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NSTogether
Connect * Collaborate * Contribute
Summer Issue 37 | August 2024
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Welcome to NSTogether, our quarterly newsletter to keep you informed about the K-16 Collaborative work happening all over the North State region. | |
During this in-person visit, the State learned about the newly established CNA-to-Nursing pathway that stems from high schools in Glenn County, moves through Butte College’s CNA program, and leads to Chico State’s BSN program. This pathway was made possible through the coordination of Glenn 2 Greatness (G2G), who recently added Butte College’s LVN Director and Chico State’s Nursing Program Advisor to their steering committee and have begun promoting the pathway in their communities. G2G had the chance to present their achievements and receive valuable support and guidance from the OPSC and FCCC teams, helping them chart their course for the remaining two years of the K-16 grant and beyond. Both North State Together and Glenn 2 Greatness found these visits to be extremely beneficial and it strengthened our commitment to K16 Pathway development work. | |
Left to Right: Nikol Baker represented G2G as a whole and helped articulate to the State G2G's connection to North State Together's broader, regional network, in addition to county-wide planning for the CNA-Nursing pathway; Julie Carriere represented the high school educational segment and shared information on how high school students in Glenn County are initially exposed to the new healthcare pathway. | |
Left photo: Linda Riggle, G2G chair, shared information on the high school segment of the healthcare pathway in addition to the pathway's alignment with community-based and CTE programs that already exist in Glenn County. Right photo: Lauren Still represented Glenn County's healthcare workforce and the work-based learning components of the CNA-Nursing pathway, articulating how students in the pathway are exposed to career opportunities in addition to how the new healthcare pathway meets local workforce demand. Amelia Taylor represented the community college segment of the pathway at the site visit, sharing information on Butte College's new CNA program and how it articulates into Chico State's BSN program. | |
Transforming Education: Regional Collaboration Strengthens California Community Schools in the North State
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Above photo: Jenn Snider, Director of Data, Planning, and Accountability sharing a presentation on data collection, interpretation, and visualization at the CCSL Learning and Development Session.
Below photo: Regional planning and data collection activities at the CCSL Learning and Development Session.
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North State Together (NST) has partnered with the Shasta County Office of Education (SCOE) and Partners for Rural Impact (PRI) to provide regional technical assistance to schools in the 13 northernmost counties that have received California Community Schools Partnership Program awards to implement the California Community Schools Framework. This is a state-led effort aimed at transforming schools into community hubs that provide a holistic range of services and support to students, families, and the broader community. The initiative focuses on fostering partnerships between schools, families, and local organizations to create supportive learning environments that promote equity and academic success. This approach is designed to help students thrive academically and socially, while also strengthening the surrounding community. | |
In August, the North Star Regional Technical Assistance Center (comprised of SCOE, PRI, and NST) held a Learning and Development Session in Humboldt County for all California Community School Leads (CCSLs). CCSLs are employees of their local COE and provide direct support and coaching to their county's community schools. During this session, CCSLs were brought together to cultivate cross-county collaboration, inform and analyze regional data, and plan regional, local, and school-based activities for the year. CCSLs left the session with powerful tools and insights for empowering schools to implement comprehensive, community-based supports and increase academic achievement. North State Together is grateful to support the community school work happening throughout far northern California and is excited about the transformation of our region's schools through this initiative. | |
Left photo: California Community School Leads on a community schools site visit in Humboldt County, CA. Right photo: Rosemary Mitchell, Program Director, Regional Technical Assistance Center for Community Schools, shown with members of the RTAC, including Partners for Rural Impact, North State Together, and 12 California Community School Leads. | |
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Spotlight on
Tehama County
| Expect More Tehama's Journey in Building Rural Community Systems | |
From left to right: Kate Grissom, Expect More Tehama, Trena Richards, CTE & Industry Director - Consultant, James Crandall, NST Regional Director of Data Strategies, Jim Harrell, Dean of Economic and Workforce Development, and Andrew Fitzhugh, NST Program Director. Together they are finalizing CivicLab's 'Person-In-Context Map' to capture better and share the "micro-story" of a student facing challenges in our community. | |
Recently, North State Together’s James Crandall, Regional Director of Data Strategies, and Andrew Fitzhugh, Program Director, had the opportunity to travel to Madison, WI, with the Expect More Tehama team to kick off the first of Building Rural Community Systems grant’s six institutes. The inaugural session included CivicLab’s premier Stakeholder Engagement Process Lab, a relationship-based approach to tackling complex social challenges by fundamentally rethinking how we collaborate. |  | Over two and a half days, the team used innovative tools to identify and understand the relationships that shape our systems. The team discovered that transforming a system means reshaping the interactions among key stakeholders. Through rich conversations and the analysis of gathered data and voices, the team gained a deeper appreciation of our work's broader, meaningful context. The team then focused on co-creating new possibilities for collaboration, identifying catalytic activities that no single person or organization could achieve alone. This led them to explore and pilot new ways of working together, refining their approaches with CivicLab’s tools to ensure more effective and integrated solutions to their unique challenges. | |
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Looking ahead to November, the team, led by Kathy Garcia and Kate Grissom, is eagerly anticipating Institute #2, the culmination of phase 1 of the grant, with the highly anticipated Systems Building Lab. This upcoming session promises to be transformative, equipping them with powerful principles and tools to rethink and redesign social systems for more equitable outcomes. By learning how to apply acts of dissolution, the team will be able to dismantle outdated structures and build new, more effective systems that truly serve their communities. Building on the momentum from their first institute, the team can’t wait to see how these new strategies will help to make a lasting, positive impact on how the region works together.
Together, we are not just building stronger systems but also forging a brighter future for our rural communities, where every learner can thrive and every partnership can make a difference.
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A section for our county networks and partners to dive in and collect, analyze, and use data for their continuous improvement. | |
A Newsletter for all things Data! | |
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North State Together has begun publishing a new monthly newsletter, Spotlight on Data, highlighting critical data for our region. Guided by our core values—being community, data, equity, and relationship-driven—this newsletter is a vital resource for anyone invested in the educational and economic vitality of the North State.
This newsletter will endeavor to bring you essential updates on key indicators that shape our educational landscape, alongside a treasure trove of additional resources that span regional, state, and even national data.
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Some College, No Credential Student Outcomes: A Report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center
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As of July 2022, the Some College, No Credential (SCNC) population under 65 has reached 36.8 million, up 2.9 percent from the previous year. While the number of students newly stopped out (Recent Stopouts) declined since our last report, comparatively fewer SCNC students re-engaged with higher education through re-enrollment and credential attainment, driving continued increases in the SCNC population. | |
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SCNC outcomes exhibited varying trends. With 943,200 SCNC re-enrollees in the 2022-23 academic year, the re-enrollment rate increased slightly to 2.6 percent (+0.2pp), while the first-year credential earning rate declined slightly (4.4%, -0.2pp). The perseverance and two-year credential earning rates for 2021-22 re-enrollees were the same as for the previous cohort.
Re-engaging with SCNC individuals has become a key objective for most states as they pursue postsecondary attainment goals. To achieve this, accurate and timely information about the current SCNC population, their re-re-enrollment patterns, and subsequent progress is essential. Our annual progress report series, developed with the support of Lumina Foundation, sheds light on these critical factors. State and institutional leaders can leverage this data to inform strategies for bringing SCNC students back into higher education.
For more information and to read the full report along with dashboard data, click the button below:
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Time to Send Us your 2024 Graduate Data for National Student Clearinghouse Reports! | |
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It’s that time of year again! North State Together is ready to receive your 2024 graduate data files and will be reaching out to you to send them our way so we can format and upload them to the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC).
North State Together partners with NSC to provide this free service to our region. The NSC reports provide valuable insights, including:
- How many graduates enroll in college?
- Do they persist and graduate from college?
- How long does it take for them to earn their degrees?
- Do they attend college in-state or out-of-state?
- Do they enroll in two- or four-year schools?
- Which colleges do they most commonly attend?
After the graduate files are uploaded, your schools will be included in your annual custom County and North State Together 5 County Regional reports, typically released in January each year.
Take a look at the Post-Secondary Enrollment and Post-Secondary Completion dashboards on our NST website encompassing information on the graduating class of 2023. Please let us know if you need copies of previous school, county, or district-level reports.
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The National Rural Education Association (NREA) and Rural Schools Collaborative (RSC) are excited to announce the recipients of the 2024-25 National Signature Project Award. This prestigious award, providing $2,500 to outstanding Place-Based Education projects, has been granted to Jessica McGuire from Oakes, North Dakota, for her innovative "7th Grade Business Fair" project. Additionally, four remarkable educators have been recognized as runner-ups and awarded $1,500 each for their impactful projects: Bradley Crider from rural Tennessee, Colleen Mette from rural South Dakota, Jennifer Pratt from rural Mississippi, and Robyn Bonner from rural Idaho.
Read more about their projects here!
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Don't Miss Out! Attend the North State K-16 Convening & CCGI Informational Session | |
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As you know, one of the components of the K-16 grant is for high school districts to work with California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) to implement CaliforniaColleges.edu. On June 29, the governor approved SB153 which requires high schools to implement CaliforniaColleges.edu by 2026.
Given the importance of this initiative, it’s vital that our educators and administrators are well-informed and prepared. To that end, the Shasta County Office of Education is hosting a North State K-16 Convening and CCGI Informational Session.
| **Please forward to make sure your superintendents, principals, teachers, and counselors are informed about this opportunity to learn more about CaliforniaColleges.edu.** | |
This event aims to bring our North state region together to discuss the objectives and goals of the K-16 initiative. Participants will hear from CCGI, Chico State, local school districts, and North State Together, all of which have been implementing CCGI over the past year. Join us to learn about new legislation and explore available funding to support students from graduation and beyond. | |
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EVENT: North State K-16 Convening and CCGI Informational Session
DATE: Friday, September 13, 2024
TIME: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
LOCATION: Shasta County Office of Education Professional Development Center, 2985 Innsbruck Drive, Redding, CA 96003
AGENDA:
- 9-11 am – K-16 Updates/New Legislation
- 11-11:45 am – Break (lunch provided for those staying all day)
- 11:45 am-2 pm – Supportive Models and Strategic Planning Time
- 2-3 pm – Q & A
For more information, contact Tara Schwerdt at tschwerdt@shastacoe.org or 530-225-0251.
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College Quest 2024: Your Gateway to Higher Education
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College Quest 2024, is right around the corner! A comprehensive college fair tour and information night designed to guide students toward their higher education goals. This event is planned and sponsored by College & Career OPTIONS in collaboration with community partners and is supported by sponsorships from the McConnell Foundation, Shasta Union High School District, Redding Electric Utility, Dignity Health, Reach Higher Shasta, Shasta College, Simpson University, and many more.
Explore opportunities with over 40 colleges and universities, including private and out-of-state schools, tech and trade schools, UC and CSU campuses, financial aid resources, and military service information.
Save the date and bring your students to this invaluable event to help them navigate their future educational paths.
DATE: Monday, October 14, 2024
TIME: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
LOCATION: Shasta College Cafeteria, 11555 Old Oregon Trail, Redding, CA 96003
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STEM Career Day 2024: 11th Annual Ignite Opportunity STEM Career Day - Shaping Tomorrow's Innovators
This year’s Ignite Opportunity STEM Career Day will bring together approximately 1,400 9th-grade students from nine North State counties to explore dynamic careers in STEM. Students will navigate from booth to booth, interacting with exhibitors based on their interests. In addition to the in-person experience, a dedicated website will offer resources where students can further explore career opportunities, with pages specifically devoted to each exhibitor.
Exhibitors: Don’t miss this chance to inspire the next generation. REGISTER HERE and consider bringing hands-on, highly engaging activities and materials to your booth. The deadline for exhibitor registration is November 1st.
Sponsorship Opportunities: This event is free for all attendees, but sponsorships are welcome to help make this day possible.
Want to see what it’s all about? Watch last year's STEM Career Day video HERE and join us in making a difference!
DATE: Friday, November 15, 2024
TIME: 7:45 AM – 3:00 PM
LOCATION: Shasta District Fair and Event Center, 1890 Briggs St, Anderson, CA 96007
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STARS College Network: A Transformative Opportunity for Rural Students
The STARS College Network represents a remarkable opportunity for rural students seeking higher education. Now joined by UC Berkeley, the coalition of 32 leading institutions with significant financial backing is committed to breaking down barriers that rural students often face. Through direct engagement, educational support, and expanded access to resources like tutoring, campus visits, and financial aid, STARS is paving the way for students from small towns to achieve their college dreams. This initiative has the potential to transform lives, bringing higher education within reach for thousands of rural students across the nation.
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SEPT 25-27
2024 Cradle to Career Network Convening
The StriveTogether 2024 Cradle to Career Network Convening is just around the corner! Please let us know if you and your county partners are attending this year!
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Date: Sept 25-27, 2024
Location: Grand America Hotel, 555 Main Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
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The registration deadline has been extended to Thursday, August 29th at 5:00 pm PT. | |
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OCT 31-NOV 1
National Forum to Advance Rural Education Conference
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This event is designed to create an environment for collaboration and innovation with a diverse community that includes national experts, K-12 and higher education practitioners, leading researchers, policymakers, and philanthropic leaders from around the country. Registration is now open!
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**Never too Early to Mark your Calendar for 2025!** | |
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MAR 13, 2025
8th Annual North State Together Summit
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Get ready to connect, collaborate, and innovate as we continue to pave the path from cradle to career in our communities! |
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APR 27-30, 2025
2025 Rural Summit: From Cradle to Career
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Shasta College Refinances Bonds, Saving Property Taxpayers over $1.1 Million
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In a significant move to benefit local property taxpayers, Shasta College has refinanced $12.3 million in general obligation bonds. This strategic decision is set to save District property owners over $1.180.000 in property taxes. By taking advantage of the current low interest rates, the District has managed to reduce the rates on some of its 2014 General Obligation Refunding Bonds, initially authorized under Measure A.
Read more to delve deeper into how this refinancing impacts taxpayers and to learn more about the college's financial strategies.
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Who's Backing Rural Ed? A Selection of Key Funders to Know
In a significant move to support rural education, major funders are stepping up with renewed focus and collaboration. North State Together is proud to work alongside organizations like Partners for Rural Impact (PRI), Rural Schools Collaborative (RSC), and ECMC Foundation's Civic Labs, as highlighted in a recent Inside Philanthropy article.
These initiatives align with our mission to increase educational access and success across the North State, contributing to the vitality of our communities. By addressing the unique challenges faced by rural schools and students, these partnerships are paving the way for a brighter future from cradle to career.
Read more to explore how these efforts are driving change and strengthening educational opportunities in our region.
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Igniting Healthcare Aspirations in Glenn County
Glenn2Greatness, a North State Together county network, is playing a pivotal role in revolutionizing healthcare education in rural Glenn County. Through its support of Healthy Rural California, Med Ed Club program, the initiative provides students with hands-on exposure to healthcare professions and fosters vital community involvement. Read more on pages 13 & 43 to explore how this program is transforming lives and healthcare in Northern California.
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North State Together
Downtown Redding
Community Leadership Center
1401 California Street, 4th floor
Redding, CA 96001
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CONNECT ** COLLABORATE ** CONTRIBUTE | | |
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OUR VISION
North State Together is a regional network of cross-sector partners who have come together to strengthen educational outcomes from cradle to career for ALL in far Northern California.
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OUR MISSION
To increase community vitality by increasing educational access and success in the North State through local solutions within a regional support framework.
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OUR VALUES
We are community, data, equity, and relationship driven.
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