Sonoma County Office of Education

SCOE Bulletin Archives

SCOE Bulletin Archives

The SCOE Bulletin published two to three times per year and distributed to teachers and administrators throughout Sonoma County. Here are archived copies of this publication.

2014 Archive

Design Thinking

Design Thinking | Oct 2014This SCOE Bulletin highlights design thinking as a way to find solutions to the issues facing education today. It is an innovative approach to problem solving that both students & adults can use.

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Planning Tool

Leading Change | April 2014 Learn how Sonoma County teachers and administrators are building their capacity to lead Common Core Standards implementation at their sites.

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Social Media

Social Media | Jan 2014 What can social media do for your school, your students, and you? Find out in this issue, then join the conversation.

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2013 Archive

Trumpet Player

Arts Integration and the Common Core | Nov 2013This SCOE Bulletin highlights arts integration as a strategy to fully engage students in learning aligned with the Common Core.

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Boy with Telescope

Focus on 21st century skills | April-May 2013 This year, SCOE launched an initiative to focus on 21st century teaching and learning. This SCOE Bulletin highlights this effort and provides examples from local schools.

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2012 Archive

Cradle to Career

Cradle to Career | Oct 2012 What would it look like if an entire community made educational attainment and support of youth its top priority? This SCOE Bulletin explores Sonoma County’s Cradle to Career initiative and the cross-sector connections it is creating.

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Teacher

Teacher Effectiveness | April 2012 As part of a cross-county project, local districts are exploring strategies for developing and evaluating teacher effectiveness. This SCOE Bulletin provides background on this effort.

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Rincon Valley Team

Lessons from the Leadership Network | Jan-Feb 2012 The Sonoma Leadership Network identified key best practices for improving schools and is helping put those practices into action.

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2011 Archive

Reading, Writing & the Common Core | Nov-Dec 2011
This publication takes a closer look at the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, and the relationship of those standards to literacy learning across the curriculum. | Read

Transitional Kindergarten | Sept-Oct 2011
In this SCOE Bulletin, the new legislation mandating Transitional Kindergarten is explained and two local programs, KinderSKOR in Windsor and Kinderprep in Healdsburg, are profiled. | Read

Formative Assessment | April 2011
This SCOE Bulletin explores formative assessment and the important role it plays in improving instruction and advancing student learning. | Read | Activity Guide | Self-Study Survey | Related Videos: Student Interviews | Questioning | Verbal Exit Cards | Whiteboards

Common Core Standards | Feb 2011
This publication provides background information about the common core standards and highlights key components of the new English language arts and mathematics standards. | Read

2010 Archive

Achievement and School Culture | Dec 2010
This SCOE Bulletin introduces Dr. Anthony Muhammad's ideas about the connection between highly effective schools and their faculty culture. Video clips, an activity guide, and a self-study survey are available for schools interested in further study of this topic. | Read | Activity Guide | Self-Study Survey | Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

Distinguished Schools | May 2010
Meet our county's ten Distinguished Schools and learn about the signature practices that characterize these exemplary sites. | Read

Student Engagement | March 2010
Strategies for increasing the quality and quantity of student response are highlighted in this SCOE Bulletin. The accompanying video shows the use of rehearsal strategies in a fourth-grade classroom. | Read | Watch

PLC Teams | January 2010
Learn about the power of high-performing Professional Learning Community (PLC) teams and how they can result in improved learning. The video shows a team from Whited School in a PLC meeting. | Read | Watch

2009 Archive

Student Interviews | November 2009
Interviews can challenge our assumptions about what students know and lead teachers to adjust instruction. Learn more and watch a video of students explaining their understanding of equivalency. | Read | Watch

AVID Strategies | October 2009
AVID is closing the achievement gap and making college accessible to all. Five key AVID strategies are explained in this issue of the SCOE Bulletin. The accompanying videos show two strategies in action at Roseland University Prep. | Read | Watch: Socratic Seminar | Watch: Philosophical Chairs

Data-Driven Decision-Making | September 2009
This publication presents an overview of how educators can use data to make instructional decisions. Four related videos show how assessment data can be accessed and analyzed using technology tools. | Read | Watch: CST | Watch: CELDT | Watch: Formative Assessment | Watch: DIBELS

Data Trends | August 2009
This issue presents an analysis of Sonoma County's enrollment and achievement numbers and highlights some issues the numbers have raised for educators and the community at large. | Read

J.X. Wilson School | March 2009
J.X. Wilson School has implemented an improvement strategy that has yielded impressive results for its diverse student population. This issue profiles the school's action plan. | Read

Tackling Text | January 2009
SCOE language arts specialist Lynn Fitzpatrick provides ideas for what teachers can do before, during, and after a lesson to enhance reading comprehension among upper elementary and secondary students. | Read

2008 Archive

Response to Intervention (RTI) | December 2008
This SCOE Bulletin introduces the key ideas of Response to Intervention and the RTI pilot program under way in Sonoma County. | Read | Related Videos

Improvement Strategies | November 2008
Three elements of school improvement are discussed: increasing teacher knowledge and skill, building student engagement in learning, and providing challenging academic content. | Read

PLC Series: Stephanie Hirsh | May 2008
Staff development expert Dr. Stephanie Hirsh helped redefine what we mean by high-quality professional development by discussing the L in PLC. | Read | Watch

PLC Series: Tim Brown | Mar 2008
PLC practitioner Tim Brown explored strategies for closing the knowing-doing gap, building consensus, providing intervention, and maintaining accountability. | Read | Watch

2007 Archive

PLC Series: Douglas Reeves | Dec 2007
Based on 2007 research findings involving hundreds of thousands of students, Dr. Reeves identified critical factors for closing the implementation gap. | Read | Watch

PLC Series: Tom Many | Nov 2007
Dr. Many described how local educators can close the knowing-doing gap by creating PLCs and utilizing teacher collaboration to boost student achievement. | Read | Watch

PLC Series: Mike Schmoker | Oct 2007
Dr. Schmoker explains how school improvement requires the implementation of basic, agreed-upon practices and leadership structures. | Read | Watch

Amie Carter, Sonoma County Superintendent
"The mission of the Sonoma County Office of Education is to foster student success through service to schools, students, and the community." - Amie Carter, Sonoma County Superintendent