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News and views from a private school perspective
CAPSO
Monthly E-Mailer
California Association of Private School Organizations
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The Voice of Private Education in California | |
Mission Statement
The California Association of Private School Organizations (CAPSO) is the voice of K-12 private education in California. Its primary mission is to preserve the independence of California’s private schools and to uphold parental choice in education. CAPSO, independently and in collaboration with other community and governmental institutions, is an advocate, catalyst, and creative leader for strengthening and advancing K-12 private education in California. CAPSO’s mission is based on the belief that a healthy, pluralistic society depends upon educational options, parental choice, and dialogue and collaboration between educational entities.
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CAPSO is committed to providing monthly news and views for private schools succinctly. January 2025 has been an exceptionally dynamic month. As a result, this E-Mailer is longer than the CAPSO standard. Please take a look at the relevant information to your private school situation and be assured that CAPSO will make every effort to reduce the quantity of content as the local/state/national landscape allows.
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In This Issue...
President Issues Executive Order Focused on School Choice
The Cost and Value of School Choice
US Supreme Court to Hear Religious Charter School Case (St. Isidore)
New/Updated Resources on the CAPSO Website
Immigration and Schools: What You Need to Know
NAEP Results Released- Private Schools and the Nation's Report Card
PD Plan for Schools Attending the CapsPD Private School Conference
Apply to Become a Green Ribbon School
*** Please Join Us! CAPSO CO-Presents with the CDE on ESSA/ESEA ***
No Cost Private School PD Available
FREE- REMS Webinar on Conducting a Safe School Site Assessment
Legislative Call to Action
What I've Been Reading
Legislation: What Bills CAPSO is Tracking
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President Issues Executive Order Focused on School Choice
In a 1/29/2025 statement issued by the White House, President Trump released an executive order focused on increased school choice options nationally. Opening remarks about choice include a reference to the NAEP results (see CAPSO feature below), concluding, "When our public education system fails such a large segment of society, it hinders our national competitiveness and devastates families and communities. For this reason, more than a dozen States have enacted universal K-12 scholarship programs, allowing families — rather than the government — to choose the best educational setting for their children. These States have highlighted the most promising avenue for education reform: educational choice for families and competition for residentially assigned, government-run public schools."
Summary of Key Sections:
Sec. 2. Policy: The Administration supports parents in choosing and guiding their children’s upbringing and education.
Sec. 3. Guidance on Supporting State-based K-12 Educational Choice: The Secretary of Education will provide guidance on using Federal formula funds to support K-12 educational choice within 60 days.
Sec. 4. Encouraging Education Freedom through Discretionary Grant Programs: The Secretary of Education will prioritize education freedom in discretionary grants, and the Secretaries of Labor and Education will submit a plan to expand education freedom through these programs.
Sec. 5. Expanding Opportunities for Low-Income, Working Families: The Secretary of Health and Human Services will issue guidance on how States can use block grants to support educational choice for low-income families within 90 days.
Read the Full Executive Order
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The Cost and Value of School Choice Programs
This article from Education Next unpacks the variables impacting supportive and opposing perspectives on the cost and value of school choice programs, including a case study of the Arizona school choice program.
The California Policy Center investigates the impact of choice on the landscape of California Education in The Potential Fiscal Effects of Education Savings Accounts in California.
CAPSO articulates support for school choice legislation that increases access to a variety of educational options, focuses upon benefits to children rather than schools, considers varying needs of students and families, and maintains an appropriate balance between state regulation, parental rights, and private school autonomy. Read more about CAPSO's position in the CAPSO Position Paper on School Choice.
The Education Next article, CA Policy Center paper, and CAPSO Position Paper are available below.
Read the Full Article Here: Education Next
Read the CA Policy Center Paper on the Potential Fiscal Effects of ESAs in CA
Read CAPSO's Position Paper on School Choice
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New/Updated Resources on the CAPSO Website
CAPSO is proud to serve and support our California private schools with timely and meaningful resources. Please make note of the following updated resources on the CAPSO website:
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Immigration and Schools: What You Need to Know
The following information is for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice.
As you may recall from the January 2025 CAPSO emailer, the Supreme Court Ruling Plyer v. Doe established that all children, regardless of immigration status, have a right to education.
School leaders are encouraged to review policies regarding public access to campus. In addition, school leaders are encouraged to confer with legal counsel regarding the difference between judicial and administrative warrants and how these impact access to school campus/records/students. Schools are encouraged to consider developing a protocol or policy for dealing with ICE enforcement in consultation with their governing authority and legal counsel.
Please consult with legal counsel regarding school policies and practices on record collection/sharing. Many private schools do not collect information about student or family immigration status. Consider developing/reviewing policies related to speculation about student and family immigration status.
Legal counsel and governing authority should be the primary resources for schools. Additional resources for schools are provided as a courtesy only.
Liebert Cassidy Whitmore Special Bulletin, 1.30.2025
Shipman & Goodwin LLP, What Schools Should Know About ICE Enforcement Action
Article: ICE Access Now, ABC News
Fugees Family Immigration Resources
CA Attorney General Guidance and Model Policies for CA Schools
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NAEP Results Released- Private Schools and the Nation's Report Card
On January 29, 2025, the results of the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation's Report Card, were released. The report highlights mixed outcomes in post-pandemic student performance. While fourth-grade math scores slightly improved in 2024, math and reading scores are still below pre-pandemic levels. Both 4th and 8th-grade reading scores dropped compared to 2022, with the share of eighth-graders reading below NAEP's basic standard at "the largest in the assessment's history." Chronic absenteeism, which worsened during the pandemic, remains a major barrier to learning, particularly for disadvantaged students. Socioeconomic factors also play a key role, with wealthier students consistently outperforming their lower-income peers. Experts stress the importance of targeted interventions to address academic gaps and attendance issues to ensure future progress.
Private school participation was insufficient to make scores available. However, Catholic schools outperformed public and charter schools in 4th and 8th grade reading and math (see charts below). Additional performance reports are available on the NAEP Data Dashboard.
CAPSO encourages all private schools to participate in the NAEP so that national comparative data can be analyzed and shared.
Access the NAEP Data Dashboard
Article: Good News in Math, Bad News in Reading: NPR
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PD Plan Template for Schools Attending the CapsPD Private School Conference
CAPSO offers a template to assist private schools in fulfilling meaningful consultation requirements when seeking Title funds to support attendance at the annual CapsPD conference.
This adaptable template can be modified by schools for any conference, workshop, or professional development activity. This tool does not guarantee approval; it should be used as part of meaningful consultation.
Access the PD Plan Template for CapsPD Conference Attendance
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Apply to Become a Green Ribbon School!
Did you know that private schools that participate in the Green Ribbon School process have the opportunity to be recognized at both the State and National level?
The Green Ribbon School process is an opportunity to showcase efforts and be recognized for progress towards sustainability across three pillars:
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Pillar I: Reduce environmental impact and costs;
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Pillar II: Improve the health and wellness of schools, students, and staff; and
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Pillar III: Provide effective environmental and sustainability education
Each June, the California Department of Education launches the California Green Ribbon Schools (CA-GRS) application process, inviting public and private schools, districts, and county offices of education to showcase their achievements in sustainability. Participating schools have the opportunity to demonstrate achievement and earn points in pillar categories recognized in one of four tiered levels:
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Bronze Level (Entry Level Commitment): 55-64.9%
- Silver Level (Mid Integration): 65-74.9%
- Gold Level (Full Integration): 75% or better
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Green Achiever: Exemplary Achievement with Full Integration - Green achievers are nominated for Federal recognition in the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Program (ED-GRS).
Schools don't need to wait to apply until they have met full integration. Schools that apply will be supported with mentorship and resources, and schools with a 55%+ will be recognized with Bronze achievement by the California Department of Education!
Ready to Learn More?
California Green Ribbon Schools Achievers and Applicants Network: The CA Green Ribbon School Achiever and Applicant Network meets quarterly and aims to unite past, current, and future CA Green Ribbon Schools applicants dedicated to promoting sustainable practices and programs within their school communities. The network gives participants the chance to network with each other to inspire and share best practices.
Upcoming Meeting Dates for the 2024-25 School Year:
The application opens in June and schools are encouraged to begin learning about the application process starting in January. A comprehensive toolkit is available. Use the link below to learn more!
Green Ribbon School Toolkit and Resources
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Please Join Us!
CAPSO CO-Presents with the CDE on ESSA/ESEA
CAPSO is pleased to partner with the California Department of Education to co-present to private school leaders and public school LEAs on Title Programs (ESEA/ESSA) for students and teachers in private schools.
Please see the flyer below for more information. Private school leaders who would benefit from an introductory webinar on the title programs available to private schools are encouraged to attend. This free informational session will have three offerings; visit www.capso.org/essa-collaborative for more information.
Space is limited, and registration is required.
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No Cost Private School PD Available
The California Department of Education receives funds through Title II, Part A Equitable Services to provide no-cost professional development to private school educators.
The website, https://www.capspdnow.com, offers over 1000 no-cost courses available to schools and teachers in an on-demand format. Private school teachers and administrators can join the CaPSPD email distribution list to receive notifications about upcoming development opportunities by sending a blank email to join-private-school-professional-development@mlist.cde.ca.gov
Learn More About CaPSPDNow
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Legislative Call to Action | | | |
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Raise Your Voice with a Letter of Support for ECCA,
the Education Choice for Children Act
WHAT: Write a letter of support for ECCA, the Educational Choice for Children Act.
CAPSO and the Council for American Private Education (CAPE) support ECCA.
WHY: (Source: Invest in Education) "The ECCA provides K-12 scholarships for... students across America to attend schools that best meet their educational needs as determined by their parents. Under this bill, $10 billion in federal tax credits would be available for individuals and businesses that contribute to non-profit scholarship-granting organizations... Scholarships would be funded with private donations, not federal dollars, and donors would receive a federal tax credit. The ECCA would expand school choice and opportunity while respecting federalism, protecting religious liberty, and ensuring private school autonomy."
WHEN: Please send letters ASAP and no later than February 28, 2025
HOW: Click here for a Letter Template for Completion
(1 letter per recipient on the US Ways and Means Committee- see top of letter for names and email links)
Want to Learn More about ECCA? Resources below.
https://investineducation.org/school-choice/
https://www.mayerbrown.com/budgetreconciliationprimer...
https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/...
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What I've Been Reading... | | | |
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Questions?
Please don't hesitate to contact us!
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Effective July 1, 2024 CAPSO has a new mailing address and phone number:
CAPSO
PO Box 1077
Novato, CA 94948
(415) 295-6333
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