San Mateo Office of Education

Our dedicated and professional staff works collaboratively with districts, schools, and a diverse array of community partners to eliminate barriers to learning, including those associated with poverty. We know that positive student outcomes are a direct result of effective and positive support systems. At SMCOE, we provide many of these systems of support through a variety of instructional, business, and consulting services. Our main functions are: Support and Regulatory SMCOE provides support and monitoring to school districts in a number of areas including: local control accountability plan (LCAP), business management, financial auditing, data processing, payroll accounting, human resources, legal services, school district boundaries, state financial standards, and teacher credential registration. Educational Leadership and Coordination SMCOE delivers resources and staff training to thousands of educators each year. We coordinate services and provide staff development in all areas of curriculum and instruction including implementation of Common Core State Standards and the new Smarter Balanced assessment system, STEM education, early childhood education, Transitional Kindergarten, English Learner services, library media services, and educational data services, among others. Direct Student Instruction SMCOE delivers direct instruction for a variety of at-risk student populations including students with severe disabilities and youth who are wards of the Juvenile Court or with needs for an alternative educational program. Additionally most San Mateo County elementary students participate in SMCOE's Outdoor Education program at Jones Gulch.