Exciting Things Are Going on in CCCOE for Students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or an Intellectual Disability!

The CCCOE Special Education Department has partnered with the Diagnostic Center, Northern California (DCN), California Department of Education, to support their programs serving students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or an Intellectual Disability. This partnership is at no cost to CCCOE because it is part of the DCN mission to serve local education agencies who serve students with special needs in Northern California.
 

CCCOE will benefit from professional development and coaching opportunities over two years to support the understanding and use of evidence based practices (EBPs) with students affected by an ASD and Intellectual Disability. The initial selected teachers and schools are:

• Marie Graham-Tyler, Mauzy School
• Lisa Ecker, Turner Elementary School
• Ken Maffeo, Park Middle School
• Lori Brady, Bristow Middle School
• Greg Reichardt, Liberty High School

Past and current legislation, policy and position statements require all service providers to implement research based evidence-based practices that have evidence of efficacy demonstrated by rigorous research design.  

The CCCOE teachers and service providers will be learning about the EBPs from the research-based findings of the National Professional Development Center on ASD’s 24 Evidence-Based Practices, tools and resources, and the established treatments from the National Autism Center’s National Standards Project.  Best practices for teaching students with an Intellectual Disability will be taught, and implementation into the classrooms will be supported.

CCCOE is committed to increasing their knowledge about these EBP resources and best practice guidelines because it:

• helps CCCOE know which treatments have evidence of effectiveness and which treatments do not;
• allows CCCOE to make informed decisions when we select treatments;
• provides CCCOE with the opportunity to support individuals on with ASD and/or an Intellectual Disability in reaching their full personal potential. 

If you have any questions about this special project please contact:

Katie Gaines, Director, Educational Services

Contra Costa County Office of Education

77 Santa Barbara Road

Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

925-942-3361

Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year named state semifinalist

Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year (TOY) Cindy Egan was recently named a California State TOY Semifinalist. Egan teaches biology and AP environmental sciences at San Ramon Valley High School, in Danville. Earlier, on September 26, Egan and Beth Levine, of Montalvin Manor Elementary, in San Pablo, were named the 2013-2014 Contra Costa County TOYs.

Cindy Egan

“What a tremendous and well-deserved honor Cindy Egan has received from the California Department of Education,” says Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Joseph A. Ovick, Ed.D. “When you visit Cindy’s biology or environmental sciences classes, you observe a perfect balance of her professional background in civil engineering, education experience, and passion for teaching that enthuses her students to learn. She has certainly earned this special recognition!  We in Contra Costa County are very proud of her, and our other newest Teacher of Year, Beth Levine, of West Contra Costa USD, as well as the additional 20 teachers representing our county’s school districts during the 2013-2014 school year. They are outstanding ambassadors of all our public school teachers.”

Egan is beginning her ninth year of teaching, all at San Ramon Valley High. Prior to entering into education, she earned her bachelors and masters degrees in civil engineering from the University of California, at Berkeley. Following college, she had a very successful 25-year career as a civil engineer, where she worked all over the world – but at the same time, she often thought about teaching. During her last 10 years of her career, Egan was a managing principal-in-charge of an environmental engineering office with more than 120 professional engineers and scientists. After this time period, she left her job, obtained her teaching credential, and began her new career as an educator at San Ramon High.

Egan will be joining the five 2014 California Teachers of the Year, the six finalists, and her fellow seven semi-finalists, as they are honored by California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson at a gala in Sacramento, to be held February 3, 2014. For more information on the award program, please visit the California Department of Education’s California Teachers of the Year Web page.

2013-2014 Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year
Cindy Egan and Beth Levine

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces 2012 California Distinguished Schools

SACRAMENTO--State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that 387 exemplary California public elementary schools were named 2012 California Distinguished Schools for their innovative education programs that encourage students to learn and help close the achievement gap.

"The schools we are recognizing today demonstrate the incredible commitment of California's teachers, administrators, and school employees to provide a world-class education to every student, in spite of the financial hardships facing our state and our schools,"  Torlakson said. "Their dedication is inspiring, and I applaud and admire their passion and persistence."

The list of schools may be found on the California Department of Education Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/cs/.

Contra Costa County winners:

• Byron Union Elementary School District
• Discovery Bay Elementary 
• Timber Point Elementary

• Martinez Unified School District
• John Swett Elementary
• Morello Park Elementary

• Mt. Diablo Unified School District 
•  Highlands Elementary

• Pittsburg Unified  School District
•  Los Medanos Elementary

• West Contra Costa Unified School District
•  Hanna Ranch Elementary
• Olinda Elementary

The 2012 California Distinguished Schools Program focuses on California's students and their entitlement to an equitable and rigorous education. The program identifies and honors those schools that have demonstrated educational excellence for all students and progress in narrowing the achievement gap.

To be invited to apply for Distinguished School honors, schools must meet a variety of eligibility criteria including designated federal and state accountability measures based on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Academic Performance Index requirements.

Once schools are deemed eligible, the CDE invites them to apply to be recognized as a California Distinguished School. The application process consists of a written application, which includes a comprehensive description of two of the school's signature practices, and a county-led site validation review process, which validates the implementation of those signature practices.

Elementary and secondary schools (middle and high schools) are recognized in alternate years. This year focuses on elementary schools.

Schools earning the Distinguished School title agree to share their signature practices with other schools and serve as mentors to other educators who want to replicate their work. An updated searchable database of these Signature Practices will be available later this spring by the California Department of Education.

Schools selected for recognition will be honored as Distinguished Schools at award ceremonies where Torlakson will present each school with a 2012 Distinguished School plaque and flag. The event and awards are funded by donations from many of California's most prominent corporations and statewide educational organizations.