California P-16 Council Recommendations

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California P-16 Council Recommendations

• The States Transformational Role in Closing The
  Achievement Gap
• Jose Ortega
• P-16 Division Director

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Closing the Achievement Gap

• An achievement gap exists between white students
  and students of color, as well as with English
  learners, poor students, and students with
  disabilities
• In California, the achievement gap represents a
  majority of students
• Closing the gap is a moral and economic
  imperative

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P-16 Council

• Formed in 2004 by Jack OConnell, the Council has
  dealt with High School Reform and Professional
  Development Issues
• Statewide assembly of
• education,
• business,
• and community leaders
• February, 2007
• Council charged with creating the conditions
  necessary to close the achievement gap for
  preschool through higher education.

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Four Major Themes

• Access Equitable access to core conditions,
  such as qualified teachers, quality
  prekindergarten and a rigorous curriculum
• Culture and Climate Offering the best
  environment that promotes learning and a sense
  of belonging for students, parents, and school
  staff
• Expectations Fostering high expectations for
  all students
• Strategies Practices that have proven
  effective or are promising for closing the
  achievement gap and can be replicated

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P-16 Council Report

• January 2008, Council released CTAG report
• Not intended to be comprehensive
• But important steps to follow
• Makes 14 recommendations
• http//www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/pc/documents/yr08ctagr
  pt0122.pdf

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Access

• Provide High-Quality Prekindergarten Programs
• Access to quality early learning experiences for
  all students

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Access

• Better Align Educational System from
  Prekindergarten to College
• Create unprecedented collaboration between all
  educational stakeholders

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Access

• Develop Partnerships to Close the Achievement Gap
• Implementing a consistent approach to a
  high-quality and inclusive educational program
• www.closingtheachievementgap.org/partnerships

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Culture and Climate

• Provide Culturally Relevant Professional
  Development for All School Personnel
• Develop a comprehensive culturally, relevant and
  responsive strategy

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Culture and Climate

• Conduct a Climate Survey
• Develop a tool for assessing the organizational
  health of a school

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Expectations

• Augment Accountability System
• Provide an immediate measure of progress made by
  schools and districts in educating all students

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Expectations

• Model Rigor
• Define more clearly what constitutes a rigorous
  curriculum
• Focus on Academic Rigor
• Define consistent and ubiquitous academic rigor
  for future success

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Expectations

• Improve the Awards System
• Reward schools for closing gaps and the focusing
  on improving academic achievement for all
  students
• http//www.closingtheachievementgap.org/sigpractic
  es

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Strategies

• Create a Robust Information System
• Design, develop, and implement a system that
  collects rich, robust high-quality information to
  meet the needs of educators and legislative
  policymakers
• http//www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/pc/documents/yr08mckin
  sey1218.pdf

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Strategies

• Provide Professional Development on the Use of
  Data
• Design, develop, and implement coherent and
  relevant professional development in the areas of
  data collection, analysis and interpretation

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Strategies

• Share Successful Practices
• Collect and disseminate a high-quality,
  comprehensive body of knowledge, expertise,
  resources, and research on effective and
  successful practices
• http//boepilot.org/

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Strategies

• Closing the Achievement Gap Web Site
• closingtheachievementgap.org is a Web site
  created by the California Department of Education
  in partnership with WestEd and the Bill and
  Melinda Gates Foundation
• This site will serve as a central hub for the
  latest research, ideas, and success stories on
  closing the achievement gap

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Strategies

• Fully Implement the California K-12 High-Speed
  Network
• Fully fund the High-Speed Network to ensure that
  school, districts, and county offices of
  education have access to the technology needed to
  assist students

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Strategies

• Create Opportunities for School District
  Flexibility
• Provide flexibility in the use of educational
  funds to target academic improvement and
  professional development

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Comments or Questions?

• Comments and questions can be directed to the
  P-16 Unit at
• 916-319-0908 or by e-mail at
• P16_at_cde.ca.gov