Community Schools Connection


Issue #5 May 2025

Folsom-Cordova USD: Shared Power: A Courageous Vision

___During our recent Capitol Area Community School Study Tour—centered on collaborative leadership, shared power, and student voice—participants received a warm welcome from the staff and students at Mills Middle School in the Folsom-Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD). The atmosphere was one of inclusivity and joy. Mills is one of six schools in the district who is a CCSPP grantee, but listen to Kate Hazarian, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Student Supports talk, and you’ll realize that the Community School Strategy is a mindset throughout the district, not a grant that select schools have received.


___ One way that FCUSD exemplifies the Community School Strategy is through the key practice of shared decision making. They bring all partners to the table in meaningful ways to share their voices and create the best possible learning environment for students and families within their school and larger community. Through their Community Schools Facilitators, FCUSD is able to work closely with community partners to provide essential resources and support services that remove barriers for students and families. This ensures that they are able to implement a holistic approach to support comprehensive student needs as they arise while in a culturally responsive way.


___FCUSD also uses COSTs (Coordination of Services Team) to bring various school professionals together to provide comprehensive support for students facing challenges. This team works with students and families who are having difficulties academically, behaviorally or within the community. They brainstorm the best way to support the students in a systematic way through a well-designed COST process. This ensures that the interventions are working to improve outcomes for students. These teams recognize that student academic outcomes are tied to understanding and meeting the larger needs of families and students. As Stephanie Cecil-Spaulding, a Student Support Specialist at Mills Middle School described it, her desire extends beyond academic success to ensuring students have the opportunity to “reach for the stars” and make whatever life choices they want without doors being closed to them.

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Professional Learnings

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News & Updates

California Department of Education (CDE)

  • The proposed Cohort 4 CCSPP Implementation Grantees scheduled for approval at the May 7th State Board of Education (SBE) meeting have been posted. [View the agenda here, Item 9.]
  • The CDE will be hosting the CCSPP Spring 2025 Budget Webinar on May 21st from 10:00-11:30 am. (Registration)
  • The CCSPP Annual Expenditure Report is due on Tuesday, September 12th.


State Transformational Assistance Center (S-TAC)

Annual Progress Report (APR)

Annual Progress Report (APR) Support

  • The S-TAC will host APR Office Hours (registration) on:
  • Tuesday, May 6th at 10:00 am 
  • Thursday, May 22nd at 4:00pm
  • The S-TAC has created a new AI-powered chatbot "APRil" (click here) for support on how to respond to the APR or any part of its process.


Regional Transformational Assistance Center (R-TAC)

  • The Capitol Area R-TAC will host an APR Office Hour during our monthly Office Hours on June 6th. CDE and UCLA will be present to support with the APR discussion. (Registration)

R-TAC Partner Highlight

CalHOPE Student Support: Building Statewide SEL Capacity One Community At A Time


___Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is a process that supports all young people and adults to thrive. SEL has been known to bolster academics, prosocial skills, and promote positive mental health (CASEL.org). Systemic and transformative SEL can optimize conditions for learning and teaching, and bolster positive climate and culture. 


___The CalHOPE Student Support (CalHOPE) project aims to build sustainable SEL systems where all Californian children and adults can thrive. Led by the Sacramento County Office of Education, CalHOPE supports all 58 counties with systemic and transformative SEL by providing resources and convening monthly communities of practice to support networking, learning, collaborating, and capacity-building opportunities for statewide leaders. Through CalHOPE, county leaders receive SEL turnkey resources to support their regional educators and access to tools and professional learning opportunities, such as subsidized enrollment for educators to the  3-unit graduate-level SEL Foundations course at UC Berkeley, free practice modules from the Greater Good Science Center to support adult SEL and classroom practices, and surveys to gauge students and adult wellbeing, climate/culture, and culturally-responsive pedagogy.


___Check out the CalHOPE SEL project HERE and learn more about the upcoming statewide SEL & Wellness Summit, which aims to bring together CA’s SEL catalyzers together for 2 full days of learning, connecting, and partnering on what it means to cultivate Relationship-Centered Schools. For more information and/or if you would like to receive our monthly SEL Newsletter, reach out to SEL@scoe.net.



___May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a vital time for schools to spotlight the importance of mental well-being and create supportive spaces for students, staff, and families. Promoting open conversations, reducing stigma, and connecting individuals to resources can make a powerful difference in a student’s life.


___For resources and tools to raise awareness, please visit: CYBHI.

CS Forward Framework

Download the full Framework: Essentials for Community School Transformation document.

Capitol Area R-TAC | 10474 Mather Blvd | Sacramento, CA 95655 US

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