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An image of the interior of California's Capitol Building

Here’s a look at California’s new education laws for 2016

Ian Hanigan
A new year is upon us, and that means all sorts of new state laws go into effect. Here at the OCDE Newsroom, we’ve been specifically tracking a handful of educational bills that are expected to have an impact on Orange County students and schools. Click through to see what's changing.
Students working at a campus garden

Project Zero Waste wins CSBA’s distinguished Golden Bell award (video)

Staff reports
A waste-reduction partnership between OCDE’s Inside the Outdoors program and OC Waste & Recycling has earned the California School Boards Association's highly regarded Golden Bell Award. Project Zero Waste is a service-learning program that has provided hands-on environmental science instruction to more than 325,000 students since its launch in 2009. [...]
An image of Orange County Superintendent Al Mijares

Mijares: Hour of Code campaign offers students an introduction to computer science

Al Mijares
"The Hour of Code offers a global introduction to computer science with one simple call to action," writes Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Al Mijares. "It asks every single student and as many adults as possible to write code for one hour during the week of Dec. 7." In his latest column for the OCDE Newsroom, Dr. Mijares explains how a campaign that makes it easy to write code is demystifying the field of computer science.
An image of Orange County Superintendent Al Mijares

Mijares: Results of new standards-based assessments reveal local success stories

Al Mijares
"In September, the state released the first batch of new assessment scores that revealed how well students are learning California’s English and math instructional standards," writes Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Al Mijares. "The result? Orange County students had outpaced their state and regional counterparts, both on the English and math portions of the test." Click through to read the superintendent's latest column.
Adult handing student a starfish

Anaheim district is first to make OCDE’s Inside the Outdoors program available to all students (video)

Ian Hanigan
Marking a first for Orange County, the Anaheim City School District is giving every one of its students the opportunity to receive quality outdoor science education through OCDE’s long-running Inside the Outdoors program. You read that right -- every student at every grade level. For Anaheim City, that means approximately 20,000 kids in transitional kindergarten through grade six will receive hands-on lessons covering science and nature. [...]
A photo of Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Al Mijares

Mijares: NBA star Stephen Curry demonstrates how to rebound from life’s setbacks

Ian Hanigan
"Suffice to say, most young people will not play college basketball or pursue careers in the NBA," writes Dr. Al Mijares, Orange County superintendent of schools. "Yet there are lessons to be learned from those who have nurtured their natural abilities and shattered perceived limitations by way of an extraordinary work ethic." Click through to read the superintendent’s latest column.