OCDE Newsroom

Eight high school students from Santa Ana have the right stuff for summer JPL internship

Ian Hanigan June 16, 2015

Thanks to the countywide initiative known as OC Pathways and community partners including OpTerra Energy Services, eight high schoolers from Santa Ana are embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime research experience as summer interns at NASA’s famed Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Click through to read the story and watch a brief video.

Education advisor Fullan calls for collaboration and capacity-building at OCDE conference

Ian Hanigan May 22, 2015

Education reform expert Michael Fullan was the keynote speaker at OCDE’s “Equipping an Emerging Generation” conference, which drew more than 400 educators and business leaders to the Hyatt Regency Orange County. Hosted by County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Al Mijares, the event also featured Trevor Packer, senior vice president for the College Board. [...]

A graphic showing a collection of app logos

What apps are your kids using? Here are 10 anonymous and (mostly) secret apps

Staff reports April 7, 2015

Kids and teens are voracious consumers of apps that let them easily text, chat, meet people, share pictures and post videos – often anonymously. While it’s no secret that children are sharing more information than ever before, they are increasingly drawn to sites that tout anonymity. [...]

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 April 1, 2015

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. [...]

A photo of students looking through telescope

STEM and the Arts Career Showcase connects student talents to future jobs

Staff reports March 18, 2015

More than 4,000 students and families from middle school through college will learn about careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and the arts at the 2015 STEM and the Arts Career Showcase April 24-26. Organizers say the goal is to help students see how their interests and passions align with real-world jobs – and to motivate them to pursue higher levels of education. [...]

An image of McPherson Magnet students displaying a technology project

Five O.C. teams selected to showcase technology projects at the CUE 2015 Annual Conference

Staff reports March 10, 2015

Congratulations are in order for the talented young scientists, inventors and engineers selected to participate in the Student Technology Showcase at the CUE 2015 Annual Conference, which is the largest and oldest education technology conference in the state. This year’s showcase will again feature the best curriculum-aligned student technology projects from across California. Here are the representative Orange County teams [...]

An image of young students using desktop computers

New web-based state assessments to emphasize critical thinking, problem-solving

Ian Hanigan February 10, 2015

Next-generation assessments are coming soon to a classroom near you. Over the last few years, California has introduced new instructional...