California Collaborative for Educational Excellence

California Collaborative for Educational Excellence
Name	California Collaborative for Educational Excellence
Founded	2013
Founder	Jerry Brown, Tom Torlakson
Headquarters	Sacramento, California
Area served	California
Services	Technical assistance, regional support, capacity building

Contents

California Collaborative for Educational Excellence is a state-created public agency established to provide technical assistance and support to local educational agencies in California. It operates in the context of state policy developments linked to the Local Control Funding Formula, Every Student Succeeds Act, Common Core State Standards Initiative, Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, and interactions with state entities such as the California Department of Education and the California State Board of Education. The organization engages with districts, county offices of education, and state officials including former leaders like Tom Torlakson and former governors such as Jerry Brown.

History

The Collaborative was created by the California Legislature through statute passed during the administration of Jerry Brown in response to the adoption of the Local Control Funding Formula and the state's shift to Local Control and Accountability Plan structures, following debates involving the California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers, and advocates from Education Trust-West. Early implementation coincided with statewide initiatives including the rollout of the Common Core State Standards Initiative and assessments by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, and it coordinated alongside entities such as the California Department of Education, California School Boards Association, and the Association of California School Administrators. Governance origins trace to appointments by the California Superintendent of Public Instruction and oversight linked with the Legislative Analyst's Office reviews and hearings in the California State Legislature.

The agency's stated mission intersects with state priorities reflected in statutes tied to the Local Control Funding Formula and policy frameworks advanced by the California Department of Education and the California State Board of Education. It aims to assist local educational agencies, including Los Angeles Unified School District, San Francisco Unified School District, San Diego Unified School District, and many county offices such as the Los Angeles County Office of Education and the Alameda County Office of Education, to implement plans consistent with state law and court rulings like Serrano v. Priest and budget decisions influenced by the California Budget and Policy Center. The Collaborative positions itself as a convener between districts, county offices, charter organizations like California Charter Schools Association, and statewide stakeholders including EdTrust-West, Learning Policy Institute, and philanthropic partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Board and executive appointments are made through state-level actors including the California Superintendent of Public Instruction and selections influenced by the California State Legislature. The governing structure interacts with institutional actors such as the California Department of Education, California State Board of Education, county offices like Los Angeles County Office of Education, and local districts including Fresno Unified School District and Long Beach Unified School District. Leadership has included executives who previously worked with organizations such as the University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, Teachers College, Columbia University, and policy groups like the Learning Policy Institute. Regional liaisons operate in coordination with entities like the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association and partner networks including the California School Boards Association and the Association of California School Administrators.

Services emphasize technical assistance for development and implementation of Local Control and Accountability Plans, support for standards implementation like the Common Core State Standards Initiative, and facilitation of improvement processes employed by districts such as Sacramento City Unified School District and Oakland Unified School District. Programmatic offerings have included differentiated assistance models, capacity-building workshops aligned with research from institutions like RAND Corporation and WestEd, and convenings with stakeholders including California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers, charter organizations like the California Charter Schools Association, and community partners such as PTA. The Collaborative also provides data-informed coaching related to assessment systems such as the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and performance frameworks connected to the Local Control Funding Formula.

Primary funding derives from appropriations in the California State Budget allocated by the California Legislature and executive budget actions by governors including Jerry Brown and successors, with supplemental grants and contracts occasionally from foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Budget oversight and auditing intersect with the California Department of Finance, reviews by the Legislative Analyst's Office, and fiscal compliance monitored by county offices like the Los Angeles County Office of Education. Financial transparency obligations align with state reporting similar to requirements for entities overseen by the State Controller of California and audits by firms that have worked with districts like Los Angeles Unified School District.

Evaluation of impact has been discussed in hearings before the California State Legislature and reviewed by entities such as the Legislative Analyst's Office and research organizations including WestEd and the Learning Policy Institute. Performance metrics reference outcomes relevant to districts like San Diego Unified School District and Long Beach Unified School District and incorporate data from assessment consortia such as Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. Collaboration with county offices including the Alameda County Office of Education supports site-level evaluation, while statewide accountability intersects with policies from the California Department of Education and guidance from the California State Board of Education.

Critiques have arisen from stakeholder groups including the California Teachers Association, California Charter Schools Association, California Federation of Teachers, and advocacy organizations such as Education Trust-West regarding the agency's scope, effectiveness, and use of state funds, mirrored in commentary during California State Legislature hearings and analyses by the Legislative Analyst's Office. Controversies have involved debates over its role relative to the California Department of Education, perceived overlap with county offices like the Los Angeles County Office of Education, and questions about transparency similar to disputes that have affected large districts including Los Angeles Unified School District and Oakland Unified School District. Legal and policy observers from institutions like the Public Policy Institute of California and the Learning Policy Institute have weighed in on reforms and statutory adjustments.