CAN Newsletter – Together We Rise
October 14, 2020
Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday for our annual Expanded Learning Summit as we went virtual this year! It was an incredible day, filled with many incredible moments. We were happy to have Michael Funk from the CDE Expanded Learning Division kick us off with a Town Hall with Karen Pittman, from the Forum For Youth Investment, attendees had time to connect with one another in open space style breakout sessions - sharing their challenges and promising practices on timely topics, and we closed out with an amazing panel of youth and staff from across the state. California’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) Tony Thurmond was on hand to close us out but was so moved by the panel that he joined in the conversation with lots of energy, leaving many of us inspired for action.
As shared by Michael Funk on the day: “My heart is full and my vision is more clear. The imperative to build on today will not escape my thoughts. So many memorable moments. It was no less than a history-making day for expanded learning!”
Many apologies to those of you who were registered and had trouble accessing the event. We hope that you were able to join us once the technical issues were resolved. We did record all sessions and will be making the Town Hall and Keynote Panel sessions publicly available to all in the coming weeks.
Throughout much of the day, the speakers and attendees grappled with the challenges of 2020 including the coronavirus pandemic, racial and social unrest, natural disasters, and a turbulent election year. Our students, families, and staff are dealing with increased feelings of stress, isolation, and anxiety at levels many of us have not experienced before.
These issues are very important to the SSPI and in a recent newsletter he shared: “When we discuss equity, it is clear that as educational leaders, we must do more to uplift our most vulnerable students and provide them the opportunities they need to achieve academic success. But we cannot address equity and strategies to improve student outcomes without also looking at equity and disparities in mental health… We are continuing our conversations with mental health professionals to help identify funding and increase services for students. If you or someone you know wants to get involved, please reach out to mentalhealth@cde.ca.gov.
CAN has identified a number of resources for mental health and beyond in our COVID Resource Center. Additionally, the CDE has numerous resources for educators, families, mental health providers, and students, including resources for students in crisis.
In This Newsletter:
Expanded Learning Guidance on Senate Bill 98 (SB 820)
The Expanded Learning Division (EXLD) of the California Department of Education is happy to announce an update to the guidance for Senate Bill (SB) 98 (SB 820 modified on September 18, 2020), Statutes of 2020 is available for Fiscal Year 2020–21, and is posted on the California Department of Education’s website at Revised Senate Bill 98 Guidance.
This update provided the following:
EXLD School Site Substitutions for Fiscal Year 2020-21
The California Department of Education (CDE), Expanded Learning Division (EXLD) is providing the following guidance on school site substitutions for fiscal year 2020–21 and This guidance may be updated annually and should be responded to accordingly. The criteria for school site substitutions is outlined below.
Comprehensive State Literacy Plan: Public Comment Period Now Open
The Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) has approved the draft Comprehensive State Literacy Plan for a public comment and review period. The draft plan, which is a key element of the CDE’s work to implement a federal literacy grant, aligns and integrates state literacy initiatives, content standards, and state guidance documents to support teachers of students birth through grade twelve.
COVID Quick Guide: Expanded Learning Supports
Reopening schools, whether virtually or in person, requires an all-hands-on-deck approach, especially to support vulnerable students. Check out Partnership for Children and Youth’s COVID Quick Guide to learn how new flexibility at the state and federal levels makes it easier than ever to partner with expanded learning programs to support students.
Health & Safety Guidebook: Minimize Risk to Accelerate Learning in the Era of COVID-19
In collaboration with California State Board of Education and other technical assistance partners, CCEE has facilitated the development of the Health and Safety Guidebook to support LEA leadership teams plan for and maintain a safe return to in-person instruction that maximizes future equity outcomes and addresses the diverse needs of California’s students while adapting to the challenges posed by COVID-19.
Supporting School Community Wellness with Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) During and After a Pandemic
Penn State University’s College of Health and Human Development has published a brief entitled “Supporting School Community Wellness with Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) During and After a Pandemic” in order to address the challenges that COVID-19 has placed on the emotional wellbeing of students and staff.
A Tiered Approach to Ensuring Students are Present, Engaged, and Supported in the 2020–21 School Year
As schools begin this fall, educators across California are examining how they can promote students showing up for class, whether instruction is offered remotely or in person. Hedy Chang and Cecelia Leong from Attendance Works detail the levels of intervention educators should take in order to ensure students are present, engaged, and supported in the virtual or in-person classroom.
From Crisis to Opportunity: Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan Checklist
Local education agencies (LEAs) are currently working hard to provide academic support to students in unprecedented circumstances. To be responsive to the situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor and Legislature have modified the Local Control and Accountability Plan process for the 2020-21 school year.
This year LEAs, including districts, charter schools, and county offices of education, will complete a Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan (LCP) that focuses on planning for a distance learning environment and addressing the learning loss resulting from school closures last year.
EducationFirst: Advance SEL in California Final Report and Recommendations
EducationFirst has published their final report and recommendations from our Advance SEL in California project.
The report highlights many programs, policies, and ways that SEL can be advanced in California. Check out pages 21 and 22 of the report to see the importance of Afterschool/Expanded Learning when it comes to prioritizing SEL.
Apply to CalFresh Today for Access to Healthy Eating Options
Food plays a pivotal role not only in healthy living, but also in facilitating community and family bonding. Although many have fallen on hard times, resources are available that can help fulfill basic needs. CalFresh offers financial support to help keep food on the table. If you or your family could benefit from this program, please apply. It is money, that you don’t have to pay back, for your family to use towards healthy eating options.
Lights On Afterschool 2022
Thursday, October 20, 2022
CAN was proud to be join the Afterschool Alliance and thousands of out-of-school time programs in the largest nationwide showcase of afterschool programs during the 23rd annual Lights On Afterschool celebration on October 20th!
Afterschool programs provide the fun, safe, and engaging environment that youth need to emerge from the pandemic confident and hopeful. On October 20, we’re helping to shine a light on the important role of afterschool programs in our community – and you can too!
Take Part in Completing the Afterschool Alliance Survey!
The Afterschool Alliance is asking for your help to continue to tell the story of how COVID-19 is impacting afterschool and summer learning programs, and the young people and families who rely on them.
Undocumented Student Action Week 2020
October 19-23, 2020
Serving the largest number of undocumented students in the state, California Community Colleges are committed to serving ALL students, regardless of immigration status. In its 4th year, Undocumented Student Action Week (USAW), October 19-23, 2020, is a system-wide campaign to advocate and provide support resources for our undocumented student population.
Upcoming Webinar: Restarting and Reinventing School: Learning in the Time of COVID and Beyond with Linda Darling-Hammond
Thursday, October 29, 2020; 10:00 AM PST
At the end of August, Learning Policy Institute published a new report that provides a comprehensive framework for how policymakers and education leaders can address the questions of how to reopen schools safely, efficiently, and equitably to serve the needs of the whole child.
Upcoming Webinar: Technovation’s Three-Part Engineering Design Challenges Webinar Series
Starting Thursday, October 29, 2020; 12:00 PM PST
Over three hour-long sessions this fall with Technovation, you’ll become an expert in leading engineering design challenges online that help students develop engineering mindsets: 1) use the engineering design process; 2) envision multiple solutions; 3) evaluate and iterate; 4) persist and learn from failure; and 5) work in teams.
Sony KOOV Promotion – Bring STEM to Your Program!
Buy either a Sony KOOV Educator Kit (EKV250B) or KOOV Trial Kit (EKV100U) and you will receive two FREE units of the same kit! Each kit includes Sony’s extensive curriculum, lesson plans, and cloud-based app for Chromebooks, PCs, iPads, and Macs.
Learning in Afterschool: Social Emotional Learning Resources
Check out these more recent blogs from LIAS!
- Practice Q&A: Finding Staff for Rural Programs
- Using Play to Build a Positive Community: An Interview with Playworks ED, Robert Sindelar
- Youth Voice and Self-Expression in Afterschool: Journaling, Poetry and Spoken Word
- Issues of COVID-19, Distance Learning and Racial Equity: Conversations for Afterschool Providers
- Social Emotional Learning During COVID-19 With a Virtual Comfort Dog?
- Race in America: Finding the Gold Within
- Practice Q&A: Responding to the Special Needs of Youth
Indigenous People’s Day Toolkit!
“Americans have been fed a false history.” That’s the message behind Illuminative’s Indigenous People’s Day Toolkit, which celebrates and honors Native people. While the actual holiday has passed it’s still a great time to div
Keep Learning California
Families and educators are facing new challenges in keeping children learning during the pandemic. The constant changes especially threaten access to educational opportunities for low-income, English learner, new immigrant, Latino and Black families living in rural and urban areas.
K12 Climate Action: Making Schools a Force for Climate Change
Climate change is not just an environmental crisis, but a human crisis. Read the article from The Aspen Institute to see how they are developing an action plan that mitigates, adapts, educates, and advances equity by creating the K12 Climate Action Commission.
StrongNonprofits Toolkit!
The Wallace Foundation has released their newly upgraded StrongNonprofits Toolkit! The toolkit is divided into six useful categories that mirror the processes of financial management: Budgeting, Cash Flow, Operations, Data and Analysis, Audit Readiness, and Governance and Strategy.
Check out CAN’s Other Newsletters!
Access the CAN newsletter archives to view past newsletters today! You may be interested in some of our other newsletters as well:
CAN Policy Newsletters
- Get informed about state and federal afterschool updates!
- Subscribe today!
CAN Health and Wellness Newsletters
- Get informed on the connections between afterschool and Whole Child Health and Wellness newsletter!
- Sign up to receive the newsletter today!