Focus on Education provides news about Ventura County public schools for families and educators. It is published by the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE).

Ventura County Students Make Gains

Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, is pleased to report that local students are making improvements in attendance, graduation rates, and academic performance according to new data from the 2025 California School Dashboard.

Ventura County’s graduation rate of 90.5% for 2025 has improved by 7.2 percentage points since 2021 and is 3.0 percentage points better than the statewide rate. Ventura County’s chronic absenteeism rate of 17.7% for 2025 marks the third consecutive year of improvement and is 1.7 percentage points better than the statewide rate. Ventura County students have also improved their performance in both Math and English on the state CAASPP assessment. Click here for more local highlights.

The California School Dashboard allows families, educators, and community members to see various measures of student performance for individual schools and school districts. A guide to help parents understand the Dashboard is available in English and Spanish. Countywide school data can be found on the California Department of Education’s DataQuest portal.

A Chat with Dr. Trudy Tuttle Arriaga

As the first female superintendent in the Ventura Unified School District, Dr. Trudy Tuttle Arriaga is a local education trailblazer. After leading the district for 14 years, she went on to author books about cultural proficiency and leading while female. Now as a faculty member at Cal Lutheran, she's continuing to make an impact on public education locally and nationwide.

On the new episode of the VCOE Focus on Education podcast, Dr. Arriaga sits down with Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools. Watch or listen to hear her insights on how schools can best serve kids in our quickly changing world.

2026 Student Logo Contest Winners

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Congratulations to these six winners of the logo contest for VCOE’s 2026 student competitions. They were selected from a pool of 120 entrants who created logos for the Academic Decathlon, Battle of the Books, Batalla de los Libros, Civic Action Project, Mock Trial, and Science Fair. The winning logos will be displayed on promotional materials and featured on commemorative pins for the competitions.

Volunteer for Student Competitions

You're invited to help bring fun learning opportunities to local students by volunteering as a judge or scorer at VCOE's upcoming student competitions. Volunteers are needed for the Academic Decathlon, Science Fair, Battle of the Books, and Batalla de los Libros which take place between January and May of 2026. If you or anyone you know is interested in volunteering, more information is available here.

Visual & Performing Arts Showcase

Earlier this month, the VCOE Visual & Performing Arts Showcase treated the crowd to spectacular performances, including high-energy dance routines from Channel Islands High School, a beautiful piano performance by Mesa Union student Steve Romero, a musical theater number from Blackstock and E.O. Green Junior High, and a rousing band performance from Somis School. Get a taste of the talent that was on display in this video highlight reel.

Blue Envelope Program Comes to Town

The Ventura County Office of Education is a partner in the Blue Envelope Program, a new, voluntary countywide initiative aimed at improving law enforcement interactions with people with disabilities. Participants can provide a blue envelope with information to help officers recognize and respectfully address their needs during traffic stops or other encounters.

The envelopes and other free materials can be picked up at any local police department or sheriff’s office. Click here to learn more about the program.

Vaccine Forum Video Now Available

If you weren’t able to attend our recent community forum that addressed common concerns about vaccines, you can now watch a video of the event in English or Spanish. VCOE partnered with Community Memorial Healthcare on this event to separate facts from fiction about vaccines, which play a vital role in keeping our community safe and healthy.

VCOE Welcomes Principals for a Day

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Ever wondered what it takes to run a school? Representatives from several local organizations got to find out last month as they volunteered to serve as Principals for a Day. They visited VCOE's Boswell, Dwire, Foster, Penfield, Phoenix, Triton, and Gateway schools, as well as our Homeless Education Program to see what goes into keeping the school day humming along. After their visits, they said they were extremely impressed by the dedication of VCOE staff to serving students.

Industry & Education Summit

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The second annual Industry & Education Summit brought educators and business leaders together to help prepare students for local careers. Attendees gathered at VCOE to brainstorm ideas for projects that local students will build and present at a showcase next May.

The conference was presented by VCOE, the Ventura County Community College District, the Ventura County Workforce Development Board, and the Ventura County Industry Council.

Student Civic Education Field Trip

VCOE recently took students on the road to help them become more civically engaged in their communities. Students from throughout the county were part of a day-long field trip that visited six of Ventura County’s most inspiring civic and cultural centers — from a Chumash heritage site to the Ventura County Government Center. The event was a big hit, and another Civic Tour is being planned for 2026. For information on how to participate, email Shannon Krone at skrone@vcoe.org.

Homeless Youth Awareness Month

November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month (NHYAM), which aims to find causes and solutions for homelessness among children and teens. In Ventura County schools, there are currently more than 8,000 students identified as homeless. You can learn more about NHYAM here and get the latest from the VCOE Homeless Education Program in their November newsletter.  

Upcoming Events and Workshops

The Ventura County Office of Education and its partners present a wide variety of workshops and events for educators, families, and community members. Some upcoming offerings are below, and you can browse our full calendar of events at vcoe.k12oms.org.

Virtual Fall Transition Fair

Helping students with disabilities transition to adulthood

November 19, 2025

Multilingualism Leadership Network

For multilingual educators in Ventura County

December 5, 2025

Hackathon By the Sea - Part 1: Boot Up

High school students compete in escape rooms and team challenges

December 6, 2025