about the project

We are the Region XI (Northern California)Comprehensive Assistance Center (CC) serving Northern California. Established in 1995, the Northern California Comprehensive Assistance Center is located at WestEd's Oakland office.

Our region includes 50 of California's 58 counties, comprising 819 school districts and 4,135 schools. Part of a national network of service providers, the Center provides assistance to schools and districts operating programs under No Child Left Behind(NCLB). The CC's goal is to help improve low-performing schools with high concentrations of students living in poverty, and traditionally underserved students such as English language learners and others.

Our Mission

Our mission is to support schools as they engage in comprehensive school change efforts to continuously improve teaching, learning, and student achievement.

Our Goal

Our goal is to help schools improve the academic performance of all students, especially those students who have traditionally been underserved by the education system, including:

• students not achieving to their full potential,
  
• students living in poverty,
  
• students whose native language is not English or who have other linguistic needs
  

Our Objectives

These range from providing direct assistance to schools to influencing education policy:

• build the capacity of schools to continually improve and meet the needs of all students;
  
• provide comprehensive, integrated assistance to schools and districts through a collaborative network of support;
  
• help the California Department of Education and school districts build supportive, coherent policies and governance structures;
  
• ensure the unique needs of students are integrated in all school reform efforts; and
  
• maintain a high quality technical assistance and dissemination system through formative and summative evaluation.

Our Clients

Our priority under federal law is to serve those schools which are implementing NCLB programs, as well as those schools and districts with the highest concentrations of students living in poverty. Our service region includes 50 Northern California counties — all California counties except Mono, San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Inyo, Riverside, and Imperial. These other eight California counties are served by the Region XII, Southern California CC.

Our Collaborators

We develop and maintain working relationships with the California Department of Education, County Offices of Education, professional networks and associations throughout California, businesses, and community-based organizations. For example, we work with those involved in implementing NCLB, including:

• U.S. Department of Education,
  
• California Department of Education,
  
• 50 California County Offices of Education,
  
• community-based organizations,
  
• institutions of higher education,
  
• businesses,
  
• networks for professional development and school reform.