The California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP) provides an opportunity to transform schools into community hubs that deliver a whole child education. The CCSPP enables California to “build a cohesive statewide approach that mitigates the disparate impacts of COVID-19 on student learning, cognitive and social development, and emotional well-being.” It is designed to “accelerate efforts across the state to reimagine schools in ways that are aligned with the equity goals that support the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of California’s families.”
The CCSPP supports schools’ efforts to partner with community agencies and local government to align community resources to improve student outcomes and provide an integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement.
The UCLA Center for Community Schooling, in partnership with the Alameda County Office of Education, Californians for Justice and the National Education Association, provide support to grantees across the state as the State’s Transformational Assistance Center (S-TAC).
California Community Schools in Action:
A Blog Series
UCLA Center for Community Schooling’s Role in the
State Transformational Assistance Center
The UCLA Center for Community Schooling leads three areas of work within the S-TAC. The CCS team brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise to this community-engaged work.
S-TAC Partner Organizations
We work with three partner organizations in our work as the S-TAC.
CCSPP Over the Years
Community schools are a century-old idea. In response to profound and persistent inequities in educational opportunities and outcomes, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing number of states and local governments are reinvigorating this century-old concept, including California. In order to build a cohesive statewide approach that eases the distinct impacts of COVID-19 on student learning, cognitive and social development, and emotional well-being, the California Department of Education (CDE) has launched an initiative called the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP). This initiative is designed to accelerate efforts across the state to reimagine schools as empowering, racially-just, relationship-centered spaces where all students thrive–community schools.
- The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated long-standing racialized inequities in the California education system.
- The California Partnership for the Future of Learning collaborated with over 20 grassroots and racial-justice organizations to conduct a listening campaign that engaged over 600 students and families from low-income communities of Color across 20 school districts.
- This campaign led to increased efforts to ensure that all California schools are racially just, relationship-centered spaces that involve students, families, educators, and the community in decision-making.
- The Governor and legislature respond to advocacy efforts by investing $45 million in grants for sustaining or expanding community schools.
- In July 2021, responding to advocacy and organizing efforts, the California Legislature passed the historic California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP), allocating $3 billion to establish new and expand community schools through June 2028.
- The California Department of Education begins the work of implementing the CCSPP, and students, families, and communities organize to ensure that implementation is equitable and aligned with the needs and assets of those most marginalized by the current education system.
- In 2022, the California Legislature adds an additional $1.1 billion for a total of $4.1 billion for the CCSPP and extending funding through June 2031.
- In January 2022, the California State Board of Education (SBE) adopted the California Community Schools Framework. The Framework incorporates many of the key priorities identified by the community as essential to creating racially-just community schools.
- In May 2022, the SBE unanimously approves the first round of planning and implementation grants to 265 school districts, county offices of education and charters, totaling $635 million.
- The SBE names the Alameda County Office of Education, in partnership with UCLA Center for Community Schooling, National Education Association and Californians for Justice as the State Technical Asssistance Center (STAC).
- The STAC changes its name to the State Transformational Assistance Center to signal that the community schools strategy is a collaborative and innovative approach to public schooling that reimagines schools as communities capable of disrupting social inequality.
- In November 2022, the SBE establishes a network of community schools by naming and approving eight county offices of education that will serve as Regional Technical Assistance Centers (RTACs).
- In March 2023, the SBE approved a second round of planning grants to 226 school districts, county offices of education and charters, totaling $45 million.
- In May 2023, the SBE approved a second round of implementation grants to 128 school districts, county offices of education and charters, totaling $751 million.
- The S-TAC expands its support of CCSPP grantees by collaborating with newly established R-TACs, hosting an Empower Summit, engaging students, parents, and community members in decision-making spaces, and producing resources aligned with the CCS Overarching Values.
- A third round of implementation grants will be awarded in Spring 2024.
- A statewide evaluator will be named to assess the growth and progress of the CCSPP.
- CCSPP Extension Grants, for CCSPP Implementation grantees, to extend funding for an additional two years will be awarded beginning in 2025. The grant awards are up to $100,000 annually.
R-TACs
Eight Regional Technical Assistance Centers (R-TACs) were identified by the Department of Education to support the ongoing planning and implementation of the California Community Schools Partnership Program. The eight regional centers support California’s vast regional areas.
Use the map to see which R-TAC serves your county and access contact information!
- Find your county on the map, and then click on the Star icon with the corresponding color to see contact information for your R-TAC.
- Example: Butte County has a light blue dot, and their R-TAC, Northern California, has a light blue star!)
- Google Map can also be accessed here.
- Contact information for the R-TACs can be accessed here.
Northern California
Shasta COE
Butte, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity
Capitol Area
Sacramento COE
Alpine, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sierra, Solano, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba
Bay Area
Santa Clara COE
Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Sonoma
Central Coast
Monterey COE
Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Ventura
Central Valley
Fresno Valley COE
Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Tuolumne
Southern Inland
San Bernardino COE
Inyo, Mono, Riverside, and San Bernardino