Alliance Blog

Find the latest announcements and launches from the Linked Learning Alliance here—plus reflections and insights about what’s happening across the field.

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August 27, 2020

This week brings the release of multiple guidance and frequently asked questions (FAQ) materials for the start of the new school year. Additionally, the California Department of Education (CDE) has provided multiple resources to help both educators and parents effectively engage English Learners during this time, including newsletters and FAQs. Finally, Senate Bill (SB) 820, the “trailer bill” to the state budget, includes language that would add the Lieutenant Governor of California as a voting member of the California Community College Board of Governors. Governor Newsom is likely to sign the bill.

August 25, 2020

When schools closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many worried how students would perform on Advance Placement exams from home. At Antelope Valley's Eastside High Biomedical Science Academy, students overcame challenges with distance learning to see gains in scores.

August 20, 2020

This was a big week for ethnic studies in California. Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1460 (Weber), requiring an ethnic studies course as a graduation requirement for undergraduate students at California State University (CSU). (See our July 23 blog post for additional background information.) Additionally, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond expressed his support for the revised draft of the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum, as part of his comments to the state’s Instructional Quality Commission (IQC).

August 13, 2020

This week, the California Department of Education (CDE) announced that the U.S. Department of Education approved California’s Perkins V State Plan. They also released a teacher survey to collect examples of distance learning successes from last school year. Finally, public-private partnerships are helping to close the digital divide, increasing the number of devices and online accessibility for students as they get ready for the start of school.

August 6, 2020

This week, the California Department of Education (CDE) released instructions for the Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan template (you can read our first update on this template here). Beyond the instructions, CDE is also providing webinars to support educational leaders as they work on their plan, including opportunities to explore considerations and available tools for addressing the needs of English Learners, students with disabilities, foster youth, and students experiencing homelessness.

July 30, 2020

This week, the California State Legislature returned from an extended recess triggered by a spike in COVID-19 cases statewide. The Senate Education Committee also met to discuss a small number of bills, including Assemblymember Shirley Weber’s bill on Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) dollars, AB 1835.

July 23, 2020

K-12 districts continue to plan for fall in light of the Governor’s recent announcement that schools in counties on the state’s monitoring list will not be allowed to provide in-person instruction. These schools will be able to resume in-person instruction once their county is removed from the monitoring list for 14 consecutive days. Also this week, the California State University (CSU) Trustees approved the addition of an ethnic studies course as a college graduation requirement.

July 17, 2020 | Linked Learning Alliance

The Linked Learning Alliance conducted a survey of juniors and seniors in seven key Linked Learning districts to learn more about the impact of COVID-19 on their education and futures. The Alliance is proud to release these results and share brief reflection on the results.

July 16, 2020

The California Department of Education (CDE) rolled out the draft Learning Continuity Plan template sooner than expected. Here we provide more details about the template, along with information about CDE’s upcoming webinars on the topic.

Also, with the recent surge of COVID-19 cases, many school districts, and even entire counties, have indicated that they will start the school year with distance learning. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond signaled his support of this approach in light of health and safety considerations.

July 9, 2020

When summer comes to an end, what will school be like? Educators across California and the country are working hard to answer that question, drawing on available guidance and taking into account local context. As we note below, reopening schools has also become a political issue, with state and federal leaders weighing in on what is needed.

In other news, the University of California (UC) Regents confirmed Dr. Michael Drake as the next president of the UC system. He will be the UC’s first Black president.