Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Coaches Expansion topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Panel considers $500M proposal to expand literacy coaches and create math coaches program
Summary
The governor proposes $500 million one-time (Proposition 98) to expand literacy coaches and reading specialists and to create a math coaches program: $235M for school literacy programs, $15M for training/credentialing, and $250M for math coaches. The Legislative Analyst Office recommended eligibility and allocation changes and urged automatic
The Subcommittee reviewed a governor's proposal to invest $500 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund to expand literacy coaching and to create a mathematics coaches and specialists grant program.
Proposal details: Hugo Solis Galena of the Department of Finance summarized the plan: $235 million would fund school literacy programs, literacy coaches and targeted interventions; $15 million would support training and credentialing for literacy coaches and reading specialists; and $250 million would fund a new math coaches program and credentials aligned to the 2023 math framework.
Support and evidence: California Department of Education Deputy Superintendent Cheryl Cotton told the subcommittee the CDE strongly supports the investment, citing early cohort reports that LEAs hired literacy coaches, reading specialists and bilingual reading specialists and that participating sites reported improvements in classroom instruction and early assessments. LAO analysts said the state scores below national averages on reading and math and recommended adopting the proposal with modifications to better target funds.
LAO recommendations and committee concerns: Dylan Ociletti of the LAO suggested narrowing math coach grants to elementary schools, setting minimum grant amounts, requiring that funds be spent at eligible school sites rather than broadly at the district level, and considering automatic eligibility to reduce administrative burden for small districts. The LAO also noted eligibility thresholds embedded in the proposal: expanding literacy coach eligibility to schools with 94% unduplicated pupils or more; math coach eligibility at 90% (and 75% for rural districts).
Program data and outstanding questions: CDE reported that cohorts to date have hired about 239 literacy coaches, 442 reading specialists and 31 bilingual reading specialists; committee members asked for placement data showing whether coaches are assigned to the schools with the greatest need. Several members also urged waiting for ongoing evaluations and required reporting before scaling additional, large one-time investments.
Next steps/direction: The subcommittee held the item open and requested follow-up reporting on coach placement, program outcomes and consideration of LAO's eligibility and grant design recommendations.
