State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has appointed Catalina Cifuentes as deputy superintendent of the Performance, Planning, and Technology branch of the California Department of Education.

Catalina Cifuentes will help guide student progress in her new position with the California Department of Education. (photo courtesy of the California Department of Education)

The branch oversees programs promoting innovation and improved student achievement, including statewide student assessment, school and district interventions, state and federal accountability, and the collection and reporting of educational data.

Cifuentes has a diverse background at multiple levels of the education system including teaching middle and high school, counseling and serving in leadership positions.

“I am excited to have Catalina join our CDE team.” Thurmond said. “She is a passionate, committed and dedicated professional with a proven track record of improving outcomes for all students. Her accolades alone show how respected her work is, and we are lucky that she will continue that work here at CDE.”

Cifuentes most recently served as the executive director of college and career readiness at the Riverside County Office of Education. She won that county’s Education Administrator of the Year Award for her work coordinating counselors, leading career-readiness initiatives and directing the Advancement Via Individual Determination program. She also received the 2018 National Association of College Admission Counseling Inclusion, Access and Success Award, honoring her work making post-secondary opportunities available to underrepresented students.

Cifuentes serves as vice chair of the California Student Aid Commission, a state agency responsible for administering financial aid programs for students attending public and private universities, colleges and vocational schools. She is also a state team member of Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher National Committee, which encourages students to complete higher education.

For information, visit cde.ca.gov.