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OPINION by Patricia Burch, Morgan Polikoff & Jon Fullerton: We don’t yet know what the national election portends for California’s schools, and some federal actions could escalate with serious potential consequences for the state’s students and families. In times of uncertainty, it is prudent to focus on local education improvements rooted in strong evidence. By prioritizing proven strategies that advance long-term goals, California can continue to strengthen student learning across the region’s schools and colleges, regardless of broader political shifts. 

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#Highered #edequity includes so much more than #financialaid. I want to share some of the great work my colleagues at the California Community Colleges are doing to demonstrate this and specifically in the work around Burden Free Instructional Materials. A few quotes from the new task force report that warm my passionate and nerdy heart: "Current structures surrounding instructional materials reflect an outdated right-to-fail era culture and offer little institutional accountability for the financial, administrative, and psychological burdens imposed on and experienced by students. While existing system-wide policy and practice attempts to minimize the financial barriers and stressors associated with college enrollment, there has not been sufficient focus on equitable student experience throughout the process of acquiring instructional items needed for effective course participation and success." "The high and varying costs of instructional materials not only impose substantial financial burden but also compound administrative and psychological burdens on students lacking financial resources. These challenges exacerbate the existing inequities within the higher education system, presenting a stark contrast to the experiences of students with ample financial means..." For more information about the task force and get the report, please take a gander: https://lnkd.in/g2CKGqRh

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Since the U.S. Department of Education announced last summer that federal Pell Grants would be available to incarcerated college students, lawmakers and corrections agencies have been busy forming partnerships with universities. However, nearly a year later, the journey to approval has proven challenging. So far, only one new program in California has successfully launched. Discover more about this transformative initiative: https://conta.cc/3VkDnIa #PrisonEducation #HigherEd #SecondChances #unlockhighereducation #EducationEquity #CollegeInPrison #PellGrants #EducationIsTheKey #SecondChance #JusticeImpacted #UnlockHigherEducation #UnlockHigherEd #EducationIsTheKey #SecondChance #JusticeImpacted #CriminalJusticeReform #BanTheBox #PellGrants #Expungement #Sealing #Reentry #Advocacy #CollegeForAll #RacialJustice #EconomicJustice #Incarceration #MassIncarceration #Rehabilitation #Reintegration

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The California Legislative Analyst's Office has released the fifth brief in its six-part series on higher education, spotlighting trends among faculty and staff. This report highlights persistent inequities faced by California Community College (CCC) faculty, including stagnant numbers, pay disparities, and the growing dominance of administrative roles. It's time to prioritize fairness and equity for our CCC educators—because supporting faculty means supporting students. #HigherEd #TrustEducators Check out the full report at https://bit.ly/3VxnG1q

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📣 More evidence about the effectiveness of #CommunitySchools 🎓 The UCLA Center for Community Schooling published a new blog post highlighting the impact of the $4.1 billion California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP), which is working to establish, strengthen, and expand community schools for communities with demonstrated need. 💡 Key Insights from the The Opportunity Institute, which conducted the analysis of the first round of CCSPP applicants. Integrated Student Supports: 78% of schools identified integrated student supports and services as part of their community schools plan, with significant expansions in partnerships and training. Examples included health, mental health, tutoring, nutritional services, and multi-tiered systems of support. Positive School Climates: 86% of schools are committed to creating positive, welcoming, and safe learning environments. Specifically, schools focused on implementing positive behavioral supports, restorative practices, and social-emotional skill development. Community-Based Learning: 40% of CCSPP grantees incorporated community-based learning as a part of their year plan or needs and assets assessment. And 1/3 included expanded partnerships or expanded capacity to offer similar learning opportunties to students. This analysis looked at approximately 450 schools included in the first two rounds of CCSPP grants. I am looking forward to seeing more from these grantees and the next cohort of grantees to be announced later in May 2024. 🔗 Read the full blog post here: https://lnkd.in/ej6ET7bm #CommunitySchools #CCSPP #EducationTransformation #EquityInEducation #CaliforniaEducation

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Please join us as we discuss & unpack the imperative of DEIA work in our system!

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Excited to share a policy brief examining relationships between a food bank and local food producers. The Policy Brief was published by the Center for Poverty and Inequality at UC Davis based on research I conducted with Dr. Catherine Brinkley. Our takeaways are: * Locally produced food can be an important source of food for food banks. * Relying on the goodwill of donors to contribute to charitable food programs is an insufficient response to poverty and food insecurity. * Stronger policy is needed to ensure that access to food is recognized as a right rather than relying on charity to address poverty and hunger. https://lnkd.in/gTfV-TWW

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🎉 NEW PUB 🎉 MAPPING ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT AND COLLECTIVE ACTION: Towards a Model for Advancing Racial Equity in Community College This paper is part of the Center for Studies in Higher Education, University of California, Berkeley Research and Occasional Paper Series (ROPS) Special Issue on Opportunities and Challenges for California Higher Education. https://lnkd.in/gE76yaAr In this paper Eric R. Felix, Elijah Felix, and I present the Advancing Racial Equity in Community College Model which maps out the organizational conditions shaping institutional transformation. Guided by Felix's (2021) trenza of policy implementation framework and Ray's (2019) theory of racialized organizations, our model builds of their theoretical assumptions and is grounded in empirical research from equity leaders at community colleges leading this work. Our model helps equity advocates gain an awareness of known barriers to implementation in higher education, assess the readiness of their campus for racialized change, and take action to build the necessary institutional support and capacity to move the work forward. It is open access so check it out, download, cite, and use! https://lnkd.in/g_MNcHim

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The Calstate University system has invested in a Black Student Success Initiative. It is an important effort to support the retention and graduation of Black students... and the success of Black faculty and staff in the CSU system. https://lnkd.in/g8viPiAG At San Francisco State University, we have assembled a work group from all areas of campus to help as we align our campus work with the CSU system initiative. Our campus focus is on 3 of the 13 recommendations (note, each campus asked to focus on 3 areas, not all 13 report recommendations): 1) Early outreach to Black K-12 students; 2) Retention of currently-enrolled Black students, and; 3) Black faculty and staff success.

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Considering working in the #nonprofit or #government sector? Meet #USCPrice alum Nicolas Rodriguez, MPA, a specialist at a youth homeless and foster care nonprofit. He shares his experience in the USC Price MPA Online program and how important it was to gain skills and knowledge that were immediately applicable to his field. “I think if anyone were to get into this program and if they find themselves in the nonprofit or government sector, that is such a much more enriching way to engage with the subject materials because you’re easily able to see how this relates to your current job.” Check out the rest of his Q&A here to learn more about the program: https://lnkd.in/gKXBNx7T USC Online

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The School of Public Affairs unveils new Academy for Local Elected Officials. The Academy for Local Elected Officials (ALEO) is a new program within the Institute for Innovative Governance at the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts. Established this year by the School of Public Affairs at San Diego State University, ALEO provides resources to support leadership for local elected government officials. To read more: https://bit.ly/3Z6pRLp. #PSFA #SDSU #PublicAffairs #PAatSDSU #CriminalJustice #CJatSDSU #ResearchAtSDSU @sdsupublicaffairs

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I'm excited about the second blog Marko Mijic and I created together. Here's how we sum it up: "In doing all this work, we at CalHHS and C2C are guided by the fact that the information we steward belongs to the people of California. We are working to build the tools and systems that will let Californians—and the people who serve them—have the information they need to build a California for All." Learn more about how we're setting learning agendas and making data available at California Health & Human Services Agency and California Cradle-to-Career Data System

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How does recent state legislation impact the way districts serve #newcomers? Our latest blog post summarizes our takeaways from California Department of Education FAQ documents regarding #AB2121 & #AB714. Learn more: #CALeg

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Why should even read about a book affirmative action in California if the SCOTUS ultimately got rid of affirmative action in college admissions last year? In several interviews I have been asked this very question. Check out response to this very question on The Relatable Voice podcast

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Whoa! My first podcast!! Thanks CCA for the opportunity to share my favorite topic, universal design and how it can benefit all students, not just a few. Controversial thought, educators disable students, not just those with disabilities, but all students, by building in unnecessary barriers into their curriculum. Why not build a more inclusive curriculum to actually provide students opportunity to demonstrate what they know, rather than penalizing them for what they can't control? As we consider the importance of admissions, retention and graduation we may need to rethink barriers that serve no educational purpose.

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