Creating a safe, nurturing environment is critical, especially for our youngest students beginning their educational journey. How do you build a culture where students are set up for success? Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a framework for creating safe, positive, equitable schools, where every student can feel valued, connected to the school community, and supported by caring adults (Center on PBIS, 2023). When implemented with fidelity, PBIS has improved student outcomes, reduced exclusionary discipline, and improved teacher outcomes. Learn more about the research studies that have shown these results.

A key strategy of the PBIS process is prevention. The school-wide expectations and rules are intentionally created with faculty, student and community voice. Through instruction, comprehension, and regular practice, all adults use this consistent set of behavior expectations and rules. When students do not meet behavioral expectations, PBIS schools view it as an opportunity for re-teaching, not punishing. Systems are created for regularly reviewing data and using data-based decision-making skills to drive action planning for school improvement. The ultimate goal of implementing PBIS data, systems, and practices that center equity is to improve outcomes. PBIS intentionally supports staff and student behavior, decision making, social competence and academic achievement. To learn more, visit The Center on PBIS, specifically their Early Childhood PBIS section.

Please see below for additional PBIS resources:

Your Partners in Education,

Investigate powerful P-3 practices at the P-3 Administrator Institute. All district and school administrators are invited to a two-day institute to develop and explore their P-3 system. This institute provides intentional, in-depth time for participants to examine their current strengths and opportunities within their P-3 system in order to make actionable and relevant site-based changes. This exciting opportunity will foster learning, collaboration, and action planning to build a cohesive P-3 continuum. Come and leverage county partners in this exciting work. Register for the P-3 Administrator Institute and join us on March 7-8.

It’s clear that there is a connection between culturally responsive engagement and building strong relationships with families, especially in diverse or multilingual communities. But how can family liaisons start this connection? If you’re new to this role or need a review, then this training is for you. Register for Effective Practices for Culturally Responsive Family Engagement 101 where you will learn:

This event is geared to support parent and family liaisons, teachers on special assignment, and TK-12 educators.

Due to high demand, we are excited to announce that we are currently enrolling for the SDCOE TK Pathway. This pathway is designed for multiple subject credentialed teachers who are looking to increase their capacity in working with our youngest learners and will support them with meeting the 24 Early Childhood Education (ECE) unit requirement to teach transitional kindergarten. To participate, fill out the TK Pathway registration form by Dec. 1.

Join SDCOE for the 21st Annual Early Years Conference on diversity, equity, and inclusion! The Early Years Conference is a celebration of your personal learning journey and unwavering dedication to the continuous improvement of early childhood education. This year's conference promises to be an enlightening experience, aimed at showcasing how your role as an early educator fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion in all early learning and care settings.

By attending this conference, you will learn how your role as an early educator is the key to bridging early learning programs and kindergarten through 3rd grade. Attendees will also increase their knowledge of developmentally appropriate practice to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in their child care setting. Register for the Early Years Conference now or learn more.

SDCOE invites you to join the ELO-P Network. This is a monthly session for District/Charter leadership to deepen their understanding of expanded learning programming and Education Code, share resources and promising practices, and engage in communal learning. The ELO-P Network is facilitated by the System of Support for Expanded Learning at SDCOE. The network meets the second Wednesday of each month from 8:30 to 10 a.m. and is designed to support district and charter leadership who are designing and/or leading expanded learning programs. Register to attend the ELO-P Network.

SDCOE offers a number of professional development opportunities on a variety of topics for preschool, infant/toddler teachers and administrators, and family child care providers. The workshops are intentionally offered to align to program quality goals and build upon existing skills. Check out the Early Education Professional Development catalog to explore how the workshops are differentiated by levels of expertise and target audience.

For registration or workshop questions, please email the SDCOE Early Education team.

Project ARISE is a literacy grant offering educators across California a variety of opportunities to implement literacy research into classroom practice. The grant is a collaboration with San Diego County, Contra Costa, and Glenn County Offices of Education. Last month, Project ARISE offered three workshops centered around executive function, science of teaching reading, and use the data-individualization in literacy interventions. Learn more about Project ARISE and access resources from our workshops.

Join our California Preschool Instructional Network reflective workshop. This interactive and reflective workshop provides participants with knowledge on the domain of social and emotional development and focus on the qualities of self-awareness, self-confidence, and personality that enable young children to be competent learners. Participants will learn classroom strategies to support social skills and emotional development among preschool children, and ideas for designing the classroom to support children’s growth. Sign-up today!

The SDCOE professional development calendar highlights offering that may be a good fit for you and/or your staff.

The Early Education division has published the required UPK Planning and Implementation (PI) Grant Expenditure Report No. 3 for local educational agencies (LEAs). The purpose of this report is to collect the expenditure data required for the UPK PI grants.

Charter schools that have informed the California Department of Education (CDE) of their intent to return these funds are not required to submit this report.

If the LEA has spent all UPK PI grant funds, they are not required to submit any further expenditure reports.

Report due date:

For questions regarding this report or for technical assistance, please send an email to UPKPlanningGrant@cde.ca.gov.

SDCOE's grant team keeps an updated list of grant opportunities based on topic. For more information about grant opportunities and applying for grants, visit the SDCOE Grants webpage.

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