Putting Students at the Center
Events, Workshops, Internships, and More
SCOE’s mission statement centers students, and their success is at the center of our programs to assist school districts. To promote direct engagement between our workforce and students, we support, celebrate, and collaborate with students through a number of programs and initiatives. The STEAM Showcase, held in March at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, brings together hundreds of students for an exhibition of work in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM). Projects include interactive demonstrations and performances. This spring, about 550 students showcased their own work, explored the work of other students, participated in interviews, and took part in hands-on science and maker activities.
The SCOE Connects service program, overseen by Human Resources, allows SCOE staff who are not assigned to classrooms to serve students in classrooms, on field trips, or in extracurricular activities. Under this program, dozens of SCOE staff have served hundreds of hours supporting students in SCOE and district classrooms. During events for the public and school employees, SCOE works with local public schools to feature performances by student arts and cultural groups, as well as floral arrangements and food prepared by students enrolled in career technical education programs.
Once school districts receive results of the annual YouthTruth school climate surveys. SCOE staff meet with students for follow-up interviews and host workshops inviting in hundreds of students.
These students analyze their schools’ results, provide additional context, and make recommendations to administrators. In November, the Sonoma County Board of Education added a student board member position for the first time in the agency’s history. This board member, a student in SCOE’s Alternative Education program, attends the board’s monthly meetings, keeps trustees apprised of developments at our campuses, and advocates for their fellow students. Under a new, countywide internship program launched this spring (Page 20), SCOE employs three high school seniors as interns in our Behavioral Health & Well-Being and Communications departments, as well as the North Coast School of Education.
Mission Statement:
The mission of the Sonoma County Office of Education is to foster student success through service to students, schools, and the community.
Supporting Sonoma County Families
Meeting the Needs of All Student
Many California school districts receive additional funding because their student population includes a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students. This group includes children of migrant parents, youth who are homeless or in the foster care system, English-language learners, and students who would qualify for free or reduced-priced lunch under federal guidelines. SCOE targets specific programs or services to this group and tailors professional development offerings to ensure all students have an opportunity to succeed. These programs and a scope of work aimed at ensuring all students belong (Pages 15-18) are foundational to SCOE’s work.
Support for Multlingual Learners
About 19% of Sonoma County students are classified as English learners, or multilingual learners. SCOE offers several workshops for educators and administrators who serve multilingual learners. This includes collaboratives focused on meeting the unique needs of multilingual learners, as well as strengthening family and community outreach. Additionally, the annual Multilingual Learner and Migrant Parent Institute is conducted entirely in Spanish. It educates families on the differences between public education in California and elsewhere, and empowers families to engage with the school system and community organizations to improve access for their children.
Helping Lead a Statewide Initiative
SCOE is one of three county offices of education to receive the Equity Lead Grant from the state of California. Under this three-year grant, SCOE staff are working with peers in Los Angeles County and Kings County to scale up and amplify programs focused on supporting Black learners and other students of color.
Advocating for Homeless and Foster Youth
SCOE staff also seek to raise awareness of the unique needs of the housing-insecure youth who are experiencing homelessness, are unaccompanied minors, or are in the foster care system. The Foster and Homeless Youth team provides technical assistance, training, and resources to public schools and connects them with agencies that serve such youth. It works to ensure consistent access to education for students and families whose addresses and districts of residence may change frequently, posing potential disruptions to learning. At the start of the school year, the team trains a wide range of school staff on how to best support students who are part of the foster care system or experiencing homelessness. They also train court appointed special advocates who work with foster youth how to support the education of the youth they work with. They assist with academic monitoring at the individual student level to ensure students are on track for graduation.
