6100 Department of Education
Program Descriptions

5200 - INSTRUCTION

This program provides direct educational services to children and adults in the state's public elementary and secondary school system. The following elements are included in this program:

School Apportionments:
Supplements local resources to fund general education programs.

Other Compensatory Programs:
Includes Migrant Education, California Indian Education Centers, Education for Homeless Children, and Federal Title I.

Adult Education Programs:
Provides citizenship training and education to improve literacy skills, employability, and parenting abilities to adults served by public high school and unified districts. Adult education programs also meet the special needs of the disabled, older persons, and non- or limited-English speaking adults.

Special Education Programs for Exceptional Children:
Provides special education services. Under state law and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 USC 1400 et seq.), individuals with exceptional needs are entitled to a free, appropriate public education. Students requiring special education are served either by local educational agencies using state, federal, and local property tax funds or by the State Special Schools operated by the Department. The Special Schools (three centers for diagnostic services, two residential schools for the deaf and one residential school for the blind) provide highly specialized services including educational assessments and individual educational recommendations and a comprehensive residential and nonresidential educational program composed of academic, nonacademic and extracurricular activities.

Vocational Education:
Offers a sequence of courses that provide the academic knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in current or emerging employment sectors. Programs include Partnership Academies, Agricultural Education, and Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education.

5205 - INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT

Instructional Support provides resources to complement the Instruction Program. The following elements are included in this program:

Curriculum Services:
Provides materials and resources for curriculum planning and development in language arts, mathematics, science, history-social science, foreign language, visual and performing arts, health, nutrition, safety, physical education, and environmental/energy education. Provides funding for the use of educational technology in schools and Rural and Low Income Schools Grants.

"Now is the Time" Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education:
Provides federal funding to develop a comprehensive, coordinated, and integrated partnership with multiple service systems to help address critical mental health needs of California's kindergarten through grade twelve students.

Administrative Services to Local Educational Agencies:
Provides leadership, guidance, and technical expertise to schools to manage and improve operations, more efficiently use scarce resources, and publish specified documents.

Supplementary Program Services:
Identifies, develops, and disseminates innovative and exemplary programs and practices to schools and aids in the development of alternative educational options. Examples include Foster Youth Services, Career Technical Education Programs, and Specialized Secondary Programs.

Public Charter Schools:
Public charter schools are created or organized by a group of teachers, parents, community leaders or a community-based organization, and provide instruction in any combination of grades, kindergarten through grade twelve.

Assessments:
Includes the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress Program, which provides funding to districts for assessments, the English Language Development Test, and Advanced Placement Test Fee Waivers.

5210 - SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Child Development:
Provides a full range of child care and development services, including part- and full-time child care and development and supportive services to children from low-income families and families with special needs. Several different programs exist to target resources to specific populations or to address specific needs. The California State Preschool Program provides a wide range of educational services in part-day settings for pre-kindergarten (three and four year old) children from low-income families and parent education for the parents of eligible children. The After School Education and Safety program provides students in grades K-9 with academic support, homework assistance, and enrichment programs, in a safe after-school environment. Child care services for families participating in the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program help public assistance recipients achieve and maintain self-sufficiency. The Department administers child care for CalWORKs Stages 2 and 3.

Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership:
Provides federal funding for high quality infant and toddler child care to low income families enrolled in subsidized programs administered by county offices, family child care home education networks, center-based homes, and tribal governments receiving federal Child Care and Development funds in selected northern California counties.

Child Nutrition:
Assists participating public and private schools, county offices of education, public and private residential child care institutions, camps, family day care homes, and non-residential adult day care centers in serving nutritious meals by providing educational and technical assistance, and federal and state subsidies. Subsidies are received from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fund the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, After School Meals Supplements Program under the NSLP, and Seamless Summer Feeding Option, Fresh Fruits and Vegetable Program, and nutrition education and training. Subsidies also are provided by the state through the state-mandated Child Nutrition Programs and the School Breakfast and Summer Food Start-Up and Expansion Grants Program.

Food Distribution:
Makes USDA Foods available to certain California public, private, and nonprofit agencies. The Department is designated as the California state agency for USDA Foods surplus distribution.

5220 - STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

The State Board of Education sets K-12 education policy in the areas of standards, instructional materials, assessment, and accountability.

5240 - STATE-MANDATED LOCAL PROGRAMS

This program provides funding, pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution, to reimburse local entities for costs they incur in complying with certain state-mandated education programs.