Resources

The Comprehensive Centers are charged with building the capacity of state education agencies (SEAs) and the intermediate agencies that assist with the SEA’s mission. In California, the services of the California Comprehensive Center (CA CC) support the California Department of Education (CDE), the State Board of Education, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the state’s Regional System of District and School Support, county offices of education, and various network partners of the CDE.

Although this site is available to the general public, the majority of the work produced by the CA CC is provided directly to the primary clients as listed above and not posted on this site. If you are aware of a specific document or product that has been provided to our primary clients, you may request a copy by sending an e-mail to info@cacompcenter.org.

Center Briefs

CA CC Summary of State Strategies for Districts in Improvement
The American Institutes for Research (AIR), as a partner in the California Comprehensive Center at WestEd, conducted interviews with 16 selected state education agencies (SEA) to determine what supports and interventions states have developed for districts identified for improvement under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). This brief paper summarizes the different approaches that the states have taken to support districts in improvement.

Research Summary Supporting the Nine Essential Program Components And Academic Program Survey
The nine Essential Program Components (EPCs), as measured on the Academic Program Survey (APS), are designed to support the improvement of student academic performance in reading/language arts and mathematics. The nine components have been identified in numerous research studies as key factors for school improvement and for the functioning of schools that are “beating the odds” by demonstrating success with challenging student populations. The American Institutes for Research (AIR), as a partner in the California Comprehensive Center at WestEd, created a summary of both school reform and practitioner-based research supporting the EPCs.

Data-Driven Decision Making Based on Curriculum-Embedded Assessment: Findings from Recent California Studies
A large amount of national research supports the concept of using data driven decision making to improve student achievement. This brief produced by the American Institutes for Research (AIR), as a partner in the California Comprehensive Center (CA CC) at WestEd, summarizes key findings about the use of data driven decision making, including the effective use of assessment data, the role of administrators, the role of teachers, and the role of parents and students, as detailed in three recent California studies.

Center Reports

Turnaround Schools in California: Who Are They and What Strategies Do They Use?
This report (November 2011) was authored by American Institutes for Research (AIR) staff, working as partners on the California Comprehensive Center at WestEd. To help inform the current policy, research, and practice foci on turnaround schools, this study specifies a set of criteria for identifying turnaround schools in California, which were vetted and informed by a group of California stakeholders. The report describes these criteria and summarizes the strategies that a sample of nine principals from statistically selected schools reported as essential to improved outcomes at their schools. Based on interviews, the key strategies reported by at least three of the nine principals as contributing to their schools’ turnaround include: 1) Instructional strategies focused on student subgroups; 2) An emphasis on teacher collaboration; 3) Strong instructional leadership; 4) Regular use of assessments and analysis of data; 5) Increased parent involvement; 6) Guidance and support provided by the district; 7) Use of student engagement strategies; and 8) Use of extended learning time. The report also includes challenges reported by principals in their turnaround efforts, as well as implications for policy and practice.

School Visitations in Four California Counties: Experiences & Lessons Learned from Year 2
This report (September 2011) was authored by American Institutes for Research (AIR) staff, working as partners on the California Comprehensive Center at WestEd. The purpose of this project was to match lower and higher performing schools with similar demographics and, through school visits, to create opportunities for knowledge sharing around effective schooling practices. AIR provided data to match schools, the four counties facilitated the school visits, and AIR then documented these efforts through interviews, observations, and online surveys. A total of 39 schools (21 visiting schools and 18 host schools) participated in the process. This report describes the school matching process, summarizes what transpired during the school visits, and presents participant impressions regarding the process. About three quarters of all survey respondents reported the school visit activities to be either very useful or useful. In addition, about two fifths of the visiting participants reported positive effects from the school visit activities in the areas of new programs and procedures (e.g., English learner [EL] programs) and teachers’ instructional strategies (e.g., student engagement strategies). The report concludes with 18 suggested “best practices” for carrying out school visitations in 6 general areas: 1) Timing of school visitations; 2) County and district involvement; 3) School matching process; 4) School visit preparation; 5) School visit activities; and 6) Debriefing and follow-up activities.

Academically Strong California Districts for Students in Special Education
This report (September 2011) was authored by American Institutes for Research (AIR) staff, working as partners on the California Comprehensive Center at WestEd. The purpose of this study was to identify and profile California school districts showing unusually strong academic performance for students in special education. Controlling for such factors as student poverty, the percentage of students in special education, and the distribution of these students across categories of disability, we identified eight unified districts. We then interviewed the special education directors in these districts to identify policies and practices credited to their success. Four of the districts are profiled in the report, with a special emphasis on Sanger Unified, which is a mid-sized district featuring high poverty, a low rate of special education identification attributed to Response to Intervention (RtI), and unusually strong academic special education performance. Overall, at least three of the four special education directors identified the following strategies as contributing to their districts’ special education performance: 1) Inclusion and access to the core curriculum; 2) Collaboration between special education and general education teachers; 3) Continuous assessment and use of RtI; and 4) Targeted professional development.

Making the Move: Transition Strategies at California Schools with High Graduation Rates
The American Institutes for Research (AIR), as a partner in the California Comprehensive Center at WestEd, worked with the K-12 Innovation and Improvement Office (formerly the Middle Grades Improvement Office) at the California Department of Education to conduct a study on student transitions from the middle grades to high school. AIR contacted nine California high schools with higher-than-predicted graduation rates and three of their feeder middle grades schools to determine what strategies they use to help students transition into and graduate from high school. This paper summarizes these key transition and graduation strategies and discusses the implications for practitioners and policymakers across the state.

California Early Learning Quality Improvement System (CAEL QIS) Advisory Committee Draft 2009 Interim Report
The draft 2009 Interim Report describes the progress of the CAEL QIS Advisory Committee in developing a plan to improve outcomes for children and promote school readiness by improving the quality of early learning and care programs for children from birth to five years old. This report focuses on the: 1) assessment and analysis of existing early education and care infrastructure in California and other states; and 2) initial development of an early learning quality rating structure. The final plan, to be completed by December 2010, will include a quality rating structure and a funding model, including incentives and technical assistance for a range of programs and providers. Please join CAEL QIS in 2010 to continue the development of California’s quality rating and improvement system and the expansion of CAEL QIS to the California State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care.

Building Regional Capacity to Support Schools and Districts in Need of Improvement Under NCLB
The American Institutes for Research (AIR), as a partner in the California Comprehensive Center at WestEd, identified five states with comprehensive regional systems for supporting districts and schools in need of improvement under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. We then interviewed selected state education agency (SEA) staff in the five states — Georgia, Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Texas — to learn about their regional capacity-building strategies and to identify common system characteristics.

The intent of this report is purely descriptive. That is, we have not attempted to evaluate the states’ regional systems in any way. Consequently, we do not know how effective these systems are in improving schools and districts, nor the extent to which the systems are implemented as intended.

Useful Links

Includes other websites that will help with NCLB implementation.

Comprehensive Centers Program
This program awards discretionary grants to establish comprehensive technical assistance centers to help low-performing schools and districts close achievement gaps and meet the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Regional Comprehensive Centers

Content Comprehensive Centers

No Child Left Behind - ED.gov
Provides information about the No Child Left Behind legislation including an overview, an A-Z index, and specific tabs for students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Developed by the US Department of Education.

Regional Educational Laboratory Program
Serves the educational needs of a designated region by providing access to high quality scientifically valid education research through applied research and development projects, studies, and other related technical assistance activities. Funded by the US Department of Education.

The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning
The Center is a public, not-for-profit organization, founded on the belief that the knowledge and skills of teachers are key to improved student achievement. The strategic purpose of the Center is to strengthen the continuing development of California’s teacher force in order to provide a rigorous and balanced curriculum for all students, thereby ensuring every child’s continued intellectual, ethical and social development.

The Center's Web site features recent information on teacher development including research, state and national policy and legislative initiatives, and models for effective practice.

U.S. Department of Education (ED)
Offers a range and an ever-growing collection of information about the US Department of Education, including initiatives and priorities, grant opportunities, offices, publications, and research and statistics.

What Works Clearinghouse
Provides educators, policymakers, and the public with a central and independent source of scientific evidence of what works in education. A project of the Institute of Education Sciences, US Department of Education.

Forums and Mailing Lists

SchoolsMovingUp

A WestEd initiative that helps schools and districts address the immense challenge of raising student achievement in low-performing schools. In an interactive Web format, SchoolsMovingUp offers practitioners knowledge and expertise they need to make sound decisions and take tangible action in their school reform efforts.

Get access to online events, archives, tools, comments, discussions and more! Registration is free and requires no obligation. Your name and email will not be provided to any third parties.