Contact:
Devin Vodicka & Katie Martin, Co-CEOs
Learner-Centered Collaborative
press@learnercentered.org

SAN DIEGO, CA — Learner-Centered Collaborative (LCC), a national nonprofit organization, has been awarded $750K over the next two years to support the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence’s (CCEE) Secondary School Redesign Pilot Program. LCC will be supporting the program’s goals to: 

• Ensure every student is known and supported
• Redesign learning for deeper knowledge and skills
• Advance pupil success and outcomes through learner-centered learning and personalized supports
• Promote measurable growth in student engagement and learning
• Design sustainable structures to maintain impact over time

As the lead agency, CCEE will administer the school redesign program and work closely with the California Department of Education, the State Board of Education, and a network of participating grantees, including LCC, to build capacity, identify promising models, and share best practices statewide.

“At the heart of this work is a simple promise: every student deserves an educational experience that helps them discover who they are, what they can do, and how they can contribute. Learner-Centered Collaborative is an essential partner in fulfilling that promise. Their proven expertise will help California elevate bright spots across the state and design schools where every young person can thrive.” —Dr. Christine Olmstead, Senior Advisor, California Collaborative for Educational Excellence

As part of this statewide effort, Learner-Centered Collaborative will collaborate with a diverse network of California districts already engaged in multi-year redesign work, including Escondido Union, San Diego Unified, Santa Ana Unified, Vista Unified, San Marcos Unified, Cajon Valley Union, Lynwood Unified, Lake Elsinore Unified, Santa Rosa City Schools, South San Francisco Unified, Salinas Union High School District, and Chico Country Day School. 

These partner systems represent a powerful cross-section of California’s secondary education landscape, with each bringing unique strengths, contexts, and redesign priorities to the statewide learning network.

“Evolving education through learner-centered school redesign is a worthy and fulfilling challenge as we create educational ecosystems where every learner knows who they are, thrives in community, and engages in the world as their best selves,” says Devin Vodicka, Co-CEO at Learner-Centered Collaborative. “We are honored to partner with CCEE to support and amplify the great redesign work that is already happening throughout California.”

This initiative will specifically spotlight Hidden Valley Middle School in Escondido Union School District, the network’s lead demonstration site and an emerging model for learner-centered redesign in action. Hidden Valley’s interdisciplinary microschool structure, looping advisories, and authentic learning exhibitions exemplify how a coherent learner-centered ecosystem can strengthen belonging, deepen engagement, and improve student outcomes at scale.

As the district continues implementing its Framework for the Future, the school serves as a living laboratory for how design principles translate into sustained improvement for students and educators alike.

“In Escondido Union School District, our vision is to actualize the unlimited potential of every learner, and this redesign work brings that commitment to life. Hidden Valley Middle School is showing what’s possible when learning is designed to honor each student and deepen their engagement. We are proud to partner with CCEE and Learner-Centered Collaborative to create environments where every learner is known, supported, and empowered to thrive across California.” —Dr. Luis Ibarra, Superintendent, Escondido Union School District

Over the next two years, Learner-Centered Collaborative will guide a comprehensive set of learning and implementation supports designed to strengthen secondary redesign across the state. This includes: 

• Hosting California Network Convenings that bring district teams together to align goals and share emerging practices
• Facilitating school visits at the Hidden Valley Middle School demonstration site to provide firsthand learning from a living example of redesign in action
• Leading monthly Communities of Practice focused on competency-based assessment, leadership for learning, instructional design, and measuring what matters. 

“Working with these forward-thinking districts will accelerate the momentum learner-centered school redesign is gaining throughout California,” Katie Martin, Co-CEO at Learner-Centered Collaborative. “Having worked with schools and districts across the state on school redesign efforts for the past four years, our organization is proud to be recognized for our skill and expertise in this area.”

Since 2021, Learner-Centered Collaborative has developed deep K-12 partnerships across the United States to advance learner-centered change. Part and parcel to that work has been their innovative approach to school redesign, namely, five key structures that consistently support and enable learner-centered practices, all based on a clear, learner-centered school identity. Details about their approach can be found here.

About Learner-Centered Collaborative: Recognizing the complexity of change, driven by what’s best for learners, and informed by research and practice, Learner-Centered Collaborative, a national nonprofit organization, works closely with schools, districts, and states to find their new way forward. We leverage our ecosystem framework, along with an expansive set of tools and resources, through deep, multi-year partnerships that have helped more than 30 public school districts and over 250,000 learners realize more personalized, authentic, and competency-based learning experiences in a community that puts learners at the center by design. To learn more about our work, visit learnercentered.org or contact us at collaborate@learnercentered.org.