PRISM: Providing Relevant, Inclusive Support that Matters for LGBTQ+ Students
Six course online training with content targeting certificated educators to provide resources to bolster support for LGBTQ+ youth in California.
About PRISM
What is PRISM?
PRISM: Providing Relevant, Inclusive Support that Matters for LGBTQ+ Students is a comprehensive professional development training program for California certificated educators. Comprised of six high-quality courses, PRISM aims to foster inclusive classroom environments and address the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ and all students. As mandated by Assembly Bill 5: The Safe and Supportive Schools Act (2023), teachers and other certificated staff serving grades 7 through 12 must complete one hour of this training annually over the next five years. This initiative is expected to significantly benefit educators, enhance the success of LGBTQ+ students, and improve overall educational outcomes.
Learn more about PRISM from the California Department of Education.
Six Courses for Certificated Educators
- Course 1: LGBTQ+ 101 & Intersectional Identities
- Course 2: LGBTQ+ History & Culture
- Course 3: Anti-Bullying, Harassment & Discrimination
- Course 4: Strategies for Safe & Supportive LGBTQ+ Peer Affinity Clubs
- Course 5: Suicide Risk Factors, Warning Signs & Prevention
- Course 6: Inclusive Pedagogy & Facilitation
Advisory Committee
The PRISM Advisory Committee comprises representatives from 18 nonprofit organizations specializing in LGBTQ+ issues or supporting at-risk populations. Their primary role is to provide guidance on the development and content of the LGBTQ+ cultural competency training curriculum to ensure it is culturally sensitive, comprehensive, and tailored to the needs of LGBTQ+ students, families, and educators.
Development Process
The development of the cultural competency training program known as PRISM (Providing Relevant, Inclusive Support that Matters for LGBTQ+ Students) was a collaborative effort involving a dedicated Advisory Committee composed of 18 nonprofit organizations working in partnership with the California Department of Education (CDE) and the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE). This committee regularly convened to brainstorm, create, refine, and provide valuable insights on the content of the PRISM training.
01. Advisory Committee Meetings
From October 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024, the Advisory Committee held quarterly meetings to review and refine content, guiding the development of the training curriculum to ensure cultural competence, comprehensiveness, and relevance for LGBTQ+ students, families, and educators.
02. Course Subcommittee Workgroups
Between October 11, 2022, and June 30, 2024, members of the PRISM Advisory Committee participated in at least two specialized courses to collaborate within distinct Subcommittee Workgroups. These Workgroups were established based on specific expertise and experience related to the creation of six courses. They met weekly to brainstorm, research, write, and refine the content of the courses aligned with the requirements of Assembly Bill 130.
03. Course Authoring & Development
LACOE has partnered with online training curriculum experts, Advocates for Youth, to collaborate on the creation of the online training content. All courses have been meticulously designed and written in collaboration with the PRISM Subcommittee Workgroups, CDE, and Equality California Institute. The written content has been regularly shared with the PRISM Advisory Committee during quarterly meetings for valuable feedback. Facilitation Guides are available for download to assist leaders in facilitating each PRISM course that is being developed.
04. PRISM LMS Platform
The primary objective of PRISM is to advance cultural proficiency among certified educators in California by offering a resource that can be accessed individually through an online Learning Management System (LMS) or delivered to educator groups by a facilitator. This training program aims to empower educators to effectively support LGBTQ+ students, including those with diverse and intersecting identities, individuals from communities of color, immigrants, and individuals living with HIV. The San Joaquin County Office of Education has been selected as the agency responsible for constructing the LMS that will host the PRISM training curriculum.
Roll Out and Implementation
California County Superintendents 11 service regions.
The roll out plan for the PRISM training will commence in Spring 2025. Training sessions will be held at three Regional Communities of Practice (CoP) locations: Northern, Central, and Southern California. These sessions will specifically target California County Superintendents Regional Leads and County Office of Education Leads. PRISM Project Leads will have the opportunity to attend one of these regional trainings, gaining access to online training courses and facilitation guides. This will enable them to effectively implement the training within their respective regions. This approach aims to ensure widespread dissemination of knowledge and best practices across California’s educational landscape.
Timeline
| Activity | Date |
|---|---|
| CDE shall finalize the development of an online training delivery platform and online training curriculum to support LGBTQ+ cultural competency training. | July 2025 |
| LEAs shall provide and require at least an hour of training annually to all teachers and other certificated employees serving grades seven through twelve. | 2025–2026 School Year |
| Annual training shall continue through the 2029–2030 school year. | 2029–2030 School Year |
| Statute becomes inoperative. | July 2031 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Effective January 2024, California Education Code (EC) 218.3(b)(1) requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to finalize, on or before July 1, 2025, the development of an online training delivery platform and online training curriculum to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) cultural competency training for teachers and other certificated employees.. The goal for the training is to increase support for LGBTQ pupils and thereby improve overall school climate. (EC 218(a).)
Yes, LGBTQ+ cultural competency training is required for all teachers and other certificated employees serving pupils in grades 7 through 12. More specifically, beginning with the 2025–26 school year, and continuing through the 2029–30 school year, a local educational agency (LEA) serving pupils in any of grades 7 through 12 must provide and require at least one hour of LGBTQ+ cultural competency training annually, in a manner designed to cover the core elements of the curriculum developed pursuant to EC 218.3(b). (EC 218.3(c).)
All teachers and other certificated employees serving pupils in grades 7 through 12 are required to complete one hour annually. (EC 218.3(c).)
An LEA serving pupils in any of grades 7 through 12 must provide at least one hour of LGBTQ+ cultural competency training annually, commencing with the 2025-2026 school year, and continuing through the 2029-30 school year. (EC 218.3(c).)
The CDE has contracted with the Los Angeles County Office of Education to develop the Providing Relevant Inclusive Support that Matters for LGBTQ+ Students (PRISM) program. The PRISM curriculum will contain six courses that collectively address all of the topics listed in California EC 218.3(b)(3).
These courses will be hosted in a learning management system (LMS) that will be available beginning July 2025, and for which there will be no charge.
LEAs must ensure that the training is completed on paid time during the employees’ regular work hours or designated professional development hours unless otherwise negotiated and mutually agreed upon with the employees’ local bargaining unit. (EC 218.3(c)(4).)
An LEA is required to maintain records documenting both of the following:
- The date that each employee satisfied the requirements of this section.
- The name of the entity that provided the training. (EC 218.3(c)(2).)
Moreover, an LEA must maintain the records according to their local retention policy and make the records available to the CDE upon request, as part of the annual program monitoring. (EC 218.3s(c)(3).)
Training completion data must be maintained by LEAs and made available to the CDE upon request, as part of the department’s annual compliance monitoring of state and federal programs. (EC 218.3(c)(2), (3).)
Currently, the free online PRISM training for LGBTQ+ cultural competency is only available for all teachers and other certificated staff serving pupils in grades 7 through 12.
An LEA may choose to use an in-service training as an alternative to the free online PRISM training. If so, the LEA must ensure that the alternative training is substantially similar to and meets the same standards of PRISM. (EC 218.3(d).)