A delegation of high school headmasters from Guangdong, China visited sites and programs operated by the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) to learn more about career technical education and English language learning. The SCOE visits were part of a visiting educator tour in the region that has been coordinated by Sacramento State.
On December 15, the delegation received a personal demonstration of U.S.A. Learns, an award-winning, SCOE-developed website that was designed specifically for English language learners. The demonstration took place at the David P. Meaney Education Center.
U.S.A. Learns is a free, online, interactive English language learning portal. The site, which receives more than 11,000 visitors each day, was developed primarily for immigrant adults with limited English language skills who cannot attend traditional classroom programs because of difficulty with schedules, transportation, or other barriers.
On December 13, the delegation visited Leo A. Palmiter Jr./Sr. High School to observe SCOE's highly regarded LINKS career technical education programs including Landscape/Architecture, Culinary Arts, and WorkAbility/Job Development.
Over the past two weeks, 17 Chinese delegates also visited career technical high school academies and local community colleges to learn how American schools teach students career technical education.
LINKS is a groundbreaking SCOE career technical education model aimed at helping high-risk students succeed. Services are tailored to individual students based on their specific needs instead of traditional, scripted education. By teaching employability skills, practicing those skills in a "real-life" environment, and providing positive adult connections, students succeed in positive and measurable ways.
SCOE plays a vital role in providing technical assistance, curriculum and instructional support, staff development, fiscal services, and oversight to Sacramento County school districts. SCOE operates special education programs for students with severe disabilities, Court and Community Schools for high-risk and at-risk students, and career technical education courses.