History

In 2010, Fresno, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Sacramento City, and San Francisco Unified School Districts came together to form the CORE Districts. These CORE Districts were later joined by Oakland, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, and San Jose Unified School Districts. CORE was created as a new model of cross-district collaboration to allow districts to share successes and challenges in order to radically improve schools and boost student outcomes.

An unwavering belief in equity and access

The CORE districts were the only local education agencies in the nation to secure a federal No Child Left Behind waiver. States and LEAs receiving waivers were given flexibility that exempted them from meeting the law’s most troublesome and restrictive requirements in exchange for setting their own higher, more honest standards for student success.

The CORE Districts worked to build educator capabilities and established a shared data system across districts that:

  • Reported school progress across multiple academic indicators,
  • Documented non-academic indicators including social and emotional learning,
  • Identified and supported schools in need of assistance, and
  • Shared success across districts.

Today, an unwavering belief in equity and access for all students continues to drive the CORE Districts’ work, which is evident in the lessons shared within and across districts and schools, as well as with state and federal policymakers.

The CORE Districts continue to build educators’ improvement capabilities, share data, and develop network strategies so that schools and districts can learn from each other. This work is nationally recognized.