Differentiated Assistance
What is Differentiated Assistance?
Differentiated Assistance is Level Two assistance as outlined in the CA System of Support. County superintendents, charter authorizers, the California Department of Education (CDE), and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) provide differentiated assistance for eligible LEAs, in the form of individually designed assistance, to address identified performance issues, including significant disparities in performance among student groups.
The purpose of Differentiated Assistance is to work jointly with districts in affirming and/or supporting focus areas of work that:
- Builds capacity through professional expertise and local decision-making
- Fosters systemic collaboration
- Builds a culture of co-learning and reflective inquiry
- Promotes a climate of candor, evidence, and urgency to take action
- Results in improved student outcomes and leads to sustainable change
California System of Support
The overarching goal of California’s System of Support is to help LEAs and their schools meet the needs of each student they serve, with a focus on building local capacity to sustain improvement and to effectively address disparities in opportunities and outcomes.
At its heart, California’s System of Support is focused on improving the outcomes of California’s students. The purpose of California’s System of Support, articulated in California Education Code (EC) Section 52095.5(b)
, is to build the capacity of LEAs in each of the following areas:
- Based on the results of the California School Dashboard (Dashboard)
Links to an external site.,support the continuous improvement of student performance in each of the eight state priority areas described in EC sections 52060(d) and 52066(d).
- Address the gaps in achievement between student groups identified in EC Section 52052.
- Improve outreach and collaboration with stakeholders to ensure that goals, actions, and services described in school district and county office of education (COE) Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs) Links to an external site. reflect the needs of students and the community, especially for historically underrepresented or low-achieving groups.
Differentiated Assistance CWA Team
The CWA team offers LEAs personalized training and consultation services tailored to their specific needs. The county is divided into five regions, each assigned a Senior Program Specialist (SPS) who serves as the direct contact for the LEAs in that region.
Support Provided by our Senior Program Specialists
The SPS team offers monthly Regional Learning Network (RLN) meetings where LEAs can gather to receive technical assistance and build a community of support. These meetings provide opportunities for participants to ask questions, share experiences, hear from others, and learn and grow together.
The team also provides Quarterly training offerings county-wide on topics related to supporting student attendance and improving school climate. To sign-up for our upcoming offerings, please visit Professional Development.
The 2023-24 School Attendance Playbook was curated as a resource to create preventative, promotional and proactive strategies to improve student attendance. The LACOE School Attendance Playbook can be accessed at the following link: School Attendance Playbook: Part 1: Connection, Understanding and Community Links to an external site.
Monthly LEA and Parent Newsletters are also created to ensure that LEA staff and parents/guardians feel connected to useful resources and training opportunities. Newsletters include resources and helpful articles related to:
- Strategies to support student attendance throughout the year
- Methods to engage parents and the community
- Activities to re-establish routines
- Tips to successfully help children and youth with homework
- Connection to community resources
- LACOE training opportunities
And of course, we are here to tailor trainings to each LEA's specific needs.
For questions or assistance, please contact our Child Welfare & Attendance Unit at (526) 922-6233 or cwa@lacoe.edu.