Valley to Coast Collaborative (VALCO) is a Geographic Area within the System of Support, consisting of the County Offices of Education of Kern, Fresno, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. This group is committed to collaboratively building our capacity, and sharing best practices and resources to support LEAs. Our collaborative is collectively committed to improving outcomes for all students, with a specific focus on improving outcomes for Students with Disabilities.
Our Purpose
The 7 Geographic Lead areas will work together to support the following goals for all counties. The Lead Agencies will also connect COEs to the other initiatives within California’s System of Support.
- Support the continuous improvement of student performance within the state priorities across student groups, as defined in EC sections 52060 and 52066.
- Address the gaps in achievement between student groups, as defined in EC Section 52052.
- Improve outreach and collaboration with stakeholders to ensure that goals, actions, and services, as described in school district and COEs Local Control and Accountability Plans, reflect the needs of the community, especially for historically under-represented or low-achieving populations.
- Serve as a facilitator, resource connector, and capacity builder for COEs.
California System of Support
The California Statewide System of Support is designed to provide varying levels of assistance to meet the unique needs of school districts, charter schools, and County Offices of Education (COEs). This system ensures that all educational agencies have access to the resources and support they need to improve student outcomes.
Here is a brief overview of the levels of support:
Level 1
Universal
This foundational level of support is available to all districts, charters, COEs and SELPAs in California.
This tier of support is available to all and at no cost.
Universal supports include access to tools and resources, professional learning, and services provided by various technical assistance providers within the Statewide System of Support, coordinated by the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) and the California Department of Education (CDE).
Level 2
Targeted / Supplemental
Targeted support is available to districts, charters, COEs, and SELPAs with an identified area of need.
This tier of support may be accessed via Differentiated Assistance, Targeted-level Compliance and Improvement Monitoring, and/or self-identified support needs.
Targeted supports often include specialized professional learning, coaching, consultation, and/or strategic planning.
Level 3
Intensive
Intensive support is provided to districts and charters identified as requiring an extra level of hands-on partnership, often due to persistent challenges over consecutive years.
This tier of support may be accessed after being identified by the CDE, CCEE, and/or County Office of Education via the DTA or intensive-level CIM process.
Intensive supports often involve a collaborative process with the CCEE, County Offices of Education, SELPA, the CDE, and/or Geographic Leads to determine the most effective support strategies.
This tier of support may include identifying a technical assistance provider with relevant expertise to work closely with the district or charter to improve student outcomes.
Valley to Coast Collaborative (VALCO) Theory of Action
Outcomes
Long Term Outcomes
By December 2025, VALCO DA Eligibility for SWD will decrease by 5%, as measured by Dashboard Status from December 2022 AND by December 2025, VALCO SWD Graduation rate will increase by 5%, as measured by SPPI #1 from December 2022.
Intermediate Outcome
By February 2024, VALCO SWD Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) participation will increase by 5%, as measured by 2022 SPPI #5a status.
Short Term Outcome
VALCO will provide 4 Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Professional Learning offerings for site and district leaders by December 2023.
Our Impact
About
VALCO Geographic Lead Team
Kimberly Graham;
Administrator - Local, Regional, and Statewide Systems of Support
kigraham@kern.org
(661) 636-4671
Our County Partners
John Mendiburu, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Lisa Gilbert, Ed.D.
Deputy Superintendent, Instructional Services
Desiree VonFlue
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
Kimberly Graham
Administrator - Local, Regional, and Statewide Systems of Support
Lee Martin
Executive Director of Kern County Consortium SELPA
Candi Huizar
Director II-Equity and Inclusion
Cole Sampson
Administrator-Professional Learning and Student Support
Jonathan Gage
Management Analyst-The Learning Network
Lourdes Boucher
Division Administrator School Community Partnership
Melvin Thomas
Director II-Special Education Local Plan Area
Russell Sentes
Deputy Superintendent-Local Inniatives and Innovation
Lori Wilson
Director of Systems and Leadership/CASC
Brad Huebert
Senior Director, Curriculum and Instruction
Romy Chachere
Director of Student Services
Annie Sharp, Ed.D.
Director of Differentiated Assistance
Corey Greenlaw, Ed.D.
Executive Director, Accountability Compliance and Grants
Joy Bratton
Director, Special Education
Dr. Jovan Jacobs
Dr. Jovan Jacobs-Director of Special Education
Matthew Roper, M.Ed., M.C.J
Coordinator II-Division of Special Education
Ruben Valles
Chief Academic Officer
Danielle Mitchell
Director III, Curriculum & Instructional Services
Rachelle Touzard
Director I, Student Support Services
Dina Wilson
Director III, Accountability, Support and Monitoring
Carol Higa
Director II, Specialized Services
Jessica Conkle
Director I, Curriculum & Instructional Services
Sonya Smith, Ed.D.
Director III, Student Support Services
Astrid Gonzalez
Director I, Accountability, Support & Monitoring
Alicia Garoupa
Chief of Wellness & Support Services
Deborah Pandullo
Inclusion Coordinator III, Special Projects
Jessica Conkle
Director I, Curriculum & Instructional Services
Tina Cunningham
Project Director
Joe Koski, Ed.D.
Executive Director, Educational Support Services
Melanie Crawford
Director, Continuous Improvement & Support, Educational Support Services
Stacy Summers
Director, Program Monitoring, Categorical Support, and Data Analysis, Educational Support Services
Amber Gallagher
Executive Director, SELPA
Ellen Barger
Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum & Instruction
Lauren Aranguren
Director, Equitable Learning Systems
Ray Avila, Ed.D.
SELPA Executive Director
Rachel Fauver
Director, School and District Support
Anne Roundy-Harter, Ed.D.
Director, Leadership Support Services
Shawn Carey
Director, School and District Support
Tiffany Carson
Director of School and District Support
Noelle Barthel
Coordinator II-Division of Special Education
Cynthia Frutos
Director of Assessment & Accountability
Lisa Salas Brown
Associate Superintendent, Educational Services
James Koenig
Director, Local District Support Services
Phoebe Moore, Ed.D.
Director, Local District Support Services
Brett Taylor
Director, Local District Support Services
Leticia Ramos, Ed.D.
Director, Instructional Support Services
Joanna Della Gatta
SELPA Director
Regina Reed
SELPA Director, Personnel Development
Regan Bynder
Coordinator, Early Childhood Programs
Kerry Newlee
SELPA Director-Technical Support and Transition