um, so I just want to thank everybody um who presented today. Um, it's clear how long and hard

298and thoughtful this work has been. Um, it's also really clear how important it is in terms of um, what we can provide our students in terms of their learning and their sense of self and future. and um we even heard we're helping shape the economy for the future. So really important in so many ways. I just want to say thank you. And then with and with that um I'm happy to make a motion um which is I move that we adopt the updated CTE model curriculum standards for arts, entertainment and design as well as management and entrepreneurship and marketing and sales. Second by Yoshimoto Tawi. Oops. >> Member GK. >> Yes. >> President Darling Hemp. >> Yes. >> Member Scroto. >> Yes. >> Vice President Clever Woods. >> Yes. >> Member Lewis. >> Yes. >>

299Member McQuillin. >> Yes. >> Member Rosco Gonzalez. >> Yes. >> Member Priscilla Brownson. >> Yes. >> Rodriguez. >> Yes. >> Member. >> Yes. >> Congratulations. passing. >> Okay, good job. Thank you. Thank you. We're going to take about two minutes for transition. So, I know people will have to leave and board, if you can stay. If you have to leave for an emergency break, please do. But we will try to transition people in and out. Thank you. Okay, we will now take up item 20, which is the proposed formation of a new Greenfield Unified School District from Greenfield Union Elementary School District and the corresponding portion of the South Monterey County Joint Union High School District. CDE's recommendation, the California Department of Education recommends as SBE disapprove the petition to create a new Greenfield unified

300school district from Greenfield UESD and the corresponding portion of the South Monterey County Joint Union High School District in Monterey County. This item will be presented by Juan Mireles and Joshua Speaks of CDE one. Please begin. can't hear >> better. >> Okay. >> Uh once again, good afternoon board members. My name is Juan Mirez. I'm the director of the school facilities and transportation services division. Uh with me here today is also Mr. Josh Speaks and Miss Mary Lavine, both who have led our efforts in preparing this item. Today we're presenting a petition to create a new Greenfield Unified School District that was submitted to the Monterey County Committee on School District Organization. The county committee denied the petition which would have created a new Greenfield Unified School District from the existing elementary school district and

301the corresponding portion from the South Monterey County Joint Union High School District. Would it be okay if I just referred to them as a South Monterey County? It's a long name. Thank you. Um, so once again, um, creating a new unified district from the existing Greenfield Elementary and the corresponding portion of the South Monterey County, including the Greenfield High School. This issue has been going on since 2015 when the original petition was submitted. Uh, they did receive the necessary signatures. In this particular case, it was 33% of the voters to move forward with the proposal to form the new unified district. It's important to note that from the beginning, the South Monterey County was opposed to the proposal. A little bit about the area. South Monterey County uh covers a lot of ground. It's a

302large area that is um bordered by the San Luis Obispo County to the south and San Bonito and Fresno and Kings County to the east. Most of the area is mountainous. It's rugged, although it does have a valley that goes through it. The district has seven feeder elementary school districts and the largest cities in these areas are Greenfield and King City which are located along the highway 101 corridor that's uh depicted in red on our map. Um the proposed transfer area is co- terminus with the attendance boundaries of the Greenfield Elementary School District. Uh as you can see from the map here, Greenfield Elementary is located in the western portion of the district. Uh these two small boxes represent the cities of Greenfield. I don't know if you can see them very well. Uh Greenfield

303and King City. One's yellow, one's looks like orange. Um King City is served by King City Union School District. These are the only major uh population centers in the area. The five remaining feeder districts are very small due to the agricultural nature of the area. Looking a little closer, uh South Monterey County has two main high schools, which is again Greenfield High School and King City. Uh, and as you can probably tell, Greenfield High School is located in Greenfield, the city of Greenfield, and King City is located in the in the city of uh, King City. Um, all of these other districts send their students to King City. So, the attendance area of Greenville will go to Greenfield High School. The rest of them all feed their students into King City Unified, uh, King City

304School District. Sorry, King City High. So the petitioners have provided several reasons for the transfer. Uh the entire justification is included on page two, section three of attachment one of our analysis. Uh however, some of the more significant reasons are listed on the screen here. Petitioners feel it will better foster the community identity that is already present in Greenfield. They also believe that it will improve the transition of junior high school students from Vista Verde Middle School to Greenfield High School. Petitioners argue that it will improve curricular articulation between the elementary and junior high schools with the Greenfield High School and would improve the coherence of the K through2 learning experience of students in Greenfield. They also believe that it will create efficiencies of scale in district operations. After completing its review, the county committee

305determined that all of the conditions were met except for conditions three and nine. They determined that condition three, which requires an equitable division of property and facilities of the original district and condition nine, which regards the sound fiscal management of the proposed district or any existing district affected by the proposed reorganization were not met. Based on those findings, the Monterey County denied the petition. Uh the petitioners then appealed that decision to the state board and consistent with the state board of ed's authority uh to conduct a new review, CD staff have conducted a review of all nine threshold conditions for approving the territory transfer. Based on our review, we are recommending to uphold the county commissiones county committee's decision to disapprove the petition to form the new Greenfield Unified School District. Uh, and with that,

306I'm gonna turn it over to Josh to provide a little bit more background uh, and information regarding our recommendation. Josh, thank you, members. So, uh, we wanted to start out with a little bit of a history of this issue. Uh South Monterey County Joint Union High School District uh at the time was known as King City High School District uh began to experience financial difficulties in the mid 2000s. In 2006, the district borrowed 1.3 million from Monterey County Office of Education. But by the 2008 2009 school year, they had a structural deficit of 3.4 million out of an operating budget at the time of $22 million. The result of those struggles was that they ended up receiving a $4 million state emergency loan uh which resulted in the district being put into receiverhip. That loan

307proved insufficient and in 2010 it was increased to $14 million and refinanced. It's important to note that Greenfield High School, which would be transferred into the new unified school district, were this petition to be approved, is the collateral for that loan. The terms of the loan also prohibit reorganization before the loan has been paid off. The fiscal crisis and management assistance team uh known as FICMAT is the state's emergency oversight agency for schools that have received state emergency loans. They play an important role by assessing district operations, developing and monitoring recovery and improvement plans. They also report uh provide reports on the progress towards fiscal recovery both before and after the period of receiverhip. And uh the reason that I'm introducing a little bit about FICMAT is because um they oversaw uh the the school

308district um during their period of receiverhip and they have been most recently contracted by the Monterey County Office of Education to provide a follow-up evaluation on the district's financial health. um their report uh their most recent report was submitted in April of 2025. So, a little bit about the voter petition itself. Um upon receipt of the voter petition, the Monterey County Committee on School District Organization held two public hearings, which is um as required by law, one in each of the affected uh districts. At that time they determined that six of the nine conditions were substantially met. Um because of the complexities of having that state loan involved. Um that's obviously not a typical uh factor that they have to consider. They submitted a waiver uh request to the state board asking for more time

309to study the remaining three conditions a little bit more thoroughly. So, normally a school uh county office of education has a statutory 120day deadline to take action on a unification proposal. Um due to those unique fiscal conditions, uh the county felt that more thorough review was needed and that waiver that they requested was reviewed and granted during the state board's September of 2016 meeting. The conditions that they wanted further time to study were condition three, equitable division of property and facilities. Condition six, whether or not the proposed reorganization would promote sound educational performance and not significantly disrupt the educational programs in the affected districts. And condition nine, whether or not the proposed reorganization would promote sound fiscal management and not substantially harm the fiscal status of the proposed district or the existing districts. So after

310their additional review, the county committee determined that condition six was substantially met. However, they also determined that conditions three and nine were not substantially met. Because they found two of the nine conditions to not be substantially met, the county committee disapproved the petition and forwarded it along with their recommendation to the state board. Um, as Juan noted earlier, um, the districts have both taken positions on this petition. Um, Greenfield strongly supports the idea of unification and um partnered with Capital Advisors Group to conduct a feasibility study and South Monterey County opposes the transfer on the grounds that uh losing roughly half their students would place the remaining uh portion of the district back into financial jeopardy. As Juan said, CDE staff uh go back through and review all nine conditions. And in reviewing all nine

311of those conditions, we concur with the county analysis in finding that conditions three and nine are not met. Um, while we agree that the other seven conditions are met, uh, in the absence of a compelling educational benefit that would be, uh, sufficiently weighty to counter those two unmet conditions, we would find that sufficient reason on its own to deny this petition. However, that is also combined with the obstacle posed by the emergency loan. CDE's recommendation, as Juan noted earlier, is to deny the appeal. Um, if you were to deny the appeal, that would end the petition process, resulting in no change to either district. We reviewed all nine conditions. We're happy to answer questions about any of them if you uh have such questions, but um we decided to focus on just the conditions that

312are under dispute since uh both sides agree on the remainder. Condition three states the proposal will result in an equitable division of property and facilities of the original district or districts. So it's important to note that that includes not just real property but also bond indebtedness and other financial assets and liabilities. The transfer would move the attendance area and campus of Greenfield High School into the newly created Greenfield Unified School District while leaving the attendance area and campus of King City High School largely untouched. Since the students served by their Greenfield High School campus would be moving along with their school, there would be no inequity in the division of real property. If the transfer were to occur, the new district's residents would have to assume a portion of the outstanded bonded indebtedness of South

313Monterey County Joint Union High School District. That obligation would be equal to e the greater of either the bonded indebtedness attributed to the Greenfield High School or the proportionate share based on the assessed valuation of the total bonded indebtedness. Either way, residents should see no net change in their payments on general obligation bonds because they're currently residents of both districts and so they are already paying debt service on Greenfield High School. So again, that would result in no significant inequities. However, the existence of the state emergency loan does create an inequity. There is a remaining $3.9 million balance and that would remain with South Monterey County High School District in its entirety. The collateral for the loan would be taken from the district, putting them in violation of their loan agreement, which also prohibits reorganization.

314The only way to avoid this situation would be for the district to use their cash reserves to defease the loan. The district has confirmed that they have no intent of doing so and no authority exists to require them to do so. If the territory in question were transferred prior to the defeasement or final payoff of the state emergency loan, the district would be forced into a violation of the terms of their loan through no action or misconduct of their own. The full of the mount the full amount of the loan would fall entirely on the remaining half of the district to repay roughly doubling the debt burden on those residents. That would create a significant inequity for those remaining in the South Monterey County High School District. Condition 9 states the proposed reorganization will continue

315to promote sound fiscal management and would not cause a substantial negative effect on the fiscal status of the affected district. If this transfer were to take place, South Monterey County uh South Monterey Countyy's budget would be reduced by approximately half. While many of the district's operations would see identical reductions, this would require substantial cuts in district level administrative and operational staffing and budgets to align expenditures with the reduced revenue. This could also result in substantial negative impact to the stability and capacity of the leadership of the district. While the district's finances and operations have stabilized in recent years, a key component of that recovery has been its leaders the district's leadership. In addition, the debt incurred due to the state emergency loan, as we said earlier, would not be divided. The district would be required

316to maintain its current debt repayment schedule in the face of an approximately 50% reduction in total revenue. Therefore, CDE concludes that this reorganization would cause a substantial negative effect on the fiscal status of the district. In the absence of other compelling reasons, CDE believes that state educational agencies should focus first on the fis financial health of fiscally troubled school districts and adopt policies intended to assist in their recovery. In this case, the benefits of unification, while very real, are of insufficient weight to risk the fiscal health of a recovering school district. And I just do want to emphasize that point. Um we do agree with many of the residents of Greenfield that there are some real benefits to unification. It's just that we don't believe that those benefits outweigh um jeopardizing the financial health of

317a district that has struggled over the past decade or so to um pull itself out of a bad financial situation. Uh we also wanted to note that um Fikmat has submitted a letter in opposition to the unification uh which is included as an attachment to your item. It's important to note that FickMat is not necessarily opposed to the idea of unification. However, like the department, they believe that it should not happen during the period of the emergency loan. They note that the reorganization would violate the terms of the district's loan, jeopardize the district's collateral, and call into question their continuing ability to make payments on the loan. Figmat's long oversight of the district has led them to believe that this unification may risk the district's solveny and is not in the best interest of South

318Monterey County uh Joint Union High School District at this time. So, the state board can take one of two actions on the petition. um you are able to affirm the county's disapproval, thus ending the unification. You can also reverse the county's dis the county committee's disapproval uh thereby continuing the unification process. It's important to note that uh while the county committee is limited, if they if they find that some of the nine conditions are not met, they're required to deny. Um and if they find that all nine of the conditions are met, then they're required to recommend approval. However, the state board is not similarly limited. Uh the state board has discretion to approve um a unification even if they find that some conditions are not met. And the state board also has the discretion

319to deny a unification even if you were to find that all nine conditions are met. Finally, if the state board chooses to reverse the county committee's decision and approve the petition, uh you would also need to determine the area for a local election on the petition. So, in summary, affirming the county committee's decision will deny the petition and end this process. Reversing the county committee's decision will approve the petition and allow the unification to continue. So, a little bit about the next steps. Um, if the state board finds that the petition has sufficient merit and chooses to overturn the county committee's decision, then the proposal would be returned back to the county to fulfill the SQA requirements. Um, the state board remains the SQA lead agency. However, uh, the costs are borne locally and the

320work is is done at the local level. And then as I said um after SQA has been completed the unification will not be final until it's been affirmed by a local election. The minimum election area required by statute would be the affected territory. So the attendance area of Greenfield High School/Greenfield Elementary School District. However, in this uh the state board does have the ability to expand that election area. And in this case, uh, due to the outsized negative impact on South Monterey County High School District, uh, CDE is recommending that if you were to go ahead and, uh, approve this unification that you also expand the election area to include the entire South Monterey County High School District um, so that the entire district can have a say. So in summary uh we CDE finds

321that um seven of the nine conditions are substantially met. Two of the nine conditions are not substantially met. There are no compelling educational reasons sufficient to override those unmet conditions. Uh compelling reasons exist to support the county committee's recommendation and unification would also violate the terms of that state emergency loan. Thus, the CDE recommends that the state board affirm the recommendation of the county committee to disapprove the petition to form a new Greenfield Unified School District from Greenfield Union Elementary School and the corresponding portion of the South Monterey County Joint Union High School District. And that is the end of our presentation. Thank you. Thank you very much for the thorough presentation. I will like to open the public hearing at 2:37. Uh first we will hear from those in support of the petition including

322chief petitioners uh and Greenfield Elementary Unified School District. They'll have 10 minutes total to make their presentation. Then we will hear from those in opposition to the petition including South Monterey County uh Joint Union High School District. They'll have 10 minutes uh total to make their presentation. Then after the presentations, we will open up the line for public comments and take public comment from those individuals who were not part of or of either presentation. Those in support of the petition, please come up. As a reminder, you have 10 minutes total for your presentation. Well, good afternoon. I'm David Saldani. I'm legal counsel for the Greenfield. I've appeared before this board on a number of occasions in the past. Usually, I'm up here telling you not to approve a unification or not to approve a territory

323transfer. Today, however, marks the first time that I'm going to come before you and ask you to approve a unification. And I do so because this one makes good sense. I know after hearing that last report, but hang in there with me. We'll get there. I promise. Greenfield has waited over 10 years to reach this point. Today you're going to hear from our superintendent who will outline the educational and community benefits of unification and from our own fiscal consultant who will address the primary financial challenge before us, the loan. I will then conclude by offering several options for how this board can help us maintain momentum toward unification. Our request today is very simple. We are seeking any outcome, any decision other than an unequivocal no or denial today. Please do not make the Greenfield

324community wait another decade for progress. Laa, thank you. Hello, I'm La Cortez, the very proud superintendent of Greenfield Union School District. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today about why unification is not only important but necessary for the families and students of Greenfield. This moment has taken us 10 years to reach. Over the past decade, we've worked through challenges, addressed the barriers that once stood in the way, and we are now closer than ever to making unification a reality. I respectfully ask that you recognize the time, persistence, and community commitment it has taken to get here. The Greenfield Union School District covers about 267 square miles, yet most of the land is agricultural and par sparsely populated. Nearly all of our students live within the compact 2.99 square mile city of Greenfield along Highway

325101. All of our schools are within city boundaries and the district office is no more than 1.22 miles from the furthest campus. Our students can walk or bike to school and our families experience a tightly connected educational community. In contrast, our high school system is 11.5 miles away in King City, where the South Mon South Monterey County Joint Union High School District District Office is located, and most board meetings are held. Transportation between the two cities is extremely limited. Only one public bus route runs each hour, and the last bus from King City returns to Greenfield before most board meetings even end. This means that families, especially those without cars, have no practical way to attend the meetings that shape their child's high school experience. As a preschool through 8th grade district, we know our

326families for 11 years. We don't just teach students, we support entire households. We offer extensive afterchool programs through ELOP, which serve as the core of student life in our small community. But when students promote from eighth grade, those supports end. Unification would allow us to extend the same programs and relationships into high school, creating one continuous system instead of an abrupt handoff. Greenfield is culturally rich community home to many indigenous families from Waka who speaki and mystco dialects. We provide ondemand interpretation at any time as well as imp interpretation for IEPs, parent teacher conference, and alcap process meetings because language access is essential to parent participation. Yet those services disappear when students enter high school. Unification would allow us to ensure consistent communication and advocacy for families all the way to graduation. We also invest

327deeply in social emotional support. Each elementary school has two counselors, one social worker, and our middle school has three counselors and one social worker. These professionals help students stay healthy, engaged, and ready to learn. If we can provide this level of support from preschool to 8th grade, we should be able to continue it into their high school years where stakes are even higher. Our district also supports families through community and family liaison at every school, plus two district-wide leaison to connect families to essential resources and services. We have teachers on special assignment in math, English language arts, science, early learning, and interior interventions. They coach teachers and strengthen instruction. These investments work and we want the chance to continue them into their high school years. Unification is not just a change in governance. It is

328an opportunity to create one cradle to career system, one district, one mission, one connected community. It keeps decision- making local. It keeps programs consistent, and it allows students to benefit from the same support structure from preschool all the way through graduation. After 10 years of waiting, working, and providing uh and proving our readiness, the Greenfield community is asking for a chance to take full responsibility for educating our children, not for 11 years, but for 15 years. Thank you for considering the impact of unification on our students and families. >> Hi, I'm Shane Green with Eastore Consulting, fiscal consultant to the district. The most recent feasibility study conducted by Christy White this year indicates that all affected districts are in good financial standing. This finding was made despite the high school district's first inter report showing

329a large deficit which did not materialize. In fact, the high school district ended 2425 with a $2.8 million general fund surplus. While more is always better, all affected entities have sufficient resources. And in early 2829, the I bank loan at the center of unification concerns will see its last payment due from district resources. The I bank loan does have a reserve fund which will pay its last year of payments in 2930. And post that I bank loan, there will be a $4.5 million surplus projected in the general fund of the high school district in the year 2930 if we carry forward the existing multi-year projection information as presented at their last budget. This surplus is certainly enough uh to mitigate many of those concerns over unification. If we take a base allocation of the revenues

330and expenditures aligned to enrollment, it leaves the high school district with a $2.2 million surplus. While it's unlikely that the high school district as a single campus entity would need its current full staff at the district office level, um resources do exist in 2930 sufficient to fund that oversized district office based upon the current costs associated with the two campus configuration. A very modest right sizing of district operations appears sufficient to address any potential $1.3 million increase in staffing costs which might occur if the more senior staff opt to stay with the high school district. It would appear in 2930 sufficient resources are in place to allow unification even with a single campus high school remaining. You're also likely going to hear from the county committee and the high school district that even they are

331not opposed to unification and principal, but rather they believe it should only occur after the ibank loan is repaid. And we agree. You'll also hear that the high school district would prefer not to remain a single high school district, but would like its own unification with its local elementary school district. And that is certainly their prerogative, but should not prevent this board from allowing the Greenfield unification to move forward. As you just heard from Shin Green, the high school district can survive fiscally as a standalone provided the Ibank loan is is repaid. So in light of this, we're proposing several different options for the board consideration to move this process forward in a responsible manner and within a reasonable time frame. First, you may approve unification today, but simply delay the election until November 2028

332with implementation of unification effective July 1, 2029. Now, this would provide both districts ample time to prepare and it gets us past the major financial obstacle of the I bank loan. Second, you may continue this process, continue this hearing and revisit the matter in May or July of 2028 because, as you've heard, the I bank loan would be fully repaid immediately thereafter. Third, you could conditionally approve the unification today with the condition that the I bank loan be repaid prior to an election on unification. Additionally, you may want to direct the Monterey County Committee to prepare a similar unification plan for the high school district and its local elementary school district using your authority under ED code 35720. Finally, you can simply continue this hearing to early 2026, allowing the districts, the county committee, and

333your staff to more fully and collaboratively explore any of these options and bring you back a recommendation at a future meeting. What will not serve Greenfield is an unconditional denial today. Now, that would force the community to restart the process from the beginning, delaying unification until 2035 at the earliest. >> That's time. >> 30 seconds. That means a first grader would graduate from Greenfield High School without ever benefiting from a cohesive, supportive, locally governed unified school district. We respectfully ask that you do not send this community away empty-handed. Let us move forward thoughtfully, responsibly. >> That's time, please. >> Thank you. Thank you. Okay, we will now hear from the opposition. Please come up. As a reminder, you have 10 minutes total for your presentation. Good afternoon. My name is Dr. Carolyn Kota and I'm

334the superintendent of the South Monkey County Joint Union High School District. Thank you for the opportunity to address you today. I want to begin by expressing my appreciation to the CDE staff and to Mike Fine and the Figmat team for their analysis and recommendations. We also thank Dr. Denine Gus and the Monterey County Office of Education for guiding us all through this complex process. Finally, we thank the board for granting our districts a full year to seek local solutions. We are here because the Greenfield community has worked for many years to unify schools. Our district deeply respects that goal. We understand the community's strong desire to call Greenfield High School their own and to have one district that reflects their identity and pride. Because we understand that desire, our board has spent the past year

335working collaboratively with Greenfield Union, MCOE, and outside experts to explore local solutions. We approached this not in opposition but in partnership to find a pathway that honors community identity while protecting the educational future of all students in South Monterey County. The CD's report before you today recommends disapproval of the Greenfield unification petition because it fails to meet two of the nine statutory criteria. The reason is simple. In 2009, our district received a state emergency loan to restore solveny after years of financial distress. That loan is secured by Greenfield High School as collateral. The loan documents contain a non-impairment provision that expressly prohibits any reorganization until the debt is retired. In his 2017 letter to the district, IBank stated that defeasence of the bond is the only reasonable means to avoid violation of the non-impairment provision.

336Defeasing the loan would require a lump sum payment ahead of schedule that would force our district to reduce our reserves at a time when all fiscal experts are urging eleas to increase their reserves. On the other hand, keeping to our current schedule will result in the loan being fully repaid in 2028 while ensuring that we complete the final steps of our recovery plan. Until that time, we are legally and fiscally bound. While the petition before you reflects older data, the last 12 months have brought considerable cooperation among our local districts. At the request of Dr. Gus, we worked with Christy White, Inc. to conduct two comprehensive feasibility studies. The April 2025 study on the Greenfield unification and the September 2025 study on a possible King City unification. Both were developed with full participation from staff

337of Greenfield, King City, and our district. The April study confirmed what the state staff also found that unifying Greenfield alone, leaving a single site high school district behind, would not meet the state's fiscal and educational criteria. However, the second study offered a path forward. It examined the concurrent unification of King City Elementary District with King City High School, creating two unified districts, one in Greenfield and one in King City. That model met all nine criteria and even projected administrative and operational efficiencies of up to $3.5 million annually. In September, our board and the King City Union Elementary Board held a joint meeting. They reviewed the data, discussed pros and cons, and invited community input. While our board expressed support for a two district unification model, the King City board ultimately chose not to pursue it

338at this time. That brings us back to the present petition. If the state board were to approve unification of Greenfield alone, our district would lose more than half of its revenue. Yet, we would remain responsible for operating a full high school district, meeting all state and federal accountability requirements, maintaining alternative education programs, providing transportation, and sustaining all district-wide administrative, business, and instructional support systems required by law. The unavoidable result would be deep reductions to educational services that directly affect students. These cuts would not be limited to administrative functions. They would reach into classrooms and student support programs. We would be forced to reduce or eliminate initiatives that have made a measurable difference in recent years. Academic intervention and tutoring, expanded counseling and mental health services, bilingual family liaison support, and specialized career pathways that connect

339students to local industry and higher education. These initiatives serve some of our most vulnerable students. These are not extras. They are the backbone of equitable access and opportunity for students in South Monterey County. What makes this even more difficult is that these programs are the product of 16 years of sustained fiscal recovery and educational renewal. Since state receiverhip, our district has rebuilt its financial integrity and transformed its governance and instructional practices. We have restored local control, implemented transparent budgeting, stabilized leadership, expanded professional development, diversified options, and strengthened supports for students. Our schools are again seen as centers of pride for the community. Our work has benefited our Greenfield students and families as well as those who reside in King City and the southernmost parts of our county. To undo that progress now would not only

340jeopardize fiscal stability, it would unravel years of steady work to strengthen teaching, learning, and trust across all of our schools. In closing, we recognize the heartfelt aspirations behind this petition. We do not question the sincerity of Greenfield's vision or the dedication of its families and staff. We also acknowledge the benefits of community-based unified districts. However, the facts are clear. Multiple studies conclude that unifying Greenfield alone is not financially or legally viable at this time. Therefore, we respectfully request that the state board disapprove the current petition and encourage continued local collaboration toward a comprehensive two district unification plan when conditions allow. Our district remains fully committed to that work. We believe the solution lies in a locally designed concurrent unification that creates a Greenfield unified and a King City unified, both financially sound, educationally strong, and

341reflective of their community's identities. Until that time, we ask that you protect the progress we've made, the fiscal strength we've rebuilt, the educational services we have restored, and the trust we have earned through responsible governance. Thank you for your time and your thoughtful consideration. >> Um uh uh thank you President Ham. Um I know you're out there and Vice President Wood and board members. Um thank you for the opportunity to speak here to you today. Uh my name is David Gabon. I am the president of the South Monterey County Joint Union High School District, the eightletter school district. Um I have been a board member since 2015. Today I will be providing you with the timeline of the current position we look at. On 2015 the original petition was given to the county superintendent. On

3422016 the county and superintendent was given a 2-year extension to overcome challenges u posed by the state emergency loan. Those challenges you will see on exhibit A which is currently the I bank. I bank um funding the loan prohibited the transfer of territory uh from or rec um reorgization of the district through a non-implementation provision. So here's the thing. In 2009 we had to take out a state loan of 8 million or $5 million. In 2010 we had to do another $10 million. So that or eight million. So it brought us up to $14.4 million. Um the one of the denials for the the extensions for the petition from 2016 to 2018 from the state from to the state um the county superintendent was based off of that. So 2018 the county committee disapproved the

343petition for unification. At that time the board thought this was over. We thought we were done. Um in 2022 the county superintendent um forwarded the petition to the California Department of Education. So six years later in 2024, we received a letter from from you guys stating that you guys would be making a decision on this unification. Uh so that brings us here today 2025, nine years later from the original petition that was set forth um on uh 2016. In that time we have worked uh with assistance and direction from the Monterey County Superintendent County Trustee. Uh we have followed uh the recommendations and directions from Figmat, the fiscal crisis and management assistant team. Now is not the right time to cause disruption or um add new hurdles to our district's progress. Um our current loan

344will be paid off as you heard it would be paid off in October of 2028. Um and hopefully we will we will get out of receiverhip at that time. So, at this time, I humbly request a denial of this petition. And I really want to thank you for your time today. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. We'll now open the phone line for public comment queue. As a reminder, public comment is limited to one minute and may only be provided by individuals who are not part of either presentation. Member of the public wishing to provide comments on this item may do so by calling the telephone number and using the access code provided on the slide that is shown now. Um are there any speakers in person? How many are there? >> There are

34532 speakers signed up. >> Okay. you know due to the volume of the speakers and knowing that we have limited time. Um so so in addition to the presentations we have received a significant number of not written comments which we've we've been reading. um and to ensure that we hear from everyone who would like to provide uh public comment on this item while also ensuring that we can move along with our board's remaining items of business at this meeting. We ask that for those who sign up or calling in to provide public comment, if you're not providing any new arguments or information that you just heard from these presentations, uh please simply state whether you are in support or in in opposition to the petition. Really appreciate that. >> Okay. Please call out up the

346>> um let's go ahead and please line up the first five speakers. Vina Pammo, Kenneth Wolgamott, Denine Gus, Annette East, and Margarite Leone. Vina Parammo, Kenneth Wolgamott, Denine Gus, Annette Yeast, and Margarite Leone. Please state your name and affiliation for the record. >> Good afternoon. Vina Baro, board president of King City Union School District. >> Henny, >> we can't hear. Vina Bama, board president of the King City Union School District. Please consider voting in favor of the recommendation. A unification of this magnitude affects all students in all three districts. The process should guarantee equal opportunities for all districts to inform and work with the respective communities. This means resisting the temptation to prioritize the timeline of just one group over the others. We must conduct a hostilic needs assessment that equally addresses the programmatic and

347resource requirements of all students from preK to 12th grade level. This is not simply about optimizing su a secondary structure. All three boards have a fidiciary and ethical responsibility to get this right. Rushing a complex unification process based on artificial timelines is a shest way to miss critical details and erode community confidence. We must allocate the ne necessary time for deep collaboration between all three districts. A process defined by equality, transparency, complete alignment, and patience. The students deserve nothing less than unified districts built on a foundation of shared goals and mutual respect for every constituent group involved. Thank you all for your time. >> Hello, my name is Kenneth Dwayne Wolgamott and I am the appointed trustee with oversight of the South Monterey County Joint Union High School District. Um, under AB1840, I was appointed

348by the county superintendent of schools, the state superintendent of public instruction, and the president of the state board of education. I thank you for this opportunity to speak here today. I'm here to do my duty as trustee with oversight to ensure the integrity of the South Monterey County Joint Union High School District in the matters before you here. The district has worked hard over these years to becomes an example of recovery progress. The agenda item before you is documented to negatively impact the educational programs due to the reduction of um funds and also the fiscal future um future of the remaining district. If the unification is approved today, I urge the board to deny the petition before the state board at this time for these reasons. The district is serving the Greenfield and King City

349communities very well in an equal effort and resources. Thank you, speaker. Your time is up. >> Good afternoon. I'm Dr. Gus, Monterey County Superintendent of Schools. I'm here to express my gratitude to the state board for granting two continuences on this item. During that time, we expended extraordinary efforts to support all school districts affected by the proposed unification. We updated old feasibility studies on the Greenfield unification and we commissioned a feasibility study for King City Union School District to see if there was a local path forward through two unifications which we feel would have ensured that if green the Greenfield petition was approved today, it would prevent leaving the high school district with only one high school and half the resources but not a proportionate reduction in expenses. After many meetings and a great deal

350of time and expense devoted to this exploration, the option of two unifications at this time is not moving forward. Therefore, while we are empathetic to the desire for Greenfield to be able to unify, we do support the unification. We are still concerned about leaving King City High School as a single high school if that were to occur. Again, um we're just concerned about the financial risks at this time. Thank you. Good afternoon. My name is Annette East and I'm a Monterey County Board of Education member. I also serve as a chair of the Monterey County Committee on School District Organization. I would like to add my thanks to the state board of education for continuing this matter to give us a time at the local level to explore possibilities. I want to assure you that

351the county committee extensively studied the proposed unification of Greenfield both when proposed in 2016 again in 2018 and this year with new feasibility studies and hearings. The county committee is committed to the organization of school districts in the county to promote educational excellence and fiscal health and will implement whatever is decided today. Good afternoon, President and members of the State Board of Education. I'm Margarite Leone, and I'm special counsel to the Monterey County Office of Education. Denying the Greenfield petition does not resolve this matter. Unification is a core value of the Greenfield community. There will be another petition. The I Bank loan is a temporary impediment. The real issue is the viability of South Monterey County High School District. My client greatly respects the Greenfield community that is represented here today. The 2025 feasibility studies

352show the path forward. Two unifications resulting in the reorganization of the entirety of South Monterey County. The high school district is receptive and cooperative. and my client st stands ready, willing and able to process that proposal once it is brought forward. Thank you. >> Thank you. Will the following five people please line up? Elvia Zabala, Maria Dominguez, Alma Picazo, Kristoff Hayfield, and Arlene Hayfield. Good afternoon. My name is Elia Savala. I'm a school counselor at Visa Verde Mero School. I'm here to represent our school. I was going to read out of this, but honestly, I'm just going to do it out of my heart. As a school counselor, we have noticed that gap with um high school as well with middle school. Our students graduate from middle school. They go to high school. What happened

353in high school? They start from new. They don't know anything about our students. Right now with elementary, we always go back with our counselors, with our team to talk about our students. Right now with our high school, we don't have a we don't have that communication. Why are we talking so much about money? Why are we talking so much about budgets when we are have we have to focus more in our students need? I do have a senior I am a parent as well. I do have a senior in high school and I do want to share the words that he mentioned to me. Mom, please don't enroll the students. My my brothers enter the high school. Why? Because they are always second in place. Always putting um King City as first and Greenfield as

354second. So if we unite today, we're gonna we are going to be working for our kids. Not for ourselves, it's for our kids. Thank you. Good afternoon everyone. My name is Maria Dominguez. I'm also one of the school counselors at Vista Verde Middle School and I'm also a Greenville native alumni from both districts. 2005, this is 2025. I've seen the struggles, the transition as an actual Greenville native, not only for ourselves, our current students, and our families. That struggle of having to start all over and getting used to a new system, a new district, it's always been a struggle. As a counselor, our students, same thing. Think about our students, our mental health, their mental health needs, our atrisisk students. It's really being effective. We want that continuity and equity still with our counseling programs,

355our resources in our actual community as well. And please approve this unification. We would really appreciate it. Thank you. Good afternoon. My name is Emma Picasso and I speak today as a proud employee of Greenfield Union School District and a mother whose children have grown up in our schools and attend Greenfield High School. In Greenfield, our we pour our hearts into our children from their very first day of kindergarten to the moment they walk across the graduation stage. But the journey isn't seamless. When my kids moved to the high school, they immediately noticed the differences in facilities, programs, better resources in the neighboring town. They could feel the inequity and always wondered why education opportunities were not the same in both high schools. This isn't just about buildings or equipment. It's about fairness. Right now,

356part of our community's local tax revenue uh benefits another town's high school. Unification could ensure Greenfield's resources stay in Greenfield, supporting our students and giving them what they need to succeed. With unification, we can build a stronger K12 alignment. Our teachers and administrators can finally work together, sharing goals, curriculum, and support so every child experience a smooth, consistent, and high quality education from start to finish. Greenfield students are bright, resilient, and full of potential. They deserve a system as unified and dedicated as they are. Let's give them that by saying yes to unification. Thank you. >> Good afternoon, president and board member. My name is Eph. I am the food manager at the Greenfield Union School District. I'm here in support of the unifying our elementary school district with the high school district. Unification will

357allow us to extend a scratch cooking program to the high school. Uh I know this is something that California really uh is actively promoting. Um um our former student often tell their parents who work in our district how much they miss the fresh healthy meal that we provide in our elementary school district. Um beyond nutrition unification ensure continuity. It doesn't make sense for a student to be part of one district from preschool to 8th grade and then go to another district. Uh our district know our parents, our district know our student and it will be a good thing for the unification. Thank you for your time. >> Hello, my name is Arlene Ele. Um, I'm also a teacher in Greenfield and a parent of a son that and we I grew up in Greenfield. I'm

358also a Greenfield native. So, this is really uh something that I'm advocating for. Um, because I've seen firsthand, I've experienced firsthand the differences between our school district and the experience that I had in high school. Um, I worry about these differences and their impacts on our students. Soon my son will be attending school and eventually high school. And I want his experience and all of our students living in Greenfield exper school experiences to be the best and most consistent as possible. Unifying our schools will help streamline these experiences and resources. Our community deserves a unified system where decisions are made by those who live in Greenfield for the benefit of our students that live and attend school in Greenfield. Thank you for considering. Thank you. Will the following five people please line up? Doug Chappelle,

359Maria Alena Zavala, Cassandra Drenas, um Adrienne Inobio, and Andreas Cruz. >> Good afternoon. My name is Doug Chapel. I'm the director of facilities, maintenance, operations, and transportation at the Greenfield School District. From an FMT standpoint, I see every day how connected our schools already are. Whether it's keeping the classrooms comfortable, making sure buses run safely, or maintaining fields and grounds, it all comes down to one thing, taking care of our students and staff. Unifying our district with the high school is really about continuing that care on a larger scale. It means shared use of facilities, fields, gymnasiums, and equipment, a single master schedule for facility use, and coordinated transportation services that share costs and resources. We're all three small districts, but often we barely break the threshold of a small district enrollment numbers, causing us

360to face large district pricing challenges. Dual unification would give us both the strength and efficiency to make every dollar count. Aside from all the educational benefits, which I fully support, this is about community. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. In Greenfield, we already raise our children together, then at one of the most vulnerable points. Thank you, speaker. Your time is hand them off to another village. Thank you. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Greenfield. Gracias. >> Good afternoon, members of the board. My name is Marena Savala and I'm proud to speak as a CS CEA employee in support of the unification of Greenfield. Our classified staff is the heart of our schools. We drive buses, serve meals, and support our students every day. The unification will create a stronger and more

361coherent district for everyone. As an employee and member of the community, I want my nieces and nephews and all the students attending the Greenfield schools to have a normal experience to grow in one single unified district from from preschool all the way to 12th grade. Please approve the unification of Greenfield so that our students and staff may share a common vision of success. Thank you. >> Good afternoon. My name is Cassandra Donas and I am a proud mother of four wonderful children who have always attended schools within the same district following the same schedule, same rules, same guidelines and same educational standards. However, this year when my daughter injured high school, everything changed. The guidelines, rules, and schedules are now different. Even though we are part of the same community, this situation shouldn't be the

362case for children. Our children should remain together within the same district that represents our shared community values. We are one heart, one force, and one community. Respectfully, I ask that our high school students be brought back under Greenfield where they truly belong. This change has been long overdue. Our children have always been part of the Greenfield in spirit and in community, and it's time for that to be reflected in our district structured as well. Our kids should be first priority. They deserve consistency, unity, and a sense of belonging within their own community. It often feels um as though King City has prioritized over Greenfield and I hope we can work together to change that. Please help us make the right thing and for our children, for our families, and for the future of Greenfield and

363um thank you for your understanding and time. >> Good afternoon. My name is Adriana Sinovio and as a mom of a middle school kid at Greenfield, these unified is really important to my kids in the way that they will continue with the same education that they have been receiving since the elementary and it's not fair that as a mama soccer school player. The King City School makes our students feel less. The high school is in our community and it should belong to us. Thank you. foreign. is that my name is Andres Garcia. >> My name is Alberto Garcia. Andre, sorry. For me, it's an honor to be with you guys >> today. I'm here to speak to you guys as uh for the honor of speaking of the uni unity of Griff. what the superintendent

364of the Christa Field School talked about. I speak Green and uh Christoco, sorry. Greenfield, >> we have the necessity to maintain our district Greenfield >> because us as um like farm workers, farmers is hard for us to go all the way to King City. to be able to solve a problem that we have that we may have with our kids or with the schools. We come as a necessity, not as a want, not as a want to fight. We come as a necessity for our livelihoods. Thank you. >> Thank you. Will the following five speakers please line up? Bless Enria Trujillo, Pedro Dominguez, Norma Virgin, Sonia Heredia, and Aurora Silva. Good afternoon. My name is Blasthro and I want to start by acknowledging that I went to every Greenfield school from elementary to high school

365and even then I noticed something. It always felt like King City was a priority. Um now as an employee of the Greenfield school district and a liazison for one of our schools, I see things from yet another perspective. I see the daily struggles our families face finding child care, managing transportation, and juggling different school calendars between the two districts. One high school parent told me, "We walk to school for when we have a problem." And it's a district issue, but that's as far as it gets because getting to another district office means rearranging rides, picking picking up kids, and sacrificing time. They don't have these families are part of Greenfield. Their children are a students from kindergarten through middle school and they deserve a high school that's part of their own community. At the end

366of the day, who better to make decisions for the high school than the district that knows these families, these students, and this town. This is our chance to finally bring them home to unite and strengthen our community because Greenfield High School should be seen as more than just collateral for King City. Good afternoon, California State of Education. My name is Pedro Dominguez, and as a former student of Green High School, I have seen how creating a unified pre uh K12 district will make a real difference for our students, family, and community. Right now, many decisions are um Oh, sorry about that. Uh decisions about our students are made by people who don't live in Greenfield and don't fully understand our community. The superintendent who oversees Greenfield High School doesn't know our families or their needs

367well enough. When parents need to speak about special education services, enrollment, or attend board meetings, they have to travel all the way to King City for families who work long hours, don't have reliable transportation. That's a real challenge and limits their involvement. A unified district would change that. Our elementary, middle, and high school would be part of one system, allowing teachers, administrators to work together from preK through graduation. This would make learning smoother. transition easier and support stronger for every student. Most importantly, unification will build pride and streng our community. Families, teachers, students will feel connected as one team sharing one vision for every children's success and the future of Greenfield. Thank you. >> Good afternoon. My name is Norma Virhen and I teach at Royal Sec. I am also the president of the Greenfield

368Teachers Association. On behalf of my unit, I have come to express our support for Greenfield's unification. As a classroom teacher, I have witnessed firsthand the supports our community provides to our students that disappear once they leave our schools and enter high school. This is a very pivotal and important time in a student's educational development. Our community and students are very different from those in King City. Their needs are different. Unifying would enable us to continue important supports provided to our students in our community and would offer valuable opportunities for elementary, middle, and high school teachers to collaborate more closely and effectively to ensure that no child gets lost in the transition from the middle school to the high school. Thank you for your time. Um good afternoon um madame president and state board. Thank you.

369My name is Sonia. I'm former student of Greenfield and former student of King City High School and currently a school board member at Greenfield Union School District. And the reason I'm here today is for you to be able to um approve, not telling you to approve the onification happening next day, but I know that loan is going to be ending the payment in October 28. And I asking you to approve that, put it off for election to work together. And that will be have time three years to work together as a team to the best because at the end of the day, the ones that going to be suffering most are the students. But we are here to advocating for those students who those who don't have voices. So please um we're here and support.

370I know you want I'm recommending the county is recommending to work with elementaryaries. But I think if we have three years to work and do partnership collaborating with the elementary and have a plan for that but put it for election so that people of Greenfield King city could be able to vote. If they vote no that's what they want. If you vote yes is what is the need for that community. Thank you. >> Good afternoon. My name is Aurora Silva and I'm a proud teacher at the Greenfield Union School District and I teach at Sasat Travis Elementary School. I am a graduate and alumni of all schools in Greenfield and I'm a current resident. I implore you to vote yes for our families, yes for our students and yes for our community. We have waited

37110 years and we deserve the right and we deserve to be a part of our high school. It is a will of our people and we support all of our people in our community and we implore you to do the same. Thank you. >> Thank you. Will the following please line up? Maria Aoyo, Desiree Hernandez, Lilia Selenas, Ruby Verez, and Laura Waldez. Hi, my name is Maria Royo. Our attorney has suggested several viable options to you short of denying this petition. I implore you to consider approving one of the very reasonable options so that we don't have to start all over again. Thank you. My name is Desiree Hernandez and I am from Greenfield, California. I stand you not only as a lifelong Greenfield resident, but a proud high school alumni, class of 2014 and

372now an attendant secretary for the Greenfield Union School District. As such, I see how deeply our families care about their children's education. Yet, many of them face challenges because the high school operates under a different district calendar. For families with multiple children, this divide makes it extremely difficult to coordinate schedules, arrange child care, and ensure consistent attendance. It there is an immense pride being from Greenfield, but that pride feels incomplete when the high school located in our town belongs to another district. When our students reach 8th grade, we lose them to institutions not rooted in our community. This separation has created gaps in communication, uneven access to resources, and poor attendance rates. It is time for that to change. It is time to unify. the Greenfield High School with the Greenfield Union School District. Thank

373you. My name is Liliaza Madre Greenfield. >> Good afternoon everyone. My name is Maria Selenas. I'm a proud mother of a of Greenfield student. Greenfield. >> The reason why I'm here is because we want the High School of Greenfield to be a part of the Greenfield, the Greenfield Unified District. We've already waited too long. Greenfield. We want the High School of Greenfield to stay in our community. We want the resources to stay in our community. We want our children to get the resources that they need in our community. Today, our whole community is here. We're we're asking you to please support us. Gracias. >> Thank you very much. >> Good afternoon, members of the board and families. I am a lifelong Greenfield resident, a graduate of King City High School and a parent of a

374Greenfield High School and a sibling of Greenfield High School. And for decades, Greenfield has been wanting this and we are deeply rooted and I am proud of it. As a Greenfield resident, Greenfield students were based bus to King City for decades. And it's time for our high school and educators and staff to be held accountable for our students. And parents like me demand local representation and accountability. And we won't pretend that such things can come from different communities and context. We demand that people who make decisions affect our children and families here and our neighbors. Thank you. uh good afternoon estimated members of the board of education of California. My name is >> and I'm one of the petitioners. I want to remind you guys that this achievement started in 1999 um to be able

375to have a high school in Green City. I was one of the ones that first started this. And I hope that all of our achievements and hard work today does not go to waste that we've done. Greenfield, Texas. and to remind uh and to be able to keep our promise to the community that Greenfield High School would be part of the unity the unification um and as someone who um does taxes I know that 55% of sorry >> property tax >> of property taxes get paid and I know we've paid enough to have to be to where we're at right now. Thank you. >> Thank you. Will the following five speakers please line up? Blanca Lopez, Lorenia Figareroa, Dr. Maria Alvarez, Alan Holmes, and Mary Bell Barbara. Good afternoon. My name is Blanca Lopez. I'm

376here today as a parent of the Greenfield Union School District. Like so many parents in Greenfield, it's hard to watch our children have the transition into a new school district when it comes to time for high school. A school district that is truly part of a community that isn't truly part of the community they grown up in. I believe our children deserve the opportunity to stay within the district surrounded by the people and the programs that have supported them uh supported our children since kindergarten. The difference the different school calendars between the high school and the green greenfield Union School District also create real challenges for us parents. When we have one child on vacation while another's still in school, it makes family time, childcare, and even simple planning incredible difficult incredibly difficult. Driving to

377a different city and visit the district also creates a real challenge. As a parent, I ask we bring unity to our schools and keep our children entire education journey within the community we call home. Thank you for your time. Buenos, my Figoa. >> Good afternoon. My name is Lorena. I'm a mom of a daughter that's in sixth grade. So, I've already had the experience with my first child where there wasn't a connection between high school and um and the parents. high school and I'm very anxious because my daughter will be entering high school in two years and I come as a repres as a repres representative for all students and we would like our high school to be part of the unit, the unified district. and that we ask that our resources stay in our

378district and that we take that you take every single one of our comments into consideration. Thank you. Good after. Good afternoon, members of the board. My name is Dr. Maria Alvarez. Unification is about coming together. Research consistently shows that when students experience fewer system transitions, they thrive. Unifying the high school with GSD would restore a continuous educational journey from preK through graduation, strengthening belonging, academic consistency, and emotional stability. A unified district would allow us to align curriculum, data, and support around one shared purpose, student success. Though the school is located in our city, it is managed by another district, creating a separation between our students and their own community. We understand the hesitation about the I bank loan, but a yes today is not a risk. It's readiness, not last minute or rushed. It gives

379us years to plan responsibly, honor commitments with a paid I loan, and bring our school home where it belongs. As the associate superintendent of educational services, I affirm our team's commitment to alignment, passion, and purpose because together through knowledge, hard work, and dedication, we will ensure that Greenfield student reaches their fullest potential. Thank you for your time and consideration. My name is Alan Holmes. I'm the vice president of the Greenfield Teachers Association. Our town is built on community and our schools should reflect that same unity. By bringing a high school into our local district, we can create a continuous connected educational experience for every Greenfield student from kindergarten through graduation. This change would give our students stronger academic support, smoother transitions, and more opportunities right here at home. Parents would have a greater voice in

380how their children are educated, and our community would gain more local control over funding and programs to meet our town's needs. Unifying our district means investigating investing in our future, our students, our families, and the heart of Greenfield itself. Together, we can build one strong school system that truly represents our community. Thank you. >> Hello, my name is Marbal Barbara. I am a lifelong resident of Greenfield. I attended schools in Greenville K12. I was part of the first graduating class to attend Greenville High School all four years. In Greenfield, I have been a middle school teacher and academic coach. I have been part of the local teacher union, served as a vice president in that union, and currently have the honor to serve as a principal at one of our elementary schools. I have siblings

381and nieces who attend and attended Greenfield High School. I am also a parent of Greenfield Union School District. I have a daughter and another coming next year that'll be part of our district. As you can see, I have a very unique lens. I have witnessed how broken and disconnected our high school is. It is unjust to allow this disconnect to continue. Our town needs to be able to help make decisions for our own students. We are much too different from King City to allow this to continue. In front of me, I have a community members, grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, expert teachers from kindergarten to 8th grade, Greenville Teacher Association Union President, lifelong Greenfield residents, PTA members across the sites, classified members, previous students like myself, administrators, and all who care about students. Please have caring

382concern for our students as you would have for your own children and grandchildren and your first grade grandchild. We have another 20,000 people six hours away. But for now, please stand if you are pro- unification. >> Thank you. Will Jurgen Smith and Denise Hime, please line up. >> Good afternoon. My name is Jurgen Smith. I'm the vice president of the Greenfield School Board. In the past here in Monterey County, I have also served on the civil grand jury oversight for all 24 school districts. The people and the parents want the high school. The district is ready for the unification. Please let us continue with the last two requirements. Thank you very much. I'm also a parent of two here in Greenfield. Thank you. Good afternoon, members of the state board. My name is Denise Haime,

383current GUSD, president of the school board, and my most important role is a parent of a Greenfield Union School District child that attends our district, a new parent of the King City High School District. I ask that you make the decision of favoring unification. I ask that you consider the decision of favoring it made based on the needs of the students in our community. I ask that you consider the unity between the two districts in this petition favoring this long awaiting unification. This is about equity for students in Greenville. You have heard the opposition with recommendations. I ask that you now listen to how the other on the other hand opposition would be detrimental to our students in Greenfield, California. Thank you. >> Thank you. We will now move to public comment on the phone

384line. >> Thank you. Caller ending in 1685. Please state your name and affiliation for the record. You have one minute. Your time starts now. >> Hello, my name is Melissa Royo and I am a assistant principal here for an elementary school in a um Greenfield Union. Um I have I am also a parent of two students that come to our schools and future high school students. Um I am all for unification of our district uh with the high school uh so that all our students are put first. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next caller ending in 7715. Please start your public comment. Caller with the last four digits 7715. You have one minute. Please begin. Next caller ending in 5125. Please begin your public comment. Good afternoon chair and members of the California State Board

385of Education. My name is Ya Castro and I am a school counselor in Greenfield. I support this unification because it will create a stronger, more cohesive K- through2 system that better serves our students and also reflects uh the identity of our community. Um bringing together the high school into our district um can align it into a single district to align academic programs to then streamline services and make sure that we're able to have a smoother transition from middle to high school. I urge the board to approve the invocation and to ensure that a clear transition plan is in place so that students, all staff and families can experience a seamless and inequitable change. And thank you for considering the needs and voices of the Greenfield community. >> Thank you. Next caller ending in 9504, please

386begin your public comment. >> Good afternoon. My name is Marissa Lema. I am a school counselor in Greenfield. I am a Greenfield native. I attended and graduated from school here and I am also a mom of three. I urge your approval for unification. Mental health is so important and being able to provide those services and unity and communication between all our school counselors from elementary to to high school would be so impactful for all our students. Our Greenfield district will advocate wholeheartedly for our high school students just like they do for all of our students because in our Greenville district all means all. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Next caller ending in 8009, please begin your public comment. >> My name is Jessica and I'm a proud member of the local Greenfield

387community and a 1997 King City High School grad. I have two kids in the high school. I'm here to strongly advocate for local Greenfield control for because for decades our school has been managed by a board majority from a neighboring city. All of this arrangement has ser has not served our students and families well. All these decisions, including the poorly financial ones that keep us hostage, have all been made by people who don't live here and don't care about our children. The lack of local control has created a sense of distance, discouragement by parents, students, and alumni. Meanwhile, the current structure has allowed a neighboring city to benefit financially from our community without reinvesting those resources where they're needed most, right here with our classrooms and our children. The current arrangement has functioned as a

388cash grab at the expense of our children's educational opportunities and community growth. And it's time for change. Our children and schools deserve to be governed by leaders who live here and understand our values and will prioritize our children's first. Local control means accountability, investment, and pride. And this means our community will finally have a voice. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next caller ending in 1058, please begin your public comment. >> My name is Marcy Jones, um, city council for Greenfield and as well as a parent and I hope that you guys do, uh, take in consideration or uh, unifying. Um, I was also a graduate from both districts and I do see the difference. I went one year over 15 city and I do see the difference in um, resources. the go to the other

389to the King City High versus the Greenfield High. Uh so I really want you guys to rec to consider this. Um thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you callers. This concludes public comment for item 20. Oh yes, I already called on that person. Yes, this concludes public comment. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you very much and would like to close the public hearing at 3:46. Okay. As as the liaison member for this item, I would like to make some initial comments. First, I want to acknowledge the long history and hard work behind this petition. This case presents a very difficult balance between community aspirations for local control and our obligations to ensure fiscal stability under state law. I I need to ask Michael Fine can if you can please take the podium. I would

390like to ask you a couple of questions please just to help the board and myself understand the situation best. So can you clarify Figmat specific authority and responsibility in these emergency loan situations and and when you stated that unification would be detrimental to both communities. Can you elaborate on the analysis or fiscal evidence please? >> Thank you. Uh good afternoon um president uh chair I guess and members of the board and Mr. Allen and staff. I'm Michael Fine. I'm the chief executive officer of the state's fiscal crisis and management assistance team or FCMAT. So our our position is not that it's detrimental. Um uh first off um South Monterey County again to use one's abbreviation. Appreciate that. It's the longest name we have I think in the state. Um South Monterey County is doing great

391uh under the current leadership and in partnership with their county office. They're they're doing they're making outstanding progress in these final years and have been for several years um both fiscal stability wise, instructionally um and so on. Our current obligations are not to review the district but to continue to review the county's oversight of the district and we do that annually which is the report um that was referenced. We believe that a dual unification as here I think we all understand what we mean by that. A dual unification is absolutely the right decision for these communities for Greenfield and for King City. Um the county superintendent, the county committee is committed to that process. They've been engaged. They've been meeting trying to bring the parties together. Uh our staff even facilitated a joint a recent

392within last month joint meeting of all three school district boards. Um that process can begin today. It can begin this afternoon in the next hour. Tomorrow morning that process can begin. Um the concept of a dual unification here is good for kids. You've you've heard all the reasons. There are only pros here. There are no cons. There may be fears in the King City Elementary District, but there are not cons. And I think that's really important. So, we're actually very supportive. We believe this is the right thing for these communities and these kids. Um, but it needs to be dual. Yes, the uniqueness here is the emergencyment that's happened and in this particular case that emergency aortionment was facilitated by a borrowing through the state uh investment and economic bank or the I bank and

393there are bond holders on the other side of that transaction who the district has covenants with and one of those covenants is what we call non-impairment covenant which means they cannot reorganize for all the reasons you understand and have been expressed here and that is it would reduce ADA and the ability to repay the loan plus in this particular case the security interest the collateral is uh on one particular building or school site I should say um that's what's unique here um the other piece though that we also have concern and and and as the guardian of the state receiver process that's what I have to focus on right but the other piece you've also heard uh very well um described to to you by the superintendent in South Monterey County. Um, and that is

394leaving a single high school district out there uh would be detrimental to them uh financially. Our our funding system isn't designed to support a single high school district, right? Um, a unified district with a single high school is a whole different story. So, make that distinction, right? But a standalone district for one high school um our funding system just isn't designed to support that. So I said a lot in answer to your simple question and that was what are we cons you know why would we at all um have concerns here or be opposed where our concerns are our concerns but the right thing to do at the right time in the right sequence is a dual unification. So I I think one of the fears is all of this time invested that ho how

395can what can we do in the interim to support both districts so that the financial constraints are lifted and the community is positioned for unification. I'm just curious. >> So so the process is designed to begin and to um through most of the process to be done locally, right? Um and I think you heard that commitment from the county superintendent and from the county committee um chair um that they're willing to do that. Uh two of the districts I think you've heard clear commitment to um continue on that that process towards that end. We have it's a little unclear with one district whether they're solidly behind this. I think they're um have been absolutely open to talk about it, but they want more time. Um I think is what I heard one of the speakers

396say today. Um so I think what you as a board can do is encourage that, right? Um you can you probably one of your options is to um even though this is very aged and and I think at some point we have to be prepared to draw a line and then potentially start the process over but to honor the process. I guess one of your options is certainly to uh delay action um and to see uh what they can continue to do locally. They have been engaged locally. Uh there's there's conversation going on, but you've also heard testimony today that um the I believe it was the day after the joint meeting of the three districts, the one elementary district took action not to proceed. Um and so that that sends a a a confusing

397message, I guess. Um how you encourage that to be done locally, I I have to leave to you. It may just be simply your words. It may be part of a motion. Um you know what whatever that process looks like. But I think um that is the right answer here is that both elementary districts and the single high school district together move forward um and we have a dual unification uh for both that would be in the interest of both communities and their kids. President Linda Darlingham Hammond, I believe you wanted to uh share a few few ideas or thoughts. Thank you. Um I really want to um understand I think I'm in agreement with what Mike Fine was just saying that unification is the right answer educationally speaking and the question is how we

398get there and how quickly uh it can be done. um without putting any more barriers in the way but also being uh cognizant of the you know variables that have been put on the table. So, I heard several things from the lawyer for the um Greenfield Parents and Community uh as alternatives to simply saying um no uh to the unification petition. I'd love to understand those a little bit more fully. Uh, one of the things that was stated was that if we uh denied the petition at this moment, it would be uh the clock would start over and it might be uh 10 years before, you know, it could go through the whole process again. Um I think I hear um Mike saying that there may be some stops there some way to construct a

399process that comes back to us um and allows the um resolution of the double unification uh solution to occur. So, I'd like to hear more about that, >> please. >> So, thank you for that um opportunity to delve a little bit further into what those options are and and Mike alluded to some of them. This board has a great and I don't you know, I'm not your legal counsel. I know you have your own attorneys and suggest at some point maybe want to check in with them and and that's why one of the options would be to continue this hearing until sorry your January or your March meeting so that the districts the county committee your staff can get together really flush these issues out in and processes and come back to you with a

400recommendation that enables us to create a pathway that's short of just throwing everything away and having to start again from scratch. So other options would include again a conditional approval of the unification or just approving the unification but delaying the election. Remember what has to happen after your approval is it goes to the voters. Now, if you look at the education code, there is a timeline once this board notifies the county superintendent, they have 35 days after receiving that notification to conduct the election. And that's ed code 35756. However, if you look at 35755, there is no timeline. It just says that after you approve, you notify the superintendent. So, you could approve today and delay that notification until much closer to the 2028 election. That's an option. You could either do that without anything

401further or if it made you more comfortable, we could submit a waiver and wave that 35day timeline. That's another way of approaching that same option. Um, in addition to that, what what I think would be helpful is for this board to give some direction to the local county committee to have the county committee use their authority to construct plans for a dual unification. I think that would be helpful for them if they were to receive such direction. Um, so those are the options um in a nutshell. just anything other than starting from scratch. >> Thank you. Thank you. Would love to hear from our CDE staff, please. Thank you so much. >> So, I am not an attorney, but um I did want to address a couple of practical considerations um with some of the

402suggestions. The the first one is we've got to bear in mind here that um this item was initially scheduled to come to you a year ago. And at that time the the local officials requested additional time for exactly the same reasons that they're discussing it now to um sort of work out some of these issues with the three school districts involved. And they were given an extension and that was all done administratively. it didn't it didn't come to you but um so so the the the question I think that you would need to ask yourselves is what is going to change when when they were given this time to sort of work out um some kind of compromise what is going to change that would incentivize that compromise over the next year or over the

403next two years um otherwise we we potentially have this um this item that's sort of hanging out there indefinitely and our our data will bit stale and we'll have to, you know, go back out and and reexamine the fiscal impact. We'll have to reexamine the enrollment numbers, all of those things that, you know, we currently do. Um and then I I think the other thing to consider um as sorry um as as far as this um this other option of potentially um approving it now with some sort of future date to it is that relies very heavily on everything remaining the same. Um so you know for example if the the state board had assumed three years ago that um everything in the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District and the Los Angeles Unified School

404District was going to be hunky dory over the next three or four years. Um they would have been very surprised when you know those school districts um had significant wildfire damage to school sites, population leaving, things like that. We never know what kind of exigent circumstances might come up between the time that you approve it and the time that it it goes into effect. So, I just wanted to put those out there for consideration. >> Thank you. Um could I uh just add a comment? Um Chair Esco, >> of course. Um, you know, I think what could change is uh that if we were to make it clear that we're looking for the county to work with the parties to get to the dual unification, that is clearly the right solution educationally and ultimately needed

405uh financially. Uh, and we have um the leadership of thick um concurring in that judgment, people might get serious about getting the solution worked out. So I think that would be a difference because it has not come to us before. Um so I I do think that there's um I think I I understand the the challenges of uh guessing the fiscal health or the the repayment of the loan and all of those kinds of things and making assumptions about that. Uh but I uh think I would personally favor um postponing the decision into 2026 and being clear that we're looking for the parties to figure out how to do the educationally and ultimately fiscally right thing. >> Any other comments or thoughts from the board? Board discussion. Have something trust you open or I'm just

406trying to work something out in my head. I'm trying to work out the connection between or the difference between the petition before us today for unification and so what our decision on that would be one way or another how that would impact potentially impact the the parties in the county working together on the dual unification. I'm not quite sure I understand the connection between the decisions. >> I think the the proposal would be to postpone the decision today until um the January or the March meeting probably I would say suggest March um so that they can continue the conversations that they have been having. And I I think that's in line with what we just heard from um Mike Fine as well. >> Yes. >> I just wanted to thank everyone who presented today. Um

407it was clear that all parties have a deep commitment to students in the communities we serve. So, thank you for the long drive and for being here um at the end of a of a long day. Um I would be in favor uh of postponing the decision to January or the following meeting only because um a lot for me personally a lot of questions were raised today that I didn't because it's only coming to the board for the first time now. Uh although it's been a long process I know for staff and for others. Um, I think that would provide us also an opportunity to seek uh legal counsel on, you know, that we didn't get to hear from today. Um, and and other conversations to happen. Um, and also for the county committee to

408um have that discussion. So, I'd be in favor of postponing the decision. >> Yes, member Lewis. >> Thank you. um also echo the sentiments uh and thanks to all the parents who drove the long way to come up here and were insistent on your comments being heard were very touching, very heartfelt and thank you for that. I appreciate it. Appreciate the districts, the other districts and everyone else who presented. I think coming into this item, I think I was really hung up on the I bank loan and the repayment of that and not being able to proceed because that was a stipulation that you could not do that when you're in reorganization. But I um like the options that we have to be able to get more information, continue the discussion and delay it. So,

409I would also be in favor believe of delaying um and continuing the hearing until the spring of 2026. >> And and I would say I would like to wait until the May revise to know the fiscal landscape. Uh because that's a big issue. That's a huge issue. Where is our finances as a state, you know? So I I was just you know I I I wouldn't mind waiting but that loan issue is is is significant you know and then the liability that we as a board may have if we we say yes on this there there might be some sign significant liability on us. So I really want to know more about that liability and want to know um the fiscal state. Um, so I I I would I would like to wait until after

410the May revise to have a better understanding if it's okay with the board. So >> good point. >> Dr. I mean, President Darling Hammond, >> thanks. I I think that's very wise and I'll just note that among the many suggestions that have been made is that uh one could if the other there are two fiscal pieces that are being discussed here. One is the loan and there are proposals to wait until the loan has been repaid to you know even hold the election um for the decision about unification. So one could you know position or or sequence those things but the other thing is clearly the viability of a single high school district and that's the piece that you know also needs to be um continue to be worked through uh and uh would benefit

411from the time to work that through. So and I agree with you that waiting until they might make sense. Member Lewis, would you like to make a motion or or do we need to make a motion on Oh, sorry. >> Um, I just want to address the people that came today. So, Department. I just sounds like a good motion. >> Okay. Okay. Yes. Any Oh, sorry. Member Patila Bronson >> for May revise versus July. I I mean, we just won't I don't think we'll know the budget until >> June. Yeah. Yeah. I think July sounds like a great idea. Thank you. >> Okay. Okay, I would like to make a motion that we uh continue this hearing until our meeting in July 2026 and to give direction to the Monterey County Committee uh to work

412with all of the parties involved to come up with a a plan that's that's workable. able for all of it. >> I second it. >> Thank you. Second by member Rodriguez. >> Member Yoshima. >> Yes. >> Member Rodriguez. >> Yes. >> Member Patil Branson. >> Yes. >> Member Rosco Gonzalez. >> Yes. >> Member Olen. >> Yes. >> Member McQuillin. >> Yes. >> Member Lewis. >> Yes. >> Member Escabel. >> Yes. >> President Darren Hammond. >> Yes. member GK. >> Yes. The >> motion carries. >> Hey, thank you very much for being here. We're going to you're going to forego a break. If you do need to leave, you know, take a break, please do so. But um we I would like we will would like to take up the waiver consent items. I'll wait until

413most people leave. >> Okay, if you can put up the slide. Thank you. >> Yeah, please. Thank you. Okay, I would like to reconvene the board and take up the waiver consent items 1 through 14. We will now open the phone line for public comment queue. We will now ask for in-person public comment. Are there any speakers signed up? >> There are no in-person speakers. >> Great. Um, uh, please, uh, let me know if there's anyone on the phone line. >> Yes. Uh, there's one caller in the queue. And just a reminder, we are only taking public comment for the Oh, they dropped. That concludes public comment. >> Okay. Given that there's no public comment, I will ask for a motion on consent items waiverss 1 through 14. Do I have a motion? >> Move.

414>> Okay. Trustee Yoshi Yoshimoto, >> just really quickly, sorry, just to clarify, the motion is to adopt the CDE recommendations on waiverss W01 through W14. >> Thank you for that reminder. >> Thank you. Thank you. And who who second? >> Okay, thank you. Uh, member Orosco Gonzalez seconds. >> Right. President Darling Hammond. >> Yes. >> Member Scabedo. >> Yes. >> Member Lewis. >> Yes. >> Member McQuillin. >> Yes. >> Member Oakland. >> Yes. >> Member Rosco Gonzalez. >> Yes. >> Member Patel Bronson. >> Yes. >> Member Yosha Matari. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. We will now take up item waiver uh 15, which is the request by the Orange Unified School District to wave California Education Code sections specific to statutory provisions for the state or lease of surplus property. The CDE recommendations recommends approval

415with the conditions specified in the item. This item will be presented by Juan Mireles and Joshua Speaks of the CDE. >> Hi again, board members. We're back. Um, this next item is a request Morren Unified to wave certain sections of the law that require them to go with the highest bid um proposal when they're disposing school property. uh instead they're requesting to use a request for proposal which is a waiver that's common that you've seen many times here before. Uh that's what the request is uh for them and it allows them to use other factors uh besides just the highest bid when they make the selections. I know that we're running short on time so I'm trying to go through this really quickly. Our recommendation is to approve the waiver request but we are adding

416additional language that would promote additional engagement at the local level. Uh I'm not going to read through the the conditions that you have on the item, but basically it promotes greater participation uh that they discuss a proposal in a public board meeting that they have adequate notice um and prior to enter negotiations that they hold a public hearing to discuss uh the use of the surplus property. Again, this gives the community an additional opportunity to weigh in and provide input on what um on how the the property will be used. Uh in addition to that, we do want that this public notice be uh posted on their u on their website uh in several languages including English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Korean. Uh and that they post it physically at the entrances of the uh former

417Peralta Junior High School, which is the property that's in question here. uh and again provide any uh person including labor organizations um that uh they have the information the notices available to them. One thing that I want to highlight is the process that the districts have to go through uh before we get to this point and it's a statutory process locally that districts have to go through before they declare a property surplus. They have to engage in what's called a 7-Eleven committee. They have to select seven to 11 members of the public uh where they hold meetings to discuss the properties and they discuss the use of the property um and what it could be used for. This is a required locally uh when the 7-Eleven committee conducts their review. Then they present a final

418report with the recommendations to the governing board which is the case here. Uh the sen committee reported it to the school board and the school board did adopt the recommendation uh and declared the property surplus. Again, these are the steps that happen at the local level before we get to um the waiver request. All that's happened. So what's before you today is now how do they dispose of this property? And typically they go through the highest bid. uh but they want to use the request for proposal because once again it gives them additional flexibility. They can consider other factors besides just the highest cost. Uh and that's what they're requesting to wave today. One thing that I would point out is that if the board uh doesn't approve the waiver, the district can still move

419forward and dispose of the property under the current provisions of the statute, which is again to go through the highest bid. So what they're asking for is flexibility in how to dispose. Um, again, based on that local process that they already went through locally to declare a surplus. So, what's before you today are very specific sections of the law that talks about how to dispose of the property. Instead of highest bid, we want to use a request for proposal. Um, to talk a little bit more about the the the process and there's some other provisions in here. I'm going to go ahead and turn it over to to Josh to talk about the the additional um waiverss that they're requesting. Thank you members. Um yes, the district is also requesting a waiver of the provisions

420of the Naylor Act. Um the Naylor Act applies when a property uh has been used over the last eight years for student recreational purposes. Um the purpose of the Nailaylor Act is to ensure that there is continuity of outdoor student recreational activities. um especially in some of our bu more built up urban areas where um you know it can be difficult for students to find uh recreational spaces. It applies to property like I said that's been used entirely or partially for um outdoor recreational purposes. And if the Naylor Act applies then the district must offer to negotiate to sell or lease up to 30% of the property to specific uh local entities, the local city, the local parks and recck district. um organizations like that at a uh monetary discount. And there's a formula for

421determining how much of of a discount they would get. The the Naylor Act only applies if the purchasing entity determines that no other publicly owned land in the vicinity of the site is adequate to meet the needs of the community for recreational and open space purposes. So in other words, if there are plenty of other recreational sites in the vicinity, then the Naylor Act does not apply. Um to this point the state board has approved all previous requests for waiverss of the Naylor Act. So a little bit of history of the site. Um the the site is a 19.5 acre site and uh was formerly uh the Peralta Junior High School which uh closed back in 1985. The property was first declared surplus in 2008. Um the district applied for and received a waiver in

4222011. Um as you know waivers are for a maximum of two years. So that waiver lapsed without any sale on the part of the district. So the district again went through the surplus property process in 2015 and applied for and received a second waiver in 2020. Unfortunately, as we know, that was right in the the middle of COVID and they had uh other priorities and so again, they um were were not able to follow through with the sale of the property at that point. So, um to continue our background, the property currently houses a charter school uh authorized by the Orange County Board of Education, Explore Academy. Um, it has also previously hosted other businesses and educational programs, including Olive Crest Academy, uh, which is a a non-public school that was, um, cited at the

423Peralta site, uh, at the time their most recent waiver was issued. Um, they also have another charter school, Orange County Classical Academy, that's expressed interest in the site. Uh, they entered into negotiations with the district uh, back in uh, 2024. Um those negotiations uh did not lead to them leasing the site um for uh reasons that are uh essentially they they were not able to come to terms on the the length of of time for the lease um and would have required a longer lease in order to get funding that they needed to make improvements to the site. Um so currently they have an inloo of arrangement with Orange Unified School District until the 2728 school year. Um we have had some organizations weigh in on this as you know with waivers we have to

424consult with the district's bargaining units. So CSEA um their local um is in support of the waiver. Orange Unified Education Association is neutral. Um, as I stated, Orange County Classical Academy, um, which is has expressed interest in the site, uh, sent a letter in opposition to the waiver and the city of Orange contacted us as well, uh, expressing interest in acquiring the site using the Naylor Act, uh, but they did not take a position on the waiver itself. So, in summary, um, CDE has examined the waiver um which would allow the district to uh wave that sealed bid highest bidder process for leasing surplus property. Uh we have examined it and um against the seven criteria for evaluating waiverss that are in section 33501. Uh we believe that the waiver meets those statutory criteria and

425we are recommending that the state board approve the waiver uh with the conditions that uh Juan previously outlined. Um we understand that this has generated a lot of local interest and concern and we believe that those conditions uh which we have used in the past when waiverss have been of um concern to the local community um will ensure that there is continued robust public discussion about um the ultimate disposition of the site um but that that robust discussion will take place in the appropriate venue which is um at the meetings of the local school board. Um, I thank you for your time and and we're available to answer any questions that you have. >> Thank you. Although legally um we're not required to hold a public hearing on this waiver request or any other waiver

426request or provide any opportunities for supporters or opponents of this or any other waiver request to make a presentation to CBE outside of the designated public comment period during the waiver item. But as a courtesy and solely applicable to this waiver request uh following this our presentation by CDE will permit separate presentations from supporters and opponents of the waiver. These presentations could only be up to five minutes. Okay. Um, so there'll be a presentation by the supporters of the waiver, including by representatives of Orange Unified, and then opposition to the waiver, including representatives by the Orange County Classical Academy. Then following these presentations, there'll be an opportunity for public comment from members of the public who are not part of either presentation. So those in support, please begin. You have five minutes to present. Thank

427you, Member Escoto, and good afternoon, President Darlene Hammond, Vice President Glover Woods, and members of the California State Board of Education. First of all, let me thank you for your leadership and governance for the millions of public school students in California. Thank you for providing us this opportunity to speak with you today and thank you to the California Department of Education staff for supporting the approval of the district's waiver application for and for the thorough analysis of the application. My name is Smma Oin and I am the assistant superintendent of business services for Orange Unified School District. I am here today in support of our waiver application for the district-owned property which is located in on 2190 North Kel Street in Orange, California. But more importantly, I am here to speak on behalf of our

428close to 24,000 boundary students whose educational needs must remain our first priority as we make facility decisions that affect our entire district. I was going to provide you some history in regards to the property, but Mr. Speaks did an excellent job in providing you some history. So, I will skip that part to respect your time as well. We are requesting this waiver to enable us to issue a request for proposals for the disposition of the Peralta site. This will allow us to maximize our return while considering the district needs and in our process. Instead of being bound to a more limited high price criteria under the formal bidding requirements, we will use the revenue from the disposition of this property to enhance district programs and school facilities that will benefit the 24,000 scholars today and

429in the future. It will also eliminate ongoing maintenance expenditures of unused site that could be repurposed to meet the many obligations districts have to provide a robust quality education. If we cannot dispose of this surplus property that has been closed for 40 years and declared surplus for 17 years, we continue spending taxpayer money maintaining facilities not being used for district operated programs. Approval of this waiver will allow us to redirect this money to classrooms and programs that support boundary students educational needs. We understand that this board has received written opposition to our waiver application from the Orange County Classical Academy, a charter school that I will refer to as OCA. Today is about granting the district's waiver application of the surplus property disposition requirements for the Peralta site, not OC OCA's facility request. However, I

430will address some of the concerns raised by OCCA to provide a more complete picture of what has occurred and address misstatements by OCA in its comment letters. OCCA claims we misled the board by stating that the property has not been used for educational purposes. The district has been completely transparent throughout this process. We stated accurately that the district itself has not used the Peralta site for its own educational purposes for an extended period of time. This property, as stated by Mr. Speaks, has been declared surplus. The district does not operate district educational programs on this site. When the California Department of Education staff asked us for clarification about any use of the property, we responded that Explore Automatic Explore Academy, as you heard, has a license agreement for a portion of this site. OCCA also

431occupied a portion of the Peralta site at one time. It is no longer located there, not because of any district action, but because of the city of Orange deemed OCA's application to install modular buildings incomplete and requested several items before it would continue its review. The letter letter which I provided as part of the exhibits you receive states based on the comments provided in the attached table A, your application has been deemed incomplete at this time. With your next resubmitt, please fill in the applicant rep response columns. Instead of resubmitting a project application, OCCA formally requested withdrawal of its application and notify the district that it was terminating its use of the Peralta site. OCCA serves approximately 340 of our boundary students. These students already have educational facilities at OCCA's current site. OCCA claims that

432approval of this WA waiver would jeopardize facility needs for its students, which is inaccurate. Under Proposition 39, our obligation is to provide reasonably equivalent space schools >> time when charter schools submit annual facilities. We will always comply with all the charter requirements. And again, we appreciate your time and appreciate um the opportunity to provide you exhibits and we appreciate the staff's record time. >> Okay. >> Those in opposition, please come up. You have five minutes to present. Thank you, members of the board. My name is Mike Davis and I serve as director of school development at Orange County Classical Academy. Last week, the board received a factladen document from us regarding information submitted in the Orange Unified School District's application for this waiver and the larger pattern in which this fits demonstrating we believe OSD's

433neglect of its prop 39 responsibilities to our own indist. I want to begin with a comment uh Miss Hogwin mentioned in correspondence with Mr. Speaks that is that any disposition decision based in regarding Peralta uh would be speculative when it concerns uh uh OCCA given the district doesn't know what our actual in district number of students happens to be. But it wasn't speculative in 2022 when as part of the Prop 39 process, we submitted intent to return forms demonstrating a minimum of 180 indisting, but instead OSD ruled in response that only 29 would attend and therefore declared OCA did not qualify for Prop 39 facilities. The actual number turned out to be 248. And this goes to a critical issue that was not shared in our letter last week. The unnecessary fiscal burden OSD placed

434on OCA in its in district students as a result of this kind of neglect. At the time of this dispute, our school was in no position to litigate the issue. We had to choose between a costly legal battle with OSD or upgrading our campus to serve our students. OCC chose our students needs instead and focused on the necessary upgrades to our campus on an expedited schedule at costs which totaled $3 million. Just to put that in perspective, that amount constituted to roughly over one half of our entire school revenue for the previous year. You now know thanks to data presented by OSD itself that this entire time OSD had had ample space on numerous campuses, two of which were within walking distance of our school. But instead, each and every year since 2022, our school

435has had to spend an additional half million dollars in expansion costs. Money that would otherwise be going to services and programs for our students. Why? Well, when asked by Joshua speaks of a CDE why OSD claimed the former site of Peralta Junior High had not been used for educational purposes when there was literally a charter school operating on its premises. Miss Holgwin's response was, and I quote, "The district means that the property has not been used by the district for its own educational purposes." Emphasis theirs. The staff report itself notes this evasion, noting that only after following up by email was OSD forthcoming. This instantiates precisely a now far too common view that school districts have no obligations to their own in district students if they happen to attend charter schools which as you know

436is a complete contradiction to the body of law known as Prop 39. We should therefore not be surprised that OSD failed to disclose that this site was also going to be occupied by OCA were not for the fact that the district did not allow for the necessary conditions for usage which we explain in full detail in the letter. To be clear, the district's obligations to charter schools under Prop 39 clearly constitute district usage. In as much as Prop 39 is designed to ensure in district students attending charter schools have access to equitable facilities, charter school facilities are not separate from district educational purposes. They are the very means by which districts fulfill their obligation to all in district students. To exclude charter school usage when claiming a property has quote no educational use is not

437a technical distinction. It is an attempt to evade legal responsibilities. O USD's position that districts may sherk their duties to their own indistrict students is now so prolific that the matter has been litigated in courts such as LA County Superior Court, which recently found against LA USD in favor of CS CCSA for precisely this kind of irresponsibility. Now you the state board of education have before you a case where precisely the same pattern of neglect has been documented. Unfortunately, these records were not considered by staff when made their recommendation. But, and this is important, to ignore it now would be to contradict the very first criterion of ED code 33051, which mandates that no waiver shall be approved if quote the educational needs of the pupils are not adequately addressed. End quote. To approve this

438waiver is to contradict the most basic criteria of ed code put in place precisely to ensure protection against the kinds of abuse of neglect. OC has consistently demonstrated with respect to its own indistrict students attending OCCA. We respectfully request the board deny this application for a waiter or at minimum consider a full public hearing where this matter can be fairly and more thoroughly deliberated. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. We will now open the phone line for public comment Q. Members of the public wishing to provide comment on this item who were not part of either presentation may do so by calling the telephone number using the access code provided on the slide that that shown now. While we're waiting, I would like to ask our liaison, member Lewis, if she has any initial

439comments. Member Escoedo, I'd like to reserve my comments until after we hear the public comment, but I would als I would like a Can I ask a clarifying question at this time? Uh Josh and Juan, I have a question, please. >> Yes. >> Can you just clarify for us what the board's jurisdiction is regarding Prop 39, if any? The requirements for school facilities under propon are strictly between the school district and the charter school. The state has no role and that was not part of our review. Again, our review and our focus was specific to the laws that the district is requesting to wave, which is to bypass the highest bid requirement and instead use a request for proposal. >> Thank you. Thank you. Are there any speakers signed up to provide public comment in

440person? We have three people signed up for in-person public comment. Please remember to state your name and affiliation for the record when it's your turn to speak. Um, will the following people line up at the microphone in the back of the room? Kim Tras, Katie Tras, Mary Scott, please. Oh, no. I can't. Someone check the speak the mic. Thank you. hear me now. Thank you. >> Good evening board members. My name is Kim Tras. My three kids in grades 10, 8, and kindergarten attend OCA and we reside within OSD's boundaries. Our family asks for relief from the state with regard to negotiating like space with OD. As OCCA students, my children have never attended class in an OD building or on an OD property. OCCA school sites are significantly smaller than O USD school sites.

441Identification of 15 acres or more of contiguous property in an urban setting is unusual. Our hope is that following waiver denial, OSD will finally engage OCCA in good faith negotiations to satisfy EDC code requirements for provision of like facilities. Perhaps even a sharing agreement for sports facilities can be arranged with Orange Lutheran. Thank you very much for hearing my comment tonight. Good afternoon, Board of Education. My name is Katie Tras and I am an OSD resident. There are more than 300 other OSD residents like me who attend Orange County Classical Academy. OCCA has continuously expressed our need for property to OSD. I have spoken at four OSD board meetings, yet we have not received useful property. OSD has been made aware of our needs and has demonstrated it has space. We have never received a

442property to build a permanent campus on. It frustrates me that they now want to sell Peralta to the highest bidder rather than negotiate with OCA. Please deny OSD's Peralta waiver renewal. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. >> Good afternoon, members of a board. Thank you very much for your leadership in California education. My name is Dr. Mary Scott. I'm the CEO and executive director of Orange Lutheran High School, a national blue ribbon school located in Orange, California. and I'm here today speaking in favor of the agenda item W15 OD's request for a waiver. We are interested in possibly in the possibility of building on the Peralta site to provide athletic facilities as noted in our supporting letter and we would welcome the opportunity to have those as joint use with other organizations. While there

443are a number of other properties located within OSD boundaries, the Peralta surplus site is large enough and close enough for Orange Lutheran High School to provide appropriate use of for all students and excellent oversight of the property. Thus, we have been exploring this possibility for almost 20 of the 40 years the site has been closed. Finally, and perhaps more importantly, we have both community and city government support for this proposed reuse of the site. Thank you very much for your consideration. >> Good afternoon, State Board of Education. My name is Marley Fox. I'm with law firm of Orbach Huff and Henderson uh council for Orange Unified School District. Prop 39 in the district's compliance is not that's being considered today. The district understands its obligations in that regard. What's at issue is a waiver that

444would permit the district to dispose of surplus property pursuant to an RFP process. This is a school site that has been closed for 40 years. It's not housed district students for 40 years. Proposition 39 requires a school district to accommodate a charter school's in district classroom average daily attendance in conditions that are reasonably equivalent to in which students would be accommodated if they were attending other public schools of the district. The district does not house its own students at Peralta. That site, which has been unused by the district to educate its own students for 40 years, is not reasonably equivalent and cannot therefore be made available to a charter school pursuant to Prop 39. The only way the district can make that site available to a charter school, okay, is through an inl agreement. >>

445Thank you. Is there anyone waiting to provide public comment on the phone line? >> Yes, there is. Caller with the last four digits 72000, please state your name and affiliation. For the record, you have one minute. Your time starts now. >> Greetings. My name is Russell Bjun. I'm the community development director for the city of Orange. uh OCA submitted an application to the city for use of the Peralta site on June 24th, 2024. The city reviewed the application and responded with an incomplete letter on July 23rd, uh with a 39page incomplete letter of OCA's unability to meet city codes. Their application was withdrawn on September 4th of 2024. And that's all concludes my comments. I'm available if you have any questions. >> Thank you. Caller with the last four digits 5712. Please start your public

446comment. >> Hi, my name is Madison Miner. I'm a parent and a deeply concerned uh citizen of Orange, the city of Orange. Orange Unified is ignoring a state mandate that provides educational facilities for students such as my four children that attend OCA. Families like mine have requested space for our children and yet we've been repeatedly overlooked. Now the district is appealing to the state to bypass the surplus property agreement. Uh the previous speaker was disingenuous when she said that in district students have not used it because there have been other students of OCD that have used that property even though they weren't under the OSD umbrella. So being offered to the highest bidder is not an option. This is not legal anymore. This is moral. There are public charter school students uh that are public

447school students that want use of that property. Our children deserve safe, adequate classrooms right here in our community, not delayed loopholes or politics. I urge the district to honor the law, prioritize students, and provide facilities for our children that they need and deserve. and I urge the board to vote no on this surplus property waiver. Our families are watching and we will not accept anything less. >> Thank you. Next caller ending in 9182, please begin your public comment. >> Hi, good afternoon. My name is Megan MSAS. I'm a parent of two students attending Orange County Classical Academy, as you know, a K12 charter charter school located within the city of Orange. I'm respectfully asking you to deny the waiver request from the Orange Unified School District. The Peralta site has been historically used for K12

448education and should continue to be used to serve K12 students. There's over 600 students living in within the Orange Unified School District, which either attend or are on the waiting list for admission to OCA, but they cannot be they cannot be admitted because we don't currently have the space for that number of students. In seeking this waiver, O USD is evading its Prop 39 responsibility to serve students in the district, and I respectfully request that you deny the district's request for a waiver and instruct the district and staff to negotiate with OCA in good faith. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next caller ending in 1435, please start your public comment. >> Uh, good evening. My name is Michael Christensen. I'm the former superintendent of the Orange Unified School District. I left uh as of June

44930th and we were hoping this was going to come to your attention prior to my leaving. However, I do want to speak in favor of the request and just state that if there are Prop 39 issues, this is not the place to litigate those and I would encourage them to do that in the correct venue and would like to appreciation and encourage your vote in support of the staff recommendation. Thank you. Thank you. This concludes public comment for waiver 15. >> Thank you. We will now open for board discussion. Member Lewis, you have >> First of all, I want to thank everyone who took the time to provide public comment on this item, including the those in person and those who did so by letter and those who did so by the call-in. Also want

450to thank the CDE staff for their presentation and thank the Orange Unified School District and the Orange County Classical Academy for their remarks today. The waiver request from Orange Unified is to allow the district to use a different process from the highest bidder to sell property that has already been declared surplus. And these types of requests don't normally come to us. They're pretty much routine and we typically don't hear them at our meetings. But based on the unique circumstances of this waiver as well as the issues that have been raised today in public comment, we heard this waiver and we heard from the representatives from those for the the uh waiver and those in OB in a opposition to the waiver. And I understand that the board has granted previous waiverss to Orange Unified that

451would before that would allow them a different process to sell this surplus property. I also understand the opposition to the waiver request from Orange County Classical Academy based in part on a dispute that they have with the district regarding charter facility rules. But as we heard from the CDE staff today, we have no jurisdiction as a board over the Prop 39 process. That's a local process that's decided between the district and the charter school. And we appreciate that the school would like us to hold a hearing, but this SB does not have the jurisdiction to require a district to take any action with respect to Prop 39. So with that said, um I would I move that we follow the recommendation to grant with conditions that the CDE has put before us. The district, you

452know, still needs to go through a public process to sell the property and the additional conditions will allow the community to express their concerns to the board and make their case that the local board needs to work with their charter schools. >> Do I have a second? Okay. Second with Rosco Gonzalez Brooks. >> Member Yoshima. >> Yes. >> Member Rodriguez. >> Member Patillo Brownson. >> Yes. >> Member Rosco Gonzalez. >> Yes. >> Member Olen. >> Yes. >> Member McQuillin. >> Yes. >> Member Lewis. >> Yes. >> Member Scabedo. >> Yes. President Darling Hammond. >> Yes. >> Member GK. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. >> We will now take waiver item 16, which is the request for Hanford Joint Union High School District to wave California code regulations title 5 section 3051.16C. the requirement that educational

453interpreters for deaf and heart of hearing pupils meet minimum qualifications to allow Gabriela Lada to continue to provide services to students until July 30th, 2026 under remediation plan to complete those minimum requirements. The CDE recommendation is a denial of this educational waiver request for Gabriela Larat on the grounds that the granting this waiver will not adequately address the educational needs of the pupils as outlined by uh ED code uh 33051A due to um the district's failure to provide evidence that it compiled with the May 2025 waiver conditions to evidence Miss Lada's progress toward meeting the legal standards or that her interpreting skills have improved beyond the previously reported score of 3.0. This item will be presented by Deputy Superintendent Will McGee and Shelby Helms of the CDE. >> Thank you, Member Escobedo, and you read

454the introduction, so I can skip over that. Good evening again board members and chief deputy superintendent Shapyra and community. For those of you just joining, my name is William McGee, dire division deputy of the best branch. So member, did I say it right? I don't know what I said. Uh member Escobedo. Okay, member Escobedo read the waiver request and so I won't read read that again. And then just a little bit of background. The reason that we are requesting denial for this waiver is so that the children who need the interpretation services can have their fa free and appropriate public education. And so as you all know the individual with disability act of 2004 requires that interpreters for pupils who are deaf or heart of hearing meet state approved requirements. So in summary, the waiver

455is to allow Gabriella Lada to continue to provide services through July 30th, 2026. And she was hired in August 2023, who obtained an EIPA score, and that's one of the tests for interpreters of 3.0 out of 5.0. And 3.0 know means that the child that is receiving the services does not have full access to academic content by the teacher because the interpreter is not able to interpret at the highest level. The state board had approved this interpreter waiver in May of 2025 and with the conditions that you all had set forth, the LEA had not met those conditions and this is why we are asking for you all to uh provide a denial of this waiver. So, a few of the conditions you all had set that did not get met was that the test

456was supposed to be taken by June 30th and the district did not submit that information to us. Uh provide CDE documentation that Gabriella was receiving weekly mentoring from a qualified interpreter that was failed to show evidence of that. than the other conditions that you all set. And I'll go through this a little quicker because I know that you have read this, but just wanting to emphasize that the conditions that you all set forth were not uh adhered to. And so this is why we are requesting a denial. And again, a 4.0 means that an interpreter is signing at a higher level and there still may be some content area access, but a 3.0 0 means that that child may not be receiving the most information by that qualified teacher. And so again, our recommendation is

457to deny this educational interpreter raver for Gabriella Lara. And if you do deny it, the school district, the LEA will still be required to provide interpretation services. And my division has looked into what type of services are available. There are online services that the district can contract with as well as other agencies. And so with that, I will stop there. And member Escobedo, let me know if you want me to put the public comment slide up. >> Yes, please do. Thank you very much. Uh members of the public wishing to provide comments on this item may do so by calling the telephone number using the access code provided on the slide shown. While we're waiting, I will like to ask our less on member Lewis if she has any initial comments. >> I'd like to

458defer my comments until after. >> Well, thank you. Are there any speakers signed up to provide public comments in person? >> No, there are no public comments in person. >> Is there anyone waiting to provide public comments on the phone line? >> There are no callers in the queue. >> Thank you. Okay. So, we we will now open for a board discussion. Any Yes. >> I just wanted to mention that this um item has come up as an information item at the Advisory Commission for Special Education um several times recently. And just to qualify and give a little bit more detail, a score of three on the EIPA means that roughly about 60 to 70% of the intended classroom information is being accurately uh transmitted. So 60 to 70%. So if you translate that to

459six or seven, you know, every 10 words, that's not um >> that's limiting access for the student to uh receive vape. Thank you. >> Yes. >> Thank you, Will, for your presentation. And as stated, as Will stated in his presentation, the state board of education, we previously approved this educational waiver request in May of 2025 for Gabriella Lara with conditions which as as of the most recent waiver request have not been met. We gave Miss Laura and the district an opportunity to work towards meeting the minimum qualification standards. The district did not meet the conditions of this waiver request. Therefore, I move that we uh I move the CD staff re It's late. I move the CDE staff recommendation to deny the waiver. >> I hear a second. Oh, I'll second that. >> Second by

460Yimo Tower. >> Right. Member GK. >> Yes. >> President Darlin Hemmed. >> Yes. >> Member Esco. >> Yes. >> Member Lewis. >> Yes. >> Member McQuillin. >> Yes. >> Rulen. >> Yes. >> Member Rosco Gonzalez. >> Yes. >> Member Patil Bronson. >> Yes. >> Member Yoshima. >> Yes. Motion carries. >> Okay, we'll now take up one more waiver. Waiver 17th, which is the request by Chasta County Office of of Education to wave California code regulations title 5 section 3051.16c. The requirements that educational interpreters for the deaf and heart of hearing pupils meet minimum qualifications to allow Brandy Hopper to continue to provide services to students until June 30th, 2026 under remediation plan to complete those minimum requirements. The California Department of Education recommends denial of this educational interpreter waiver request for Brandy Hopper on the

461grounds that granting the waiver would not adequately address the educational needs of the pupils because even with frequent mentoring and strict monitoring, interpreters at this level cannot meet the educational needs of the students under ED code uh 300051A. This item will be presented also by Deputy Superintendent Will McGee and Shelby Helms of CDE. Will, >> thank you, Member Esco. And I'm gonna try not to rub off on you. It seems like I am already. Member Lewis and member Yashimoto Towery, right? I'm rubbing off on you guys and uh forgetting my words. So, this this waiver is similar to the last waiver request. The difference this waiver is that this person has not yet taken the EIPA test and so we don't know what that person would score. So Brandy Hopper is an education sign language

462interpreter and she has not yet taken that EIPA test. And so again without knowing the score it would be something similar in regard to having a interpreter who is not qualified. And so as we stated before IDA supports children with receiving their fate free and appropriate public education. Shasta County office requests to wave the requirement and they hired Brandy in March of 2025. She has not yet obtained the score or the code of regulations and CD staff were recommending a denial of the waiver here. Her prehire condition also said hire with caution. So when she did do the prehiring or the hiring with the school district, they noted to hire with caution. And so the recommendation from the Department of Education is a denial of this waiver for Brandy Hopper on the grounds that granting

463the waiver would not adequately address the educational needs of the student that would be receiving the sign language services. If the board did choose to grant conditions on a waiver, there are some conditions that we have placed in there to support with your discussion if that's the way the board would like to go. And so I won't read through all the conditions unless you want me to. However, there are several conditions that are similar to that previous waiver. And so I will stop there, member escabedo, and >> Okay, thank you very much. We will now open the phone line for public comment queue. Members of the public wishing to provide comment on this item may do so by calling the telephone number and using the access code provided on the slide shown now. Uh while

464we're waiting, you want to wait. Okay. Okay. Very well. Um so is there anyone uh waiting uh to provide public uh comment in person? >> There's no public comment in person. >> Is there anyone waiting on the phone line? There are no callers in the queue. >> Thank you. So we will now open for board discussion. >> Yes. Um member >> um clarifying question. Um Mr. McGee the you said in the previous item that your staff had done a review of um equivalent services and availability. So in this case in item W17 did was your staff also able to conduct um an assessment of whether other staff was available? I'm asking particularly because of the rural nature of Shasta and the persistent shortages that often accompany um remote locations. Yes, we did do the review

465of that and there are online options available as well as well as there are agencies that provide interpretation services that depending on what that employee would like to do can also relocate. So yes, we did look at the options. >> Okay. Um, and the other clarification was, um, the reason I hesitated on the last item is because this is what I was going to say, but my assumption is that both employees, um, in a in a case such as this would be able to continue their certification even if we deny the waiver, >> I believe. So, if I understand your question, you're asking, would they continue to seek to become an interpreter? >> Yes. There's nothing that prevents them from seeking to become an interpreter. they would just have to take the assessments and things

466of that nature. And my team is also going to reach out and provide technical assistance to the LEAs as well. >> That would be helpful. Having taken four semesters of ASL, it it's it it's a learning progression and so I want to make sure the employees have opportunities to continue to grow. >> That was my foreign language in college as well. So, >> thank you. >> Any other discussions? Is it is it typical for districts to hire without having an employee take an an exam especially specific for their duty >> that I don't know I can ask Shelby if you're aware of that Shelby is that do you >> question is is it typical for districts to hire an employee without taking >> it's not usually no in fact I as a seasoned interpreter had

467never seen a prehire screening before. >> So, I went through the pre-Irish screening myself being fluent and an instructor at our local college in the interpreter program and I was surprised to see it, but it's very preliminary and very basic. >> Okay, >> please. >> Thank you again, Will. >> Uh, I know the hour is growing late, but I need to give a little context to this this item here. So, um, just interpreters are necessary. We know that for the deaf and heart of hearing students to ensure that they receive accurate information in the classroom and that they can participate with their classmates in discussions with their feedback and thoughts shared accurately with peers and teachers who are not able to use sign language. For that reason, the state board of education approved regulations that

468require certification or a certain score on a test so that the education interpreter has the ability as established by certification or assessment levels to communicate accurate information to and from the student in the school setting. Lower scores cannot guarantee that a student's communication will be accurately delivered to the student's teacher and the students peers or that the teacher's communication with the student is accurately delivered. I also understand that typically a school district will request a waiver to have staff who has not achieved the required test score. And often these school districts are located in rural and remotely populated areas and they have pre-existing challenges with hiring sufficient and qualified teachers and other staff. Those challenges are often worse with respect to securing a qualified educational interpreter for a particular school year. And with that said,

469and giving appreciation uh for the presentation on this previous waiver regarding Miss Laura, uh and for that waiver, the CDE recommended that this SBE accept a conditional waiver allowing Miss Laura and the district an opportunity to work towards meeting the minimum qualification standards and to ensure that Miss Laura got support along the way. While I appreciate the CDE's perspective and other staff on this particular waiver request and on this issue, consistent with our recent history of providing interpreter candidates at least one opportunity for a waiver, I believe that a conditional approval is the right approach here. And I appreciate that the CDE has provided conditions in the alternate and I believe that those are appropriate with one modification uh to condition one to ensure that the LEA is clear on the documentation requirements. Uh, for

470that reason, I move that the board approve Shasta County Office of Education's waiver request for Brandy Hopper provide educational interpreting services for the deaf to provide educational services for the deaf and heart of hearing students until June 30, 2026 with the following addendum to number one that Brandy Hopper must take one of the assessments described in section 3051.16. 6C by December 22nd, 2025 and that the Shasta County of Education must provide documentation to the CDE of the assessment being taken by January 6th, 2026. Acceptable documentation to meet this condition includes confirmation from the assessment provider showing that Miss Hopper took the test on or before December 22nd, 2025. And then all the other conditions would remain. >> Yes. Trustee Yoshimoto, you're second. >> I'm seconding. >> Okay. Member Yoshimoari. >> Yes. >> Member Rodriguez. Member

471Patel Brownson. >> Yes. >> Member Rosco Gonzalez. >> Yes. >> Member Olen. >> Yes. >> Member McQuillin. >> Yes. >> Member Lewis. >> Yes. Member Esco. >> Yes. >> President Darling Hems. >> Yes. >> Member Aj. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. >> Okay, we are almost there, guys. We are reopening item one to take action on the preliminary report of actions uh draft September 2025 meeting minutes and to report on our liaison reports. So are our so we have SB preliminary uh draft of our minutes there any speakers signed up to provide public comments? None. Okay. And anyone on the phone line? >> Uh yes. >> Yes. >> Caller ending in 4691. Please state your name and affiliation for the record. You have one minute. Your time starts now. Is this for general public? >>

472no, it's for the minutes. >> No, not yet. It's for the minutes for our last board meeting. If you could please call back during general public comment. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> This concludes public comment for the meeting minutes. >> Okay. Do I have a motion to approve the minutes? >> Motion. Okay. Motion. Second. Okay. Motion by member McQuillin and second by Rosco Gonzalez. >> Member GK. >> Yes. >> President Darling Hammond. >> Yes. >> Member Esco. >> Yes. >> Member Lewis. >> Yes. >> Member McQuillin. >> Yes. >> Gonzalez. >> Yes. >> Member member Brownson. Ma'am. Yes. No. I'm dead. >> Member. >> Yes. Motion carries. Hey, board member liaison reports and I want to invite our our our members to report out on the liaison report not related on any items on

473our November agenda. So, we we're going to start with President Darling Hammond >> and I am trying to get my video to come back up, but I'm basically just going to say that everything that I have u been related to as a liaison was discussed on this agenda. So, >> I have no liaison report. This is a big agenda. >> Was Thank you. Uh, student member GK, >> in September, I did an interview for the Yale Politic regarding my perspective as not only a student, but as a policy maker on the implementation of cell phone restrictions in LEAs. I've also been participating as an act active member of NASBY Student Advisory Council. We had our first meeting in September and it's been great to connect with other state student board members across the country to

474network and to share some ideas on obtaining student voice. In October, I had a podcast interview hosted by the equity disproportionality and design team at the South County SULPA in San Diego. It was an honor to discuss critical conversations about equity and education and to share my personal and professional journey. Most recently, I've been working hard in helping to prepare the same student delegates for the proposals. As you've all probably seen yesterday, CASS had a larger delegation this year, which was diverse in background, geographic locations, and perspectives. And they're not here right now, but I also just want to thank the CAST staff for pulling off a very successful conference. It was an immense honor to oversee the first part of the SPM selection process, and I look forward to finding out who my successor

475will be around the spring. And I also look forward to attending two student conferences next month in December and I'll report back on that the January board meeting. Thank you. That's my report. >> Thank you. Member McQuillin. >> Okay. I'll be brief. Uh the California Workforce Pathways Joint Advisory Committee uh on career technical education meets tomorrow right here in this room and it's a hybrid type of event and we'll be going over all the funding options under that uh program. And then uh just a reminder that uh Sacramento is hosting a parade this Saturday to commemorate the American Indian Heritage Month here of November and several cultural demonstrations uh right on Capitol Mall here. Everyone's welcome the parade and then 1:00 for cultural presentations. It's also an opportunity for LEAs to try out the new

476statewide model curriculum this month and in those lessons that we approved last or heard heard about last month. So that's it. Thank you. >> You member Rosco Gonzalez. >> Okay. So last um as far as the assessment that was covered in all the items, but last week I attended the NASBY annual conference and I had the opportunity to present in the session for California Quest to unlock math mindsets. I shared how California connects policy to practice how the vision in our math framework translates into real classroom experiences. From my classroom, I described how students learn through math talk, collaboration, and purposeful questioning, and how tools for teachers and dash in the dashboard helps educators turn ideas into practice and reflection. And the message was that when policy, professional learning, and classroom practice work together, we

477don't just improve math instruction, but we also change how students see themselves as problem solvers. And also next week I will be in Riverside for the California Assessment Conference. It's a great space for teachers, school teams to share how we are using assessments to really support student learning not just for accountability but also to provide guidance. So I look forward to sharing um the shared practices sessions which I'm most excited about attending. >> Thank you. Member Patila Brownson. >> Thank you. Uh the California Summer School for the Arts uh trustee meeting um occurred uh earlier or actually last month. Um and although they are eagerly preparing for the next uh uh summer of programming um and also actively looking for a physical space, the the tie-in that I just wanted to name explicitly in the

478spirit of integration and um making sure there's coherence across all of our different programs. Um this is a program that is open to students from 8th until 12th grade every summer. um and does much of what we were actually hearing about um as we were talking about the CTE um model standards and processes ahead. Uh it's a program that is already quite deeply aligned with several universities with practitioners with employers um and is a homegrown um thing to celebrate here uh in in our our own sort of pre-existing universe of of things that are available to our students. Um we also had the UPK research group um which heard from the UC Berkeley Center for uh the study of child care employment. Um for many folks I think the the pathway between child care to

479preschool to TK and then K onwards um oftentimes is envisioned to be quite sort of distinct. But certainly I think it's helpful to anchor on remembering that parents experience it experience it all as a continuum. Um also increasing numbers of people in the child care and preschool world um are moving towards AA and BA attainment which I think um sets up greater possibilities um for alignment with um traditional K12 and TK12 spaces. Um the last thing I'll just say is a note of appreciation. Um recognizing that as we have been deep in assessment, accountability, um student government policy proposals, um so many families um are dealing with uh the federal shutdown in terms of SNAP. So, I just want to appreciate the many school leaders, school district leaders who are really filling the breach um

480to make sure that students have meals after hours apart from the universal program, which again is something I think California has to be proud of. And even with the incredible expansion that's happened there, um kids need dinner as well. Um and uh just very grateful for the many school leaders who are stepping in. Member Lewis. >> Thank you. Just a couple of items to report. Um, with the adoption of the math instructional materials behind them, the IQC is going to now focus on the two 2026 ELA EL adoption. Uh we will have a meeting on December 4th to review the applications and make recommendations for appointments to the J uh the board at the January meeting. And the personal finance committee um the IQC opened a public comment period for the draft personal finance curriculum

481guide at our September meeting. The comment period ended on October 31st and the draft will now go through its third set of edits and the IQC will review the draft in March 2026 for recommendation to the board in May of 2026. And that end my ends my report. >> Thank you member Elen. >> I'll try and keep this very quick. Um thank you for already covering personal finance. That helped. Um so I just wanted quickly. Um the application deadline for Green Ribbon Schools award program um is actually coming up very quickly on November 17th. So any school um that is interested um hopefully you're already working on the application, but you still can get it now. Um and that's available on this is in my environmental literacy hat. um and that's available on the CDE

482website. Um, additionally, there is a really great um, California Green Ribbon School Achievers and Applicants Network, which is um, a group of folks who either have already won this award or who are interested um, in becoming a Green Ribbon School, which means they are really working to um, reduce environmental impacts on their campus, promote the health and wellness of their students, and provide great environmental lit literacy education. Um and um the next meeting for the network um is in December and you can find that also I believe on the CD site. Um, and then the other hat I'll just talk about quickly is um I'm the leazison for AI. um which as you can imagine I could go to a meeting every day um about AI and education. Um I last week was fortunate to

483go to the um to attend the pre-conference at NASBY um for that was called navigating AI and education policies, practices and pathways for student success. Um and it was um school state board state education board members from across the country all of whom are grappling with how to both um do right by kids and and educators um in terms of all the opportunities related to AI and then also mitigate the risks. Um one of the things I really appreciated most about this session was we looked at some exemplary AI guidances in other states. Um, I really appreciated the work in Indiana, Utah, North Carolina, and Washington State. Just to call out a few of our other state colleagues, um, which is a good, um, segue to my other report, which is I also have been

484attending meetings of the California AI workg group, um, which is looking at the AI guidance that we already published to our schools. we were the first state to do so. Um, but it's time to update it because like everything else, uh, AI moves very quickly. Um, and so we are working through, um, um, recommendations for updates to those guidelines. Um, and it's it's gratifying to see that some of the things that stand out in other states, we're looking to incorporate into the work that we're doing as well. And, um, that's it for today. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> member Yoshimoto Tower. >> You go around or you go alphabetically. I'm still last. >> All right. So, uh, two quick updates. One is, um, I just wanted to call attention knowing this board cares a

485lot about transparency and opportunity for public input. Yesterday, uh, on the consent agenda items 12 and 13, we passed but without comment. And I wanted to highlight that we took action yesterday to open up a 45day comment period um on proposed amendments to the regul for regulations with students with disabilities. One is to give ELA's flexibility uh to design alternative extended school year schedules of at least 15 instructional days instead of the current requirement for 20 instructional days while maintaining the total instructional minutes. And the second was uh item 13 was to um expand and align early start eligibility criteria for our youngest learners with the Department of Developmental Service regulations. And so details on how to submit comments or participate in the January hearings are on the SBA agenda items for yesterday's items 12

486and 13. So I encourage people to um take a closer look at those. And then uh my second update is just that on December 1st, applications for the California Serves grants are due. Uh and again, that gives a half a million dollars for eligible uh LEAs to um participate in service learning with their students. >> Thank you. >> Oh, thank you. I I have nothing to report. I kind of went over everything during this um agenda time. I mean this meeting time. Just want to wish everyone won't see each other until 2026, right? So, wish everyone a restful break and can't wait until the new year. Just love being here with you guys. You guys are amazing. And it's my birthday, too. What the heck? >> Happy birthday. >> We have one more. >> One

487more. Now, I would like to take up agenda item 21. General public comment. Public comment is uh invited on any matter not included in the printed printed agenda. Members of the public wishing to provide comment this item and may do so in person or by calling the number shown on the comments slide. Are there any people in person? >> No, >> there are not. >> There is one in on the phone, right? Please. >> Yes. Caller ending in 4691, please start your public comment. Good evening, President Darling Hammond, Chair Escobedo, and members. My name is Carlos Mashado with the California School Board Association. CSBA appreciates the careful review the board and staff have undertaken to improve the effectiveness of the state's support uh system of support, including differentiated assistance. The state uh the state rigorously

488monitors and evaluates the performance of students, schools, districts through accountability tools such as assessments and the dashboard. However, there is no comparable uh telemetry and accountability system for evaluating the performance of state programs and supports designed to close the achievement gap. CSBA has a close the achievement gap effort that is focused on examining how state agencies should hold themselves accountable for supporting not directing local efforts of eleas. We think this is an important piece of the state's accountability system that needs to be further developed to ensure fidelity and alignment across the entire system. We look forward to collaborating with the board to develop and implement essential tools that evaluate the state's role in supporting eleas and meeting the educational needs of students. Thank you. >> Thank you. That concludes public comment for item 21. >>

489Awesome. I hereby adjourn our November 2025 SVE meeting at 5:27. >> All right, guys. We're done.