Sonoma County Office of Education

Back-to-School Resources for Families

08/07/2019 -

back to schoolMost public schools in Sonoma County will kick off the 2019-20 school year the week of August 12. To help students and parents prepare, SCOE has compiled the following list of helpful resources. If your question is not answered here or is specific to your school district, please contact your district directly. You can find the appropriate contact information in our Directory of Sonoma County Schools.

Cover of Sonoma Family Life's Back to School Issue features smiling girl

Commentary: 2018-19 is a Year for Healing and Rebuilding | August 2019 In this commentary, in Sonoma Family Life magazine, Dr. Herrington welcomes students back to school and encourages the community to continue its focus on healing from last year's devastating wildfires.

Read

Cover of publication features the word

Spotlight on Sonoma County Schools | Published August 2018 This annual insert in the Press Democrat celebrates Sonoma County public schools. This year, the publication highlights the incredible efforts of the educational community to respond to and recover from the devastating wildfires of October 2017. Download the accessibleis PDF here or click below to view in an interactive format.

Read

Helpful Links (In alphabetical order)

  • About SCOE: Learn more about the Sonoma County Office of Education and how we serve the local school districts.
  • About Sonoma County Schools: This webpage provides an overview of Sonoma County's 40 school districts, each of which is self-governing.
  • Alternative Education: An overview of SCOE's alternative education programs for Sonoma County students.
  • Attendance Options and Inter/Intra-District Appeals: This webpage provides an overview of the options students have when considering what school district to attend.
  • Calendar Summary for School Districts: This PDF provides an overview of when each district starts and ends the school year as well as major holidays.
  • Common Core: This brochure (PDF) provides an overview of the Common Core State Standards for California.
  • College and Career Planning for Middle and High Schoolers: These web pages, designed by students, provide helpful tips, links, and checklists for middle and high schoolers seeking to successfully plan for college and career.
  • Crisis Response/Trauma Support: This webpage outlines the resources available when a student lives through a crisis or suffers another form of trauma, as well as provides information on how to help a child cope with grief.
  • Directory of Sonoma County Schools: In this searchable directory, you can find addresses, phone numbers, and emails for your school district as well as contact information for SCOE personnel.
  • District Lookup: Unsure of your district of residence or new to the area? This handy lookup can help.
  • Education Facts: This web page provides a wealth of information and statistics about education in Sonoma County, from graduation rates to enrollment per district.
  • Educational Rights for Immigrant Families: This web page provides immigrant families information about their rights under the law. | Lea esta página en español.
  • English Learner Services: This webpage provides resources for parents of English Learners.
  • Foster Youth Services: This webpage provides an overview of the services available to Foster Youth in Sonoma County.
  • Homeless Education/McKinney-Vento Act: This webpage provides an overview of services for homeless students in Sonoma County as well as a number of informational resources.
  • Immunization Information: SCOE offers a helpful overview of the immunization requirements for Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten students as well as for 7th Graders (PDF).
  • Kindergarten Readiness and Early Childhood Education:
  • LCAPs - Approved District Plans: This web page provides links to the approved Local Control and Accountability Plans for all Sonoma County School Districts.
  • PTA Parent Guide: This Education Edition of PTA in California gives parents and school communities the tools they need to help students succeed: information on student assessments and scores; ways to get engaged in your school community; the latest on science and arts education; tips for parents of students with special needs; homework help; and more. Available in six languages. Download other languages and learn more about joining your local PTA group at capta.org.
  • Reading Guide:This web page contains lots of links to help families raise successful readers.
  • Special Education: An overview of SCOE's Special Education programs for Sonoma County students, including a Transition program for 18-22-year-olds, programs for students who are deaf/heard of hearing and visually impaired, early childhood education classes, and kindergarten-to-highschool classes.
  • Student Assessments:
    • CAASPP/SBAC Brochure: This brochure, in English and Spanish, is designed to help parents and students understand the results of the California Assessment of Student Progress/ Smarter Balanced exams that many students took in the spring.
    • Additional Resources: SCOE has dedicated this webpage to additional information about the Smarter Balanced exams.
  • Student Events: SCOE hosts a variety of K-12 student events open to schools and students around the county, from a STEAM Showcase to a County Spelling Bee to a Five-Minute Film Festival.