Section 152 of Assembly Bill (AB) 130 (the 2021-22 Education Omnibus Trailer Bill), as amended by Section 143 of AB 167 (Chapter 252, Statutes of 2021) appropriated funding to the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) to administer, in partnership with one or more county offices of education (COE), “…evidenced-based professional education for educators that can support learning acceleration, particularly in mathematics, literacy, and language development.”  

The CCEE initiated a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to select one or more COEs to partner with CCEE to administer this statewide professional education program. A key goal of this program is to develop a robust statewide infrastructure to ensure educators anywhere in the state, including those in remote areas, have access to high quality professional learning. As a result, the CCEE specified that proposals should include a description of the submitting COE’s experience coordinating, convening, and engaging in ongoing collaborative support with multiple types of educational entities to advance a professional learning initiative. Additionally, positive consideration was given to proposals that included a formal partnership between the submitting COE and one or more institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations with expertise in learning acceleration, another COE or consortium of COEs, or any combination of those entities. Through the RFP process, the CCEE awarded Learning Acceleration System (LAS) grants to Lake COE, San Diego COE, and Santa Clara COE. These three COE’s have engaged a number of valued partners to establish projects with distinct goals, content foci, and capacity-building approaches. 

The CCEE is charged with overseeing the management and implementation of the Learning Acceleration System Grant during the five year grant term period. In this role, the CCEE serves as a connector, lead learner, thought partner, and supporter of this collective work. The CCEE assists grantees with communication, coordination, and strategic engagement, professional learning design, and pursuit of alignment with other, related statewide initiatives. Additionally, the CCEE established a professional learning network (PLN) for LAS Grant partners. The LAS Grant PLN meets quarterly for collaborative learning and reflection time on ways to work together and achieve our common goals. 

True to the CCEE’s mission and vision, all LAS Grant partners are committed to transforming education by elevating teacher practice using evidence-based accelerated learning strategies at a crucial time for California students.