County office presents annual plan to support district and charter LCAP development

Kimberly Graham, assistant superintendent for local, regional and statewide systems of support, presented the county office’s annual plan for supporting Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) development, technical assistance, and continuous improvement for Kern County districts and charters.

Graham told trustees the county office expects to review and approve all LCAPs and their fiscal components no later than Sept. 15, provide targeted technical assistance through assigned management analysts and fiscal analysts, and use a continuous-improvement cycle to tailor services to district and charter needs. She said the plan is submitted to the California Department of Education along with the county LCAP.

Graham outlined three principal goals: help districts and charters produce approvable LCAPs aligned to budgets and other plans; provide direct technical assistance (DTA) where districts meet eligibility criteria or request support; and refine professional learning offerings to improve academic, behavioral and social-emotional student outcomes. Examples included data analysis, systems-wide needs assessments, improvement-science tools, and use of integrated data systems to measure program effectiveness.

Trustees asked whether any districts had been denied LCAP approval; Graham said none had been denied during her tenure and staff clarified that some districts have needed corrections and returned materials for approval by the Aug. 15 date. The item was presented as an informational, annual required review and required no board action.

Graham and trustees also discussed using the county’s SELPA and integrated data systems to support continuous improvement and building networks for district leaders to learn and align professional learning to district needs.