State standards

California Department of Education Logo

Student standardized test scores to be released to schools in September

Ian Hanigan
This year, Orange County students in grades three through eight and 11 took the new computer-based Smarter Balanced assessments, which were designed to measure student knowledge of California’s English language arts and mathematics standards. While officials from the California Department of Education originally indicated that schools could expect their assessment results during the summer break, we’re told September is now the target. Click through for details.
An image of Orange County Superintendent Al Mijares

Mijares: JPL internship exemplifies collaborative efforts to create college and career pathways

Al Mijares
A paid summer internship that has eight talented Santa Ana students working with JPL scientists and engineers is "precisely the type of experience that was envisioned when the state Department of Education awarded our own OC Pathways initiative a $15 million grant to expand career pathways for students from kindergarten through college," writes Dr. Al Mijares, Orange County superintendent of schools. Click through to read the superintendent’s latest column.

Graduation rates for Orange County and the rest of the state climb for the fifth straight year

Ian Hanigan
High school graduation rates for California and Orange County have increased for the fifth year in a row, with English-learners accounting for the biggest overall spikes in 2014, according to data released this week. In Orange County, students who started high school in 2010-11 posted a graduation rate of 88.6 percent in 2014 -- up from 87.5 percent in 2013. That number has been climbing steadily. [...]
Equipping an emerging generation invite

Educators invited to register for OCDE’s ‘Equipping an Emerging Generation’ conference

Ian Hanigan
Seats are still available for an upcoming education conference featuring a pair of highly influential academic leaders. “Equipping an Emerging Generation,” hosted by OCDE and County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Al Mijares, will include presentations by renowned author and researcher Michael Fullan and College Board Senior Vice President Trevor Packer from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19 at the Hyatt Regency Orange County. [...]
An image of Orange County Superintendent Al Mijares

Mijares: New online assessments will produce detailed feedback to refine instruction

Al Mijares
The state's new English and math assessments "challenge students to think critically, draw conclusions and cite evidence. As a result, we expect to have more detailed information than we’ve ever had before to indicate which skills and content areas have been mastered," writes Dr. Al Mijares, Orange County Superintendent of Schools. Click through to read the superintendent's latest column.
A screenshot from a video showing educators taking part in the University of California Curriculum Integration (UCCI) Institute

Orange County teachers look to merge core academic content with career technical education (video)

Ian Hanigan
Last week, high school teachers from core subjects including history, math, science and English gathered with their counterparts in career technical education for three days of intense research and collaboration at National University. The group’s mission? To develop new secondary courses that combine real-world technical training with core academic subjects and meet UC and CSU admissions requirements. [...]