Watching a toy come to life when it’s turned on is a delight for any child. But for kids with developmental disabilities, something as simple as pressing a button to activate a toy can be an impossible challenge. Toys designed for children with disabilities are available, but can be prohibitively expensive. That’s why Dwire School in Oxnard and a group of Navy engineers joined forces to come up with a better solution. Dwire School is operated by the Ventura County Office of Education...

A wealth of data about the performance of Ventura County schools and districts is now available in the 2019 California School Dashboard, which was released today by the California Department of Education (CDE). In addition to reporting on test scores in math and English language arts, the Dashboard provides a more complete picture of school performance by looking at five other areas that impact student success:   Chronic Absenteeism College/Career Readiness English Learner Progress High S...

Helping immigrants assimilate, combatting heart disease and saving marine life are some of the issues addressed through new technology created by Ventura County high school students at the third annual Hackathon by the Sea. Last weekend in Camarillo, 157 students spent an entire night creating and coding apps and games with the assistance of more than 50 volunteer mentors. Presented by the Ventura County Office of Education, the Hackathon encourages students to use technology in creative ways to...

In the wake of today's shooting at Saugus High School, our thoughts are with the friends and loved ones of the victims and the entire Saugus High School community. As many students may have questions and fears about this tragic incident, we are offering the following resources to help parents and educators respond in the most appropriate way.American Psychological Association• Helping your children manage distress in the aftermath of a shooting• Managing your distress in ...

The Ventura County Office of Education is pleased to announce the winners of logo design contests for the 2020 Academic Decathlon, Mock Trial and Science Fair. Nearly 150 middle and high school students from throughout Ventura County submitted entries for the contests.  The winning design for the Academic Decathlon logo came from Morgan Conway, a student at La Reina High School in Thousand Oaks. The design selected for the Mock Trial logo was created by June Liu, another La Reina High Schoo...

High school students in Ventura County will have the opportunity to learn computer coding and put their creativity to work at a unique overnight event on December 6 and 7 in Camarillo. At the third annual Hackathon by the Sea, students will team up to code projects such as games, apps and websites. No prior coding experience is necessary and the students will be guided by professional mentors. The event is free and includes meals, snacks and prizes. The Hackathon is a fun and engaging way to exp...

Ventura County is home to twenty different school districts, each one as diverse as the students they serve. The smallest – with just 59 students – is the Santa Clara Elementary School District with its iconic red schoolhouse building alongside Highway 126. The largest is Conejo Valley Unified, with more than 18,000 students in 27 schools. Some districts only have elementary schools, one (Oxnard Union) has only high schools, and nine have the whole range from kindergarten throug...

The Ventura County Office of Education is committed to ensuring the safety of our students and school employees in the event of a wildfire. We have created a web page at www.vcoe.org/fire where you can find links to information about current incidents, precautionary power outages and air quality. There are also resources to help students, families and employees cope with the impacts of wildfires as well as important fire-related information for school administrators. During active...

Ventura County students slightly improved their scores on the statewide California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) test, according to new data released by the California Department of Education. In the 2018-2019 school year, 50 percent of Ventura County students met or exceeded the state standards for English language arts (ELA), which is up one percentage point from the year before. In math, 39 percent of Ventura County students met or exceeded the state standards, which...

Dr. Cesar Morales, Associate Superintendent of Student Services at the Ventura County Office of Education, is one of just 17 educators nationwide to receive the 2019 Excellence in Educational Leadership Award from the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA).  The Excellence in Educational Leadership Award is an annual recognition for school administrators who have made significant contributions to the improvement of school administrator preparation. Each year, UCEA invites ...