CSBA

Uniform Complaint Procedures (UCP) can be challenging for LEAs to follow — and failure to comply can bring costly consequences and substantial loss of time and resources. Join CSBA's Legal Services team Aug. 18 in West Sacramento for UCP University to get an in-depth breakdown of the complexities of UCP. Register: ow.ly/ImRh50ZtzcX This training is open to all and is designed for administrators, compliance officers, complaint coordinators and board members seeking to enhance their understanding of the UCP requirements and ensure compliance with state regulations. Thank you to Hope ESD Superintendent Anne Hubbard for sharing your experience!

Learn more about CSBA's education workforce housing resources, research and related opportunities at csba.org/workforcehousi…!

The NYT reports: School districts in California, Texas and Florida are among those actively pursuing developers to turn their excess land and unused or underutilized facilities into subsidized housing. Subsidized housing can be an attractive recruiting strategy for schools in areas with high housing costs. Nearly 200 LEAs in the state are said to be exploring their portfolios and considering development, quadruple the number four years ago, according to data provided by CSBA. Dana Cuff, a UCLA architectural professor focused on affordable housing who runs the cityLAB research center, said efforts to educate school districts about the intricacies and financial models behind development opportunities, like the ones run by CSBA, were helping educators handle housing development deals. Read the full article: nytimes.com/2026/07/28/bus…

Between the 2012–13 and 2023–24 school years, the number of students with disabilities spending some of their school day in general education classrooms increased 25 percent, according to a July report published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Read more: blog.csba.org/sped-time-in-g…

CSBA’s SOS for Student Achievement: Close the State Accountability Gap legislative package will create greater coordination and coherence between the many state entities that oversee public education in California and institute reciprocal accountability for the state, so the state's actions are evaluated for effectiveness and it is held accountable for student outcomes in the same manner as the local educational agencies it oversees. Together the bills aim to create greater alignment and improved efficacy at the state level, with the goal of a streamlined state governance system that provides LEAs with the support needed to improve student outcomes and close achievement gaps. The package passed through the Senate Education Committee in late June and has advanced to the Senate Appropriations Committee. CSBA will keep members updated on developments when the Legislature returns from its summer recess Aug. 3. Learn about the legislation at csba.org/studentachieve…. #SOSforStudentAchievement

A recent brief published by @CalTog details the expansion of the State Seal of Biliteracy over the past 15 years and offers state and local recommendations to help further boost access for students — particularly those classified as English learners and reclassified fluent English proficient. Learn more: blog.csba.org/state-seal-of-…

Earlier this year, @sdschools approved plans to add a total of 3,000 units for their employees — nearly triple the total number of education workforce housing (EWH) units currently open in the state. These units, spread over seven sites, would house around 10% of the district’s workforce, making it a true gamechanger for the district’s employees. The success of LIVIA at Scripps Ranch, San Diego USD’s first workforce housing site, since its opening in fall 2023 gave the district a road map to follow and the confidence that if they build housing, employees will come. CSBA organized a tour of LIVIA at Scripps Ranch for one of its recent EWH workshops to learn from the example. Attendees were inspired by what they saw: pristine and spacious units; high-level shared amenities like a golf simulator and pool; and a STEAM Lab for the district on the same property. Learn more in CSBA's July newsletter: publications.csba.org/california-sch…

Segregation in education settings is on the rise, cautions a resource that ranks states on racial and economic segregation in public schools and offers strategies to address the issue. Learn more: blog.csba.org/school-segrega…

CSBA’s Annual Education Conference and Trade Show is taking place Dec. 3-5 in San Diego! Whether you are a new or veteran board member, superintendent or board support professional, attendees will gain practical ideas and strategies to better support board governance and student outcomes. Learn about conference strands and register: aec.csba.org Interested in exploring sponsorship opportunities at one of the largest preK-12 education conferences in the state? Visit aec.csba.org/sponsorship/ for more details!

The July newsletter includes updates on the 2026–27 State Budget, including CSBA's opposition to the $3.9 billion Prop 98 withholding, and the continued legislative support for CSBA’s legislative package to close the state accountability gap in supporting LEAs in closing student achievement gaps. Read it here: ow.ly/lzMH50ZqUwq Also featured are new CSBA resources for board members on the science of reading and a new webpage for small school district trustees. Other highlights include a spotlight on San Diego USD’s education workforce housing project, the most ambitious in the country, and reflections from CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade on preparing students for the future at this pivotal moment of America’s 250th anniversary.

Cinnabar Elementary School District (CESD), located in Petaluma, serves just 220 students. What sets the one-school district apart from many of its similarly sized local educational agency peers is its dedication to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) programming. All TK-8 students receive science instruction and engage in hands-on, collaborative experiments. Cinnabar’s buddy science classes allow older classmates to partner with younger students in their science, technology and engineering activities, enhancing learning for all. Students also participate in Maker, robotics and coding opportunities. CSBA Public Affairs and Community Engagement Representative Carrie Castro toured the school and spoke to Superintendent-Principal Jamie Azevedo and sixth-grade STEAM teacher Mark Riberiro about the program, which was launched about a decade ago, and how the district is working to reinvigorate it. CSBA is recognizing the work of small districts through the Small Schools, Big Ideas blog series. Learn more about Cinnabar's STEM programming: blog.csba.org/ssbi-cinnabar/

CSBA’s Research and Education Policy Development Department published a trio of new literacy-related resources in May to support governance teams’ knowledge of prominent concepts, legislation, conversations on the subject and more. Learn more about these resources: blog.csba.org/repd-literacy-…

A new op-ed from CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy details how the association's SOS for Student Achievement: Close the State Accountability Gap campaign and corresponding legislative package represents an approach to reciprocal accountability that complements the state’s recent education governance reform and gives it a path to implementation. "Through these four measures, CSBA’s legislation aligns with, extends and enhances the objectives of Assembly Bill 181. CSBA supports AB 181 because it is an important first step toward a more coherent state governance structure, including stronger alignment of the California Department of Education under the State Board of Education. But AB 181 is not the full solution," Billy writes. "It clarifies a singular governance structure, but effective governance reform cannot stop at reassigning authority. California needs a system that clearly indicates the state’s goals, how its agencies will coordinate, how agency progress will be measured, what supports local educational agencies will receive, and how the state will avoid, refine, or eliminate duplicative, ineffective or misaligned programs." Read the full op-ed: blog.csba.org/sossa-op-ed/

The 2024 California Standards for the Teaching Profession place more emphasis on family engagement, and a recent report from the California Family Engagement Network covers field-level perspectives on related practices and obstacles. Overall, participants said they were aware of the six new standards, which include: 1) engaging and supporting all students in learning; 2) creating and maintaining effective environments for student learning; 3) understanding and organizing subject matter for student learning; 4) planning instruction and designing learning experiences for all students; 5) assessing students for learning; and 6) developing as a professional educator. blog.csba.org/fam-engagement…

Join CSBA experts from the association’s Policy and Governance Technology Services and Research and Education Policy Development departments on Aug. 4 for a deep dive on one of the most important — and often misunderstood — roles of a school board member: serving as a local policymaker. Attendees will get a first look at a suite of policy resources designed to strengthen board governance by building policy literacy, support community engagement and advancing equitable, student-centered policies for local educational agencies. The webinar will feature CSBA’s new Board Policy Development Toolkit, which includes a framework for policy review and adoption, as well as guiding principles for effective governance. Register now: csba.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

A new @BrookingsInst report surveyed U.S. board members about their experiences with governance during the pandemic. Key findings include: ➡️Conflict over COVID-19 and culture-war issues have affected school boards across the country and in all types of communities, straining relationships and sometimes leaving lasting scars ➡️ Trustees are concerned about the influence of partisan politics ➡️Board members report gaps between what their communities generally want them to prioritize and what the most vocal members of their community want them to prioritize Read more: blog.csba.org/covid-era-gove…

The @afterschool4all in May released the results of its household survey on the kind of programming parents want their children to participate in during summer and common barriers to entry. Based on 2024 data presented in a state-level dashboard, summer program participation in California was 25 percent with nearly 1.6 million children involved in a structured experience (not childcare) offering enrichment or sports, camp environments, summer school, jobs or internships. Read a full recap on the CSBA blog: blog.csba.org/summer-program…

CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade spent the second half of June learning more about how @PreussUCSD — an independent charter college preparatory school supported by UC San Diego that serves students in grades 6-12 within the San Diego Unified School District — has helped to uplift low-income, first generation students from marginalized communities. Most graduating seniors receive full college scholarships through a rigorous donor program. Schade joined Superintendent Dr. Helen Griffith and several graduating seniors on a tour of the UC San Diego campus. Schade also testified on behalf of CSBA’s #SOSforStudentAchievement legislative package, which sailed through the Senate Education Committee on June 24, bringing California one step closer to finally addressing one of the education system’s most pressing problems — the lack of alignment and coherence between the many state agencies that oversee public education at the state level Learn more about the legislation at csba.org/studentachieve….

Following months of discussion, stakeholder meetings and study sessions, the California State Board of Education (SBE) adopted new performance criteria for determining differentiated assistance eligibility during its July 8 meeting. The changes will allow the state to more effectively identify and prioritize local educational agencies with the greatest demonstrated need while improving coherence, reducing year-to-year instability in eligibility and ensuring support is better aligned with the time needed to actually make meaningful, sustained improvement, according to SBE President Linda Darling-Hammond. Read a full recap of the meeting and learn more about the new criteria and next steps: blog.csba.org/sbe-report-jul…

As the end of the legislative session nears, there is still important advocacy work to be done to champion the #SOSforStudentAchievement bill package! Susan Henry, CSBA Region 15 Director and Huntington Beach Union HSD trustee, explains some highlights of what the legislation would do to close the state accountability gap and how fellow governance teams can build local support. Learn more about the initiative at csba.org/studentachieve….