Accountability & Assessment

MCOE provides assistance to local education agencies (LEAs) in understanding the overall Federal Program Monitoring process and the requirements of each program instrument used by the state during the review. The purpose of the review is to ensure that LEA’s are spending the federal funding as required by law.

Assessment and Data: CAASPP, ELPAC, Local

The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System consists of the following assessments:

• Smarter Balanced English language arts/literacy and mathematics
• California Alternate Assessments for English language arts, mathematics, and science
• California Science Tests
• California Spanish Assessment

The English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) is the mandated state test for determining English language proficiency (ELP). It is administered as an initial assessment to newly enrolled students whose primary language is not English, as indicated on a home language survey; and annually as a summative assessment to students who have been previously identified as EL students.

CSI/TSI/ATSI - Federal Accountability based on CA Dashboard performance

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires state educational agencies to determine school eligibility for comprehensive support and improvement (CSI). Local educational agencies (LEAs) with schools that meet the criteria for CSI must partner with stakeholders to locally develop and implement a plan to improve student outcomes.

The county office of education (COE) also plays a role in providing technical assistance and support to LEAs within its county that serve schools that meet the criteria for CSI.

The CI Department provides guidance for schools identified for CSI to analyze Dashboard data, identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas that require improvement related to student outcomes on the CA Dashboard Indicators.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires state educational agencies to determine school eligibility for targeted support and improvement (TSI) and additional targeted support and improvement (ATSI).

Schools that meet the criteria for TSI or ATSI must partner with stakeholders to develop and implement a school-level plan to improve student outcomes. The CI Department is able to provide guidance to schools identified for ATSI/TSI.

Differentiated Assistance

The overarching goal of California’s system of support is to help local educational agencies (LEAs) and their schools meet the needs of each student they serve, with a focus on building local capacity to sustain improvement and to effectively address disparities in opportunities and outcomes.

At its heart California’s system of support is focused on improving the outcomes of California’s students. The purpose of California’s system of support, articulated in California Education Code (EC) Section 52095.5(b), is to build the capacity of LEAs in each of the following areas:

• Support the continuous improvement of student performance in each of the eight state priorities areas described in EC sections 52060(d) and 52066(d).
• Address the gaps in achievement between student groups identified in EC Section 52052.
• Improve outreach and collaboration with stakeholders to ensure that goals, actions, and services described in school district and county office of education local control and accountability plans reflect the needs of students and the community, especially for historically underrepresented or low-achieving groups.

Federal Accountability; Federal Program Monitoring (FPM), Title Programs

MCOE provides assistance to LEA’s in understanding the overall Federal Program Monitoring process and the requirements of each program instrument used by the state during the review. The purpose of the review is to ensure that LEA’s are spending the federal funding as required by law.

Homeless & Foster Youth

The Foster Youth Services Coordinating Program (FYSCP) is designed to assist and enhance district programs to improve the educational outcomes for students in foster care is located at the Mendocino County Office of Education, and funded by the California Department of Education.

The program manager provides training to stakeholders regarding the legal rights of students in foster care, the legal responsibilities of schools, and strategies for identifying and serving foster students across our 13 districts in Mendocino County.

Our program provides support to district liaisons, superintendents, and school personnel as issues arise with specific students. FYSCP promotes advocacy for foster students to remain in school of origin, for immediate enrollment, effective coordination of services with child welfare, probation, court appointed special advocates (CASA), child’s attorney, judge, foster families, foster family agencies, group homes, and school districts. FYSCP monitors transcripts for credits/graduation, assists with special education services, appropriate school placement, and team decision making for children returning or leaving Mendocino County.

Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) Support

Under the State-approved Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), all local education agencies are funded using the same formula. It starts with a base amount per student that is adjusted for grade level and demographics. It also eliminates most of the restrictions on use of funds for categorical programs.

With enhanced flexibility comes a requirement that districts engage stakeholders, including parents, in developing a Local Control and Accountability Plan. This is a three-year plan focused on state and local priorities that describes goals, actions, services and expenditures to support student achievement.

County Offices of Education, including MCOE, review and approve the plans, as well as provide training and support in the development of the district LCAP’s.

Truancy/School Attendance Review Boards (SARB)

EC Section 48321 provides several organizational structures for SARBs at the local and county level to create a safety net for students with persistent attendance or behavior problems. Although the goal of SARBs is to keep students in school and provide them with a meaningful educational experience, SARBs do have the power, when necessary, to refer students and their parents or guardians to court.

County or local SARBs, composed of representatives from various youth-serving agencies, help truant or recalcitrant students and their parents or guardians solve school attendance and behavior problems through the use of available school and community resources. County SARBs are convened by the county superintendent at the beginning of each school year.

Williams Case

The settlement of the Williams lawsuit, and the resulting legislation signed into state law on September 29, 2004, affects all districts and school in California, SB 6 (Alpert), SB 550 (Vasconcellos), AB 1440 (Goldberg), and AB 3001 (Daucher) impose new responsibilities and duties on both districts and counties in an attempt to ensure that all public school students are provided equally with appropriate instructional materials, safe and adequate school facilities and qualified teachers. Official California legislative information is available online.

Under this legislation, County Offices of Education are given oversight responsibilities for the districts in their county. The Mendocino County Office of Education (MCOE) is committed to implementing these responsibilities in partnership with districts and in a manner that provides assistance to the schools rather than a “compliance exercise.”

Assessment and Data: CAASPP, ELPAC, Local

CSI/TSI/ATSI

Differentiated Assistance

Federal Accountability; FPM, Title Programs

Homeless & Foster Youth

LCAP Support

Truancy/SARB Requirements

Williams