Archive

New Book: "Public Engagement for Public Education"

• 12-13-2010
• 

A new book co-edited by IDEA Director John Rogers and Brown University Professor Marion Orr can help put Compton news in context.

Last week, McKinley Elementary School parents in Compton pulled off the first-ever parent-led reform of an underperforming school. Using a new state law that allows a majority of parents to "trigger" reform, the McKinley parents petitioned Compton Unified School District officials to convert the school into a charter, one of four reform options that also included firing the principal, bringing in new staff or closing the school outright.

Helped by the nonprofit Parent Revolution, an organization that sprung from Green Dot charter schools, McKinley parents gathered signatures from more than 60 percent of the school's parents.

The incident has highlighted the importance of public engagement in education. A recently released book co-edited by IDEA Director John Rogers and Brown University political science Professor Marion Orr provides insights into the nuances of engagement. Chapter authors discuss the history of engagement and how it applies in today's world. Plus, as mentioned in the book's preface, it makes a point that engagement differs from participation, involvement and school choice, and outlines the necessary steps to ensure it's a communal and interdependent effort for the betterment of all students.

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WHAT: Public Engagement for Public Education: Joining Forces to Revitalize Democracy and Equalize Schools

WHO: John Rogers, IDEA director and UCLA associate professor, and Marion Orr, Brown University political science professor.

INFORMATION: Stanford University Press www.sup.org/book.cgi?id=17518

Nov. 12: California's Gender Gaps

• 11-12-2010
• 

This week, the Council of the Great City Schools released a report detailing just how far behind African-American males were. Twelve percent of African-American boys in fourth-grade tested proficient in reading, whereas 38 percent of white fourth-grade boys were proficient.

The same discrepancies held in math and other grade levels. In many cases, African-American boys not living in poverty tested worse than white student who qualified for free- or reduced-price lunches. In higher education, African-American males made up 5 percent of the population.

A similar gender gap persists in California, where female students are outpacing males. More females graduate from high school. More graduate having completed the necessary A-G coursework required for entry into the California State University or University of California system. More enroll in a CSU or UC campus.

The ratios grow even more when looking only at African Americans, Latinos and American Indians, three groups largely underrepresented in the state's higher education system.

For a quick look at the data and charts, download a PDF version. You can also read our Themes in the News for a more indepth view at this issue.

SOURCE: UCLA IDEA

Nov. 8: Huffington Post highlights IDEA's piece on voter contradictions

• 11-08-2010
• 

Following last week's election, IDEA wrote about the contradictions between what the people of California wanted and expected from the state for its public schools and what they voted for at the polls. 

A Public Policy Institute of California survey found that an overwhelming majority of the state did not think the schools were adequately funded and that education reform needed to be a top priority for the next governor.

In an effort to pass budgets on time, Prop. 25 passed, switching the requirement from two-thirds requirement to a simple majority. The electorate also defeated Prop. 24, which would have repealed $1.3 million in corporate tax breaks, but passed Prop. 26, calling for a two-thirds majority to levy fees.

As Gov.-elect Jerry Brown said on election night: "The taxpayers gave and they took away."

Read the full piece as it appears on the Huffington Post and what types of reform efforts will be needed with limited funds.

INFORMATION MTGS: Principal Leadership Institute Prepares Tomorrow's Leaders

• 11-02-2010
• 

UCLA's Principal Leadership Institute program is holding information sessions in the next two months for educators interested in becoming social justice leaders in Los Angeles schools.

The Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) recruits, trains and supports a diverse group of individuals committed to the principles of academic excellence, equity and integrity as a way to maximize achievement and opportunity for students in urban schools.

The rigorous 15-month program is aligned to the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders. It offers a master's degree in education and a Tier-1 administrative credential. The next cohort will begin summer 2011.

The program is designed to attract outstanding educators who have administrative interests and recognized potential. We encourage applicants with:

• Five or more years experience as a classroom teacher, minimum three years
• Experience working for educational justice with other teachers
• Experience working for change alongside parents and community groups
• A commitment to Los Angeles youth and communities

Upcoming Information Sessions and Workshops

WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m.

             Saturday, Nov. 20 at 9 a.m.

             Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 6 p.m.

             Statement of Purpose workshops also held on Saturday, Nov. 13 and Dec. 11 at 9 a.m.

WHERE: All sessions will be at UCLA's Moore Hall.

RSVP: Contact 310-267-4905

INFORMATION: centerx.gseis.ucla.edu/principal-leadership or contact John Rogers, PLI Faculty Director.

Sept. 28: Court ruling first step; policy needed to ensure quality teachers

• 09-29-2010
• 

UCLA IDEA Director John Rogers comments on next steps to ensure high-quality teachers at low-income schools

A federal appeals court ruled Monday that teaching interns cannot be considered "highly qualified" teachers in public schools.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that dumping uncredentialed teachers in low-income neighborhoods did not meet the requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

There are about 10,000 teaching interns in the state and 62 percent of them teach in the poorest half of California schools, according to an Associated Press article. 

Though the total number of underprepared teachers has dropped over the past decade, schools with the highest proportion of African-American and Latino students have the least access to high-quality teachers, said John Rogers, IDEA director. Those schools have difficulty retaining teachers for various reasons, including lack of support from principals, poor school facilities, and lack of necessary teaching tools.

"Just by saying you can't do this anymore is not enough alone," Rogers said. "There will need to be a series of policy responses that will ensure an equitable distribution of teachers."

Read full article in San Jose Mercury News.

Sept. 27: Edutopia spotlights Linked Learning research

• 09-29-2010
• 

Linked Learning, an area of research at UCLA IDEA, was highlighted for is ability to create engaged students and civic participants.

In Edutopia.org's "Schools That Work" section, blueprints and ideas of successful schools are shared. Marisa Saunders, senior research associate heading IDEA's research on Linked Learning looking at 10 case studies across the state, wrote about the current research supporting the integration of career and college-preparatory education.

"Preliminary findings are consistent with the optimistic evaluations of career academies," said Saunders in Linking Learning to Life: A High School Transformation Effort,co-written with graduate-student researcher Erica Hamilton.

"A current study of 10 Linked Learning programs in California, for example, has so far found that students in these programs have dramatically lower dropout rates and slightly higher graduation rates, than the state as a whole, and are more likely to graduate with the courses required for admission to California's public universities."

To read the full article, visit the "Research Roundup" on the Career and Technical Education section.

Sept. 21: Long trace for lack of diversity at UC

• 09-21-2010
• 

The University of California system does not reflect the diversity of the state, despite efforts to promote diversity among the students, faculty and staff, according to a recent report.

Reported in an article for the Daily Californian, Berkeley's publication, students from certain racial/ethnic backgrounds are still underrepresented across all nine UC campuses.

Latinos, who make up 34 percent of the state's population, only account for 14 percent of the undergraduate student body.

IDEA Director John Rogers said funding at the K-12 level plays a crucial role in the make-up of colleges and universities. The majority of the state's minority students attend chronically underfunded schools located in lower-income neighborhoods. 

"The fact that those schools are so underfunded and unequal contributes to these broader problems of inequality," Rogers said.

Sept. 5: 'Who asked us'? Council of Youth Research work highlighted in ethnic media

• 09-07-2010
• 

IDEA associate director Ernest Morrell and Council of Youth Research students were interviewed about the importance of conducting their own educational research.

In a Sept. 5 article titled "WHO ASKED US: What's the Matter with CA schools? L.A. students poll their peers," students were interviewed during their trip to Sacramento, where they spoke to state leaders about California's public education system and resources.

"You could bring in an adult to do a two-day evaluation of a school and come up with some conclusion... but if you [consult] a student who actually attends the school, that student deals with the school every day, so he or she is an expert at knowing what their peers need," Locke student Dimitri Meighan, 16, told New America Media.

The Council participated in a five-week summer seminar that culminated in a presentation of their research at Los Angeles City Hall last month. Their exploration focused on the state of California's public education 10 years after the filing of Willams v. California, a class-action lawsuit that highlighted the inequitable distribution of resources among public schools, especially in low-income neighborhoods.

Check out our website for more information on CYR students' work and presentations.

Aug. 23: Value Added is No Magic

• 08-23-2010
• 

Drawing inspiration from Goethe's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," IDEA Director John Rogers compares the Los Angeles Times' forthcoming teacher effectiveness database with the inability to control magic.

Like the orginal German poem, the Disney cartoon or live-action movie, the sorcerer's apprentice uses a little bit of magic to ease his chores. Before long, the animated mops and buckets have created an unintended flood.

Similarly, Rogers said, the Times could expect a "flood of unintended consequences" when it publishes the database of 6,000 third- through fifth-grade teachers from most effective to least. Writing on the Huffington Post, Rogers cites the faults with the value-added analysis and how that data could be used by parents, teachers and others in the community to make rash decisions and negatively affect the school environment.

"Although the apprentice had enough knowledge to set magic in motion, he could not think ahead to what he did not know," Rogers wrote, "...The Times should not believe in the magic of this data, and should realize that it cannot foresee or control all of the consequences."

Read full piece on Huffington Post.

Aug. 23: IDEA comments on LA Times piece

• 08-23-2010
• 

IDEA Director John Rogers was one of a handful education professionals to remark on the Los Angeles Times' series using value-added analysis to gauge teacher effectiveness. 

Appearing in Sunday's op-ed section, Rogers said there would be serious consequences to the publication of the database ranking 6,000 third- through fifth-grade teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District, especially since the National Academy of Sciences has identified problems with value-added analysis.

"Value-added methods are a limited and underdeveloped tool. By focusing narrowly on standardized tests, these analyses ignore much learning that matters to students, parents and teachers and cannot stand alone as a measure of 'effectiveness,' " Rogers wrote in the Times.

Student research presentations available online

• 08-10-2010
• 

After a month spent gathering data, surveys and interviews, the Council of Youth Research presented its findings Friday at Los Angeles City Hall.

To an audience of about 150 people, the students shared what they learned about the state of education in California today, with particular interest in the areas of curriculum, teaching, learning resources, social and physical environments and leadership.

Each group created a PowerPoint and video documentary, which are now available on the website. Please visit the Projects & Presentations page to view the students' work.

For more information, contact Claudia Bustamante at 310-267-4408 or bustamante@gseis.ucla.edu

Aug. 6: Youth Council presents research findings at City Hall

• 07-30-2010
• 

WHO: Council of Youth Research students, UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access

WHAT: Student presentations of monthlong research project examining the equitable distribution of educational resources. Data includes about 1,000 surveys of students, and interviews with educators, administrators, community leaders and key leaders throughout the state, including Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell and Education Undersecretary Kathryn Radtkey-Gaither.

WHEN: Friday, Aug. 6, 2010. Student presentations begin at 10 a.m. with reception to follow.

WHERE: Tom Bradley Tower at Los Angeles City Hall, 200 N. Spring St.

WHY: The Council of Youth Research provides Los Angeles high school students with an avenue and tools to research and shed light on school and community issues that directly affect them. Council participation encourages students to become civically engaged researchers and empowers them to insert their voices into the public debate on education.

RSVP: 310-825-7407 for free parking.

MORE: Read press release or download PDF version.

MEDIA CONTACT: Claudia Bustamante, 310-267-4408, bustamante@gseis.ucla.edu

July 28-29: Youth Council to meet key leaders in Sacramento

• 07-28-2010
• 

A group of Los Angeles-area high school students began traveling to Sacramento today to meet with state legislators, politicians and educators as part of an ongoing research project.

Thirty-three students from IDEA's Council of Youth Research will interview state Superintendent Jack O'Connell, Kathryn Radtkey-Gaither, state education undersecretary, and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. They will also meet with legislators and their staff. The students will return to Los Angeles Thursday afternoon.

Data from the trip will be added to the student research project on the state of education in California. The results of their findings will be presented Aug. 6 at Los Angeles City Hall, 200 N. Spring St.

The Council of Youth Research has been meeting since early July, taking courses at UCLA in graduate-level research methodologies and conducting surveys and interviews of their peers, teachers, administrators and community leaders. The council's summer team is composed of recent graduates and current students from Crenshaw, Locke, Manual Arts, Roosevelt and Wilson high schools.

For more information on council's trip, contact Claudia Bustamante at bustamante@gseis.ucla.edu or 310-267-4408.

July 29: IDEA comments on gubernatorial candidate's ed plan

• 07-29-2010
• 

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown released an eight-page education plan on his campaign website Wednesday that outlined his reforms, including overhauling state testing, fixing the financing system, increasing rate of high school graduates and more.

IDEA Director John Rogers commented on the plan in an article appearing in the Los Angeles Times Thursday.

"It is surprising there wouldn't be some discussion of the need for more funding so California can enter the bottom third rather than being among the very lowest," Rogers said. "If you're going to maintain high goals, clearly you need to have a decent level of investment."

IDEA recommended summer reading

• 07-27-2010
• 

Several leading civil rights groups, including the NAACP, released a document Monday criticizing parts of the Obama administration's educational reforms as harmful to low-income and minority students. They specifically cite the competitive nature of Race to the Top, proposals that don't consider challenges in low-income communities and ineffective turnaround policies.

Read the civil rights framework.

Calling CA high schoolers to lend voice

• 07-23-2010
• 

Youth research council created online survey to gauge student opinion statewide.

For more than 10 years, IDEA IDEA has sponsored the Council of Youth Research, a group of high school student researchers who study and report on the educational issues that matter most to Los Angeles youth. The Council brings the voices of youth into discussions of educational policy and inspires more youth to take action in their schools and communities.

This year, the Council is studying the state of education in California's schools. The students are interested in learning more about how youth around the state feel about the quality of education that they are receiving in their schools, as well as what they feel they are entitled to.

Our students have created a short, anonymous survey that aims to capture the opinions of high school students statewide. Results will be used by the students to advocate for change with local and state decision-makers.

We invite all California high school students to please take our online survey.

Thank you very much,

UCLA IDEA team

July 21: HS students interview state legislators

• 07-21-2010
• 

Summer seminar students learning graduate-level research tools will interview state legislators this week as part of their research project with IDEA's Council of Youth Research.

The local high school students and recent graduates will speak with Assemblyman Mike Davis, D-Los Angeles, today. On Friday, they will speak with the district directors for both Assemblyman Isadore Hall, III, D-Compton, and state Senator Curren Price, D-Los Angeles.

The topic of the summer seminar are the changes seen and unseen since the 2004 settlement of Williams v. California. The Williams case, which was filed 10 years ago, was a class action suit on behalf of the state's schoolchildren for equal access to school resources, safe and secure campuses and qualified teachers.

July 18: Parcel tax fairness again makes headlines

• 07-19-2010
• 

IDEA Director John Rogers was quoted in yet another news article about the propensity for school districts to turn towards parcel taxes as a means of recovering funds they have lost from the state.

The Diego Union-Tribune reported that between 2001 and 2009, 132 districts placed parcel tax measures on the ballot and 83 received the needed two-thirds vote to pass them. Most were smaller districts in affluent neighborhoods. Last month, Los Angeles Unified failed to pass a $100 annual parcel tax that would have generated about $92.5 million annually over four years for the arts, class size reduction and maintenance.

"The pain of budget cuts is felt across the state and across income levels," Rogers was quoted. "But students will get a different level of education depending on where they live and whether it is in a community that can afford to pass a parcel tax."

The 131,000-student San Diego Unified School District is seeking to pass a five-year parcel tax that would raise $50 million annually.

Read full story here.

New Youth Research council begins

• 07-08-2010
• 

The 2010-11 Council of Youth Research kicked off this week as students from five Los Angeles high schools began a summer seminar at UCLA.

During the five-week course, about 35 new and returning students from Crenshaw, Locke, Roosevelt, Wilson and Manual Arts high schools will learn graduate-level research methods and critical social theory, skills that will be employed during their year-long research project.

This year's research topic focuses on the 10th anniversary of the Williams case. Williams v. California, a class action suit filed in 2000 on behalf of the state's schoolchildren, charged that the state's educational agencies failed to provide equal access to instructional materials, safe and decent school facilities and qualified teachers. It was settled in 2004.

Council students will consider the changes they have seen or haven't in the wake of the Williams settlement. Also, they will highlight "educational acts of courage."

June 26: Parcel taxes help some communities combat cuts

• 06-29-2010
• 

IDEA Director John Rogers was quoted in an Associated Press article over the weekend that discussed the role parcel taxes have taken as local communities attempt to deal with diminishing budgets and deeper cuts to education.

Parcel taxes are levied on individual parcels of property. So far this year, more than 20 school districts have held elections and 16 have met the minimum two-thirds requirement to pass them. They are mostly winning in smaller, wealthier communities.

"Across the state, the pain is felt everywhere, but because of the unequal distribution of wealth, some areas are able to respond," Rogers said.

To read the full story, click here.

June 22: A-G Policy Brief by the Labor and Education Collaborative

• 06-22-2010
• 

The LAUSD A-G Life Prep Curriculum and College Access for the Children of Labor Union Members

Labor union members in Los Angeles have high hopes for their children’s future. They believe that a college education can best equip their children to pursue a meaningful career, achieve economic stability, and contribute to society. Union members depend on Los Angeles public schools to offer students the learning opportunities necessary to graduate from high school ready for college.

 Please click on the link below to download the policy brief:

The LAUSD A-G Life Prep Curriculum and College Access for the Children of Labor Union Members

June 10: KTLA TV "Cutting Class"

• 06-16-2010
• 

Click here to download video as an FLV file

Click here to download video as an MP4 file

June 8: Safe and Participatory Public Schools

• 06-08-2010
• 

The California State Assembly is presently considering AB 2034 which would prohibit school districts, countyoffices of education (COEs), or charter schools that elect to fingerprint volunteers from allowing individuals who have been convicted of specific sex, drug or violent offenses to volunteer in schools. This policy brief aims to inform policymakers and the general public about research on two topics related to the proposed legislation: a) the racial mismatch between drug users and drug offenders; b) the importance of volunteering to school outcomes, including student safety.

Please click on the link below to download the policy brief

Safe and Participatory Public Schools

June 7: UC pushes for new, integrated curriculum

• 06-07-2010
• 

by UCLA IDEA staff

For 20 years, Sheryl Ryder taught business economics and virtual enterprise classes to high school students in Northern California. She had never considered combining her lesson plan with one from an algebra class.

That was, until she attended the first University of California-sponsored conference on integrated curriculum. There, her small group made up of Career Technical Education (CTE) teachers and math teachers came up with lesson plans that used algebraic equations to graph a business’s break-even point and profit margin.

“Magical things happen when teachers spend time together, share ideas and resources,” said Ryder, coordinator of the CA Business Education Leadership Project, which develops standards-based curriculum and assessment tools for CTE classes.

“There’s natural collaboration in lessons and projects. I do see how they actually fit,” she said.

Ryder and about 60 other CTE and math teachers, UC staff and other educators attended the UC Curriculum Integration Institute, a conference held in Lake Arrowhead last month to develop four new college-preparatory courses that would combine business and math curriculum standards.

Working at break-neck pace, the participants had four days to push past their resistance, develop key assignments and a course outline that could be adopted by schools statewide.

“We asked them to be vulnerable to giving up their ideas,” said Don Daves-Rougeaux, UC associate director of undergraduate admissions. “The idea is to create a whole new course, not a math course with business or a business course with math.”

Students interested in attending a public university in California must take a minimum of 15 college-preparatory courses across different subject areas. These courses are known as a-g, with each letter pertaining to a subject area.

Most CTE courses statewide have not qualified as a-g and when they do, they usually receive “G” status for electives. At the same time, most academic courses do not provide students with practical and technical skills. Recently, there has been an effort to integrate these courses so students are simultaneously provided with career and technical training and prepared for college. The hope of the UC institute is for these new courses to combine with rigorous mathematics instruction to fulfill the “C” strand of a-g.

Combining both career and technical preparations with core academic instruction could open up a new level of opportunity to high school students.

‘Linking possibility’

Marisa Saunders, senior research associate with UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access (IDEA), said that unlike other education initiatives that target specific student populations, this integrated approach could benefit all students.

“For students who might succeed in a traditional high school setting and for those who might struggle, it brings learning to life. All students learn more and better when they can apply academic knowledge and skills to real-world situations and problems,” said Saunders, who also co-edited Beyond Tracking: Multiple Pathways to College, Career and Civic Participation.

Since 2006, IDEA has been conducting research on the Linked Learning approach to high school transformation, formerly called Multiple Pathways. Presently, Saunders leads a research team conducting case studies of linked learning at 10 school sites statewide.

One of the biggest challenges faced by school and district officials has been students forced to choose between college- and career-readiness, Saunders said. For students interested in college, there is often little time in their schedules to try CTE courses, let alone a series.

“What the UC is attempting to do by creating this innovative curriculum is removing the barrier and linking possibility,” she said.

Resistance and Revolution

The UC’s effort to forge collaboration between math and CTE teachers was met with some resistance.

Monrovia High math teacher Dean Schonfeld said math teachers tend to think in a linear fashion — teaching one concept before moving to the next in a sequence. He worried students might be unable to digest one concept before being introduced to a set of new ideas in an integrated curricular approach.

Schonfeld, who wants to pilot a statistical reasoning and sports course at Monrovia, said the obligations of the Academic Performance Index — a state measure of school progress from one year to the next based on the California Standards Test — weighed heavily on teachers.

“We are all under the PI gun,” said Schonfeld, who hopes UC can help push the state to relax those obligations.

Teacher credentialing poses another challenge to creating integrated courses. A math teacher may not have the necessary training or credential to teach a course that emphasizes business, and vice versa. Some schools have sidestepped that hurdle by placing pairs of teachers in an individual class, but that structure is a luxury not many districts can afford during a period of fiscal crisis.

UC’s Daves-Rougeaux challenged the attendees to look beyond these immediate obstacles.

“Someone needs to take that first step,” he said.

Another obstacle is perception, said IDEA researcher Saunders.

Sometimes counselors, who do not understand the integrated approach, steer students away from those courses. That flawed perception extends to parents and students as well, she said.

“There has been a long-standing belief that anything hands-on related or with real-world applications isn’t for college-bound students,” Saunders said. “This can work to alter that perception and it’s great the UC is leading this effort.”

May 22: Educators discuss teacher-effectiveness models

• 05-24-2010
• 

About 70 teachers and administrators attended a half-day workshop Saturday at UCLA to discuss teacher effectiveness.

Organized by Center X, the workshop allowed Los Angeles Unified School District educators to review and develop tools for measuring quality teaching.

Teacher effectiveness has been a hot topic recently, featuring prominently in education reform efforts from the national to local levels. It's a key element of President Obama's Race to the Top initiative. Last month, Sacramento introduced a bill that would change teacher evaluation measures, among other things. And, around the same time, LAUSD's teacher effectiveness task force issued a series of recommendations, including changes to the evaluation and tenure processes, and incentive pay.

"The idea is to start the local debate," said Karen Hunter Quartz, research and communications director at Center X. "The LAUSD task force has been operating at 30,000 feet but they haven't landed yet."

Titled "Grounding the Debate about Teacher Quality," particpants heard a keynote speech from Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, and specific practices used at Manual Arts High School and UCLA Community School.

The educators also attended one of four different workshops on measurement tools, such as the use of portfolios, classwork and parent surveys.

May 21: IDEA director comments on teacher-quality resources

• 05-21-2010
• 

The recent release of the annual Public Policy Institute of California's survey gauging state residents' attitudes toward education was covered Friday by the New America Media.

"Californians and Education," which was released in April, surveyed more than 2,500 adults about education funding, teacher quality, economic impacts and achievement gaps. The institute found that 62 percent of people--a 12-point increase from last year--thought the state was not spending enough on education.

Eighty percent of Californians polled said low-income schools have fewer resources than their wealtheir counterparts. And 51 percent would support spending more money to attract and retain quality teachers for these schools.

IDEA Director John Rogers, who was interviewed for the article, said it was ironic that given how much emphasis is currently placed on quality teaching, resources to provide for that are being eliminated.

Rogers said districts have cut professional development, academic coaches and assistant principals. "We're not enabling teachers to move along a pathway to provide higher quality instruction," he said.

For full New America Media article, click here.

May 19: IDEA data used in superintendent race article

• 05-19-2010
• 

An Associated Press article (running in The Reporter) Thursday used data from IDEA's Educational Opportunity Report to contextualize the issues that will face the next state schools chief.

Twelve candidates are vying to replace Jack O'Connell as state superintendent of public instruction. Among them are Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, state Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, and retired superintendent Larry Aceves.

No matter the choice, whoever replaces O'Connell will have to work within the realities of the state's budget crisis, according to the article.

May 17: Memorial held for DREAM Act-ivists

• 05-17-2010
• 

A memorial was held Monday afternoon for two former UCLA students who were actively involved in the civil rights movement for undocumented youth.

Tam Tran, 27, and Cinthya Felix, 26, who both did their undergraduate work at UCLA, were killed Saturday in an early morning car accident in Maine, according to news reports. Tran was a doctoral student in American civilization at Brown University. Felix was doing graduate studies in public health from Brown University.

Tran and Felix had been involved with the DREAM Act, a bipartisan legislation that would give qualified undocumented youth a path toward a college degree. They produced academic articles, organized on campuses and testified before congressional hearings.

The memorial was held at 3 p.m. at Moore Hall 100, UCLA.

For more information on their work, please visit the Facebook memorial page.

May 13: Cuts make public schools' work harder

• 05-13-2010
• 

Because California entered the recession behind in terms of educational resources, the latest round of budget cuts are poised to further devastate public schools, said IDEA Director John Rogers.

“We’ve made the work of our public schools harder,” said Rogers, who spoke with Patt Morrison on KPCC Thursday.

Rogers spoke on the effects the budget cuts were having on public education in a two-hour show that also included discussion of the American Civil Liberties Union’s lawsuit on behalf of three low-performing Los Angeles middle schools.

Before the recession, California already had the most crowded classrooms in the nation. It had also been investing less in education than other states, spending an average $2,000 less per student, Rogers said.

As districts struggled to close budget gaps, classrooms have gotten more crowded; school years shortened; and summer school and other support services have been cut.

All that makes it harder for schools to attract and retain quality teachers, who look for good working conditions and leadership.

Rogers added that creating systems that identify teacher effectiveness is important, but the issue had been clumsily handled.

“It’s important to think about entire school culture rather than focus in on individual teachers,” he said. “That’s been part of the failure of how California has framed this problem.”

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May 10: "Schools are more than just what happens in classrooms."

• 05-10-2010
• 

A New America Media article, entitled "California's Kids Fall Deeper into Poverty, Homelessness," used data from this year's Educational Opportunity Report to paint a picture of how dire the situation is for many California families and students.

Homelessness, hunger and poverty have increased among the state's students.

Budget cuts have not only impacted education, but also social services that schools provide low-income children and their families, Sophie Fanelli, IDEA director of research, said in an interview.

As Gov. Schwarzenegger prepares his budget proposal to be unveiled later this week, he should consider that the cuts do not exist in isolation. 

"You have to think holistically about these things," Fanelli was quoted in the piece. "Schools are more than just what happens in classrooms."

May 5: LAUSD students impress at national conference

• 05-07-2010
• 

During their visit to the American Educational Research Association's annual conference last weekend, UCLA IDEA's Council of Youth Research students impressed many adults in the audience.

Education Week's Debra Viadero writes about the "mini-me's" from IDEA and other youth research programs across the country.

More than 13,000 people attended the Denver conference, the largest national convening of educational researchers.

May 5: IDEA director testifies on African-American achievement gap

• 05-05-2010
• 

John Rogers, director of UCLA’s Institute for Democracy, Education and Access, will testify on the achievement gap for African-American students in Sacramento today.

Rogers was invited by the California Legislative Black Caucus to participate in an informational hearing that will focus on the current state of black students in public schools. Titled “Closing the Achievement Gap: An Examination of the Challenges and Opportunities for African American Students in California Public Schools,” the hearing will discuss education policy issues like curriculum and instruction, teacher quality, expectations, drop-out and retention and educational equity, as well as the roles of accountability and leadership.

Today’s information will be used by the caucus to formulate its education policy agenda for the rest of the year. 

The hearing will begin at 2 p.m. at the Capitol Building Room 112, Sacramento, Calif.

May 4: LA h.s. students get "chance of a lifetime"

• 05-04-2010
• 

This weekend, the Council of Youth Research was invited to share its findings with a national audience at the American Educational Research Association's annual conference, held in Denver this year.

All yearlong, twenty-seven students from five Los Angeles Unified School District high schools surveyed more than 1,400 students, interviewed peers, teachers, counselors and administrators, and reviewed data to answer the question: How is the economic crisis impacting education?

The students at Woodrow Wilson High School shared their excitement about the conference and their insights on the council.

Click to read "Chance of a Lifetime"

April 25: John Rogers discusses students and poverty with SB Sun

• 04-27-2010
• 

IDEA Director John Rogers told the San Bernardino Sun that poor students are more likely to move around frequently and more likely to go hungry than other students. They inevitably bring that stress into the classrooms.

SB City Unified's number of poor kids ranks a top

James Rufus Koren, Staff Writer

Sunday, April 25, 2010

SAN BERNARDINO--The school district has more poor students than any other large school district in California, a fact that academics and district leaders say is at least partly responsible for the district's chronic low performance.

But with existing resources, it's not clear what more the San Bernardino City Unified School District can do to ease the problems poverty creates, raise student test scores and put poor students on an even playing field with their more affluent peers.

"Poverty is at least one of the components that affects how well students do in school," said Superintendent Arturo Delgado. "But that's not an indicator that kids can't learn."

Last school year, more than 45,000 students--nearly 83 percent of the district's 54,727 total students--qualified for free or reduced-price lunches. The statistic is commonly used by public schools to measure poverty.

Click to read full San Bernardino Sun article.

April 21: Sophie Fanelli and Marisa Saunders highlight Linked Learning approach to high school reform

• 04-22-2010
• 

About 75 Los Angeles Unified School District administrators and lead teachers of small learning communities heard presentations Wednesday about Linked Learning—an approach to school reform that focuses on students being prepared for college, career and civic participation upon graduation.

IDEA Director of Research Sophie Fanelli and Senior Research Associate Marisa Saunders provided an overview of Linked Learning (formerly known as Multiple Pathways), including highlights from IDEA’s 10 case studies of schools and programs statewide that have implemented this approach or are committed to it.

For more information on IDEA’s Linked Learning project, click here.

April 19: Computer science field trip covered by Daily Bruin

• 04-19-2010
• 

"I came to this concerned about educational equity and about equal access to knowledge. Computer science is one of those fields in which there is so much inequity in access," said Jane Margolis.

District students explore campus

UCLA,LAUSD promote high schoolers' access to computer science

by Andra Lim

Bruin contributor

alim@media.ucla.edu

Until this semester, high school junior Sharon Friedman used her computer to do homework and socialize with friends.

But when she started taking Exploring Computer Science, a class created by UCLA in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District, she began to see that computers are more than just a portal to the Internet.

“I never realized you could make games using a computer,” the Hollywood High School student said, adding that she created her own version of Pacman during one unit of the course.

From 2000 to 2004, a UCLA research team investigated why so few females, blacks and Latinos were learning computer science at the high school level.

Out of this research, a team of UCLA-based experts in education and computer science worked with LAUSD, one of the most diverse districts in the country, to build the course Exploring Computer Science.

.

April 15: More than 600 LA students visit UCLA for real-life applications of computer science

• 04-14-2010
• 

Funded by a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the field trip is an extension of the partnership between UCLA and LAUSD that addresses the lack of quality computer science education at high school levels and even greater disparities among schools with large numbers of students of color.

Hundreds of local high school students to visit UCLA for day of computer science

By Kathy Wyer April 14, 2010

More than 600 high school students from the Los Angeles Unified School District will visit the UCLA campus Thursday, April 15, for a half-day event centered on computer science education.
 
Hosted by a partnership between UCLA's Graduate School of Education & Information Studies (GSE&IS) and the LAUSD, the event will feature presentations by computer science and robotic specialists from UCLA, Disney, Google and Spelman College in Atlanta. 
  
The event is an outgrowth of a $2.5 million grant awarded by the National Science Foundation to GSE&IS to fund specialized training for LAUSD teachers in instructing computer science. The curricular program, "Exploring Computer Science," aims to increase engaging and rigorous computer science learning opportunities at the high school level and serves 900 students in grades 10 through 12 from 16 LAUSD schools with high concentrations of students of color.
 
"The field trip is a great way for students to meet computer scientists, learn how computers connect the world and have a presence in their own lives, and envision exciting possibilities for their futures," said Jane Margolis, a GSE&IS senior researcher and the principal investigator on the NSF grant. "This program addresses current disparities in access to college-preparatory education and brings college-preparatory high school computer science education to schools with high numbers of African American and Latino/a students."
 
In addition to a campus tour, students will hear presentations describing the link between computer science and technology innovations across multiple fields and disciplines, including robotics, film animation, theater-set design and mobile phone technology.
 
Speakers will include Dr. Andrew Williams of Spelman College and the Spelman College Robotics Team, "Spelbots"; Karlene Nguyen and Jonathan Ross, software engineers and specialists in online gaming at Disney Online Studios; and Jeff Burke, executive director of the Center for Research in Engineering, Media and Performance at UCLA.
 
Computer science experts from Google, and the Center for Excellence in Engineering and Diversity at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science will also speak with students.
 
"Events and programs like 'Exploring Computer Science' are essential in helping to increase the number of minorities and women who gain exposure to the important fields of computer science and engineering," said Vijay K. Dhir, dean of UCLA Engineering. "As the birthplace of the Internet, we look forward to helping students discover the possibilities."
 
"Exploring Computer Science" moves forward the Obama administration's commitment to advance computer science education in U.S. public schools. The curriculum, which correlates to California state math and science content and skills standards, enables students to move beyond basic "point-and-click" to achieve high-level skills, including problem-solving and logical thinking, and offers students the opportunity to engage in real-world, socially relevant applications of computer science. 
 
Along with Margolis, Deborah Estrin, a professor of computer science at UCLA Engineering, serves as co-principal investigator on the NSF-funded program.
 
Margolis is the author of the award-winning book "Stuck in the Shallow End: Education, Race, and Computing" (MIT Press 2002).

April 8: Director John Rogers quoted in LA Weekly on California's 'Race to the Top' rejection

• 04-08-2010
• 

Though California applied, it was not among the finalists for President Obama's $4 billion school improvement initiative. In the first round of Race to the Top, only two states--Delaware and Tennessee--were awarded funding. With the application deadline approaching for second-round funding, questions arise about California's chances.

From LA Weekly's "California's Big Whiff on Education-Reform Money":

Help from the feds would be welcome, but for California to win the money "presumes that you have some good things already in place," says John Rogers, director of UCLA's Institute for Democracy Education and Access. Race to the Top funding is essentially "venture capital to try out new ideas. That theory doesn't hold well in places like California, where the infrastructure itself is collapsing."

To read the full article, click here.

March 26: IDEA Director John Rogers briefs D.C. staffers

• 03-23-2010
• 

Rogers will meet on Friday with congressional staffers in Washington, D.C., briefing them on Educational Opportunities in Hard Times.

March 25: IDEA research Director Sophie Fanelli leads education workshop at Sacramento budget conference

• 03-23-2010
• 

Download the California Budget Project's 3R's: Recession, Recovery, Reform brochure here.

March 25, 2010

Sacramento Convention Center

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The 3Rs: Recession, Recovery, Reform – What’s in Store for California 

Morning Workshops

 
Balancing Justice and Resources in California’s Correctional System
Kara Dansky, executive director, Stanford Criminal Justice Center and Lecturer in Law, Stanford
University
 
Once More With Feeling…Key Staffers Look at the 2010-11 Budget Debate
Christian Griffith, chief consultant, Assembly Budget Committee
Seren Taylor, staff director, Senate Republican Fiscal Office
 
Is Help on the Way: What Can We Expect From Washington in 2010?
Edwin Park, senior fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
LaDonna Pavetti, director, Welfare Reform and Income Support Division, Center on Budget and Policy
Priorities
 
Talking Taxes: What Makes for a Good Tax System?
Robert Tannenwald, senior fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
 
Educational Opportunities in Hard Times
Sophie Fanelli, director of research, UCLA Institute for Democracy, Education, & Access (IDEA) 
Jonathan Kaplan, policy analyst, California Budget Project
 
Everything You Hoped You’d Never Have To Know About Financial Markets and How They
Ought To Be Regulated
David Min, Associate Director for Financial Markets Policy, Center for American Progress
 

Afternoon Workshops

 
Welfare Reform That Works
LaDonna Pavetti, director, Welfare Reform and Income Support Division, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities 
Scott Graves, senior policy analyst, California Budget Project
 
Opening the Gates: Strengthening Basic Skills Education and the State’s Economy
Barbara Baran, senior fellow, California Budget Project
Linda Collins, executive director, Career Ladders Project
Debra Jones, administrator, Adult Education Office, California Department of Education
Vicky Lovell, senior policy analyst, California Budget Project
 
What Works? And What Doesn’t? Evaluating the Effectiveness of Tax Expenditures
Robert Tannenwald, senior fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
 
Revived, Resuscitated, and Revisited: What Will Health Reform Mean for California?
Beth Capell, legislative advocate, Health Access
Edwin Park, senior fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
 
Searching for Balance: The Social and Economic Context of the Governor’s Proposed 2010-11 Budget
Jean Ross, executive director, California Budget Project
 
Is It Over Yet? Is the Economy on the Road to Recovery?
Alissa Anderson, deputy director, California Budget Project
David Min, Associate Director for Financial Markets Policy, Center for American Progress

March 12, 2010: Council of Youth Research Community Hearing

• 03-11-2010
• 

The event will be held at the UCLA Downtown Labor Center. A reception with light refreshments will be held for all guests from 4:30pm to 5:30pm, and the student presentation will begin at 5:40pm.

UCLA/IDEA Council of Youth Research Community Hearing on the Educational Impact of the Economic Crisis
March 12th, 2010
4:30pm – 7pm
UCLA Downtown Labor Center
675 S. Park View Street, LA, CA 90057

(click map for google maps)

Directions/Parking:
From the 10 Freeway:
Exit Hoover and go NORTH. 
Turn RIGHT on Wilshire Boulevard.
Turn RIGHT on Park View Street.

From the 101 Freeway:
Exit Alvarado and go SOUTH. 
Turn RIGHT on Wilshire Boulevard.
Turn LEFT on Park View Street.

From the 110 North Freeway:
Take the 6th Street exit and go WEST. Turn RIGHT on Flower Street.
Turn RIGHT on Wilshire Boulevard.
Turn LEFT on Park View Street.

From the 110 South Freeway:
Take the 6th Street exit.
Follow signs for Wilshire Boulevard and merge onto Beaudry Avenue.
Turn RIGHT on Wilshire Boulevard.
Turn LEFT on Park View Street.

Metered parking is available in front of the building and on the surrounding streets.

Pay parking lots are located:
1. Directly south of the building on Park View Street 
2. On the corner of Coronado and Wilshire 
3. Between Wilshire and 6th on Corondolet

IDEA Director John Rogers presents California Educational Opportunity Report to LAUSD Board, February 16.

• 02-16-2010
• 

IDEA Director John Rogers presents California Educational Opportunity Report to LAUSD Board, February 16.  

California Educational Opportunity Report findings cited in Wall Street Journal, February 12

• 02-16-2010
• 

California Educational Opportunity Report findings cited in Wall Street Journal, February 12

Please click to link to the right: link

February 2, 2010: IDEA Faculty Fellow Veronica Terriquez recognized for innovative course

• 02-05-2010
• 

Researching the Human Condition: USC College's Veronica Terriquez leads undergrads on an 'intellectual adventure' in sociological research. By Emily Cavalcanti

Ms. Kerry arrives at the Theresa Lindsay Senior Center by van, Ms. Nash by car. The two African American seniors share breakfast and then it's time to engage in their favorite activity -- playing the card game Skip-Bo -- again and again until lunch. The two have been meeting at the Los Angeles center at 42nd and San Pedro for five years and they have their routine down pat.

“I’m sure they’re playing right now at the senior center,” USC College junior Danielle “Dannie” Taylor said.

Last fall Taylor spent two days a week at the center observing the friendships that were forged there: how men interacted with women, how women interacted with each other, how cliques formed and how friends served as support networks.

To read full article, please visit: here

Annual California Educational Opportunity Report: Audio and PowerPoint files from Tele-Press Conference

• 01-21-2010
• 

Tele-Press Conference Announcing the Release of the Latest California  

Educational Opportunity Report

On January 22, 2010, UCLA IDEA held a tele-press conference announcing  

the release of the annual California Educational Opportunity Report.  

IDEA director John Rogers presented key findings of the report to an  

audience of statewide reporters. You can download the audio file of  

the tele-press conference, as well as the accompanying PowerPoint  

presentation.

- Audio file of tele-press conference

- PowerPoint presentation

RSVP for community briefing and release of our new report Friday, January 22, 2010: Educational Opportunities in Hard Times

• 01-14-2010
• 

January 13, 2010: IDEA director John Rogers quoted in AP story about "permit students"

• 01-13-2010
• 

Beverly Hills to vote on rejecting outside pupils By Christina Hoag Associated Press

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Hundreds of parents whose children enjoyed the opportunities of Beverly Hills' coveted schools turned out for a meeting Tuesday to watch the school board vote on a controversial proposal to boot out almost 500 out-of-district students.

The Beverly Hills Unified School District board will decide whether to notify 484 so-called "permit students" that they must enroll elsewhere because of the district's new financing formula.

"These kids have their lives invested in Beverly Hills schools," said Michelle Kahn, a 19-year-old Beverly Hills High School graduate whose two brothers would be forced out of the district. "It seems like it's not taking the lives of the students into account."

The issue has inflamed sentiment in this exclusive community, which has long boasted schools that are recognized for excellence. They offer a rich menu of extracurricular activities ranging from madrigal singers to water polo in the renowned "swim gym" — an indoor basketball court that retracts to reveal a pool underneath.

To read full article, please visit:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/6812519.html

December 15, 2009: IDEA Researchers Speak About ‘Multiple Pathways’ at San Diego Conference

• 12-15-2009
• 

December 4, 2009: IDEA’s research director Sophie Fanelli and senior researcher Marisa Saunders recently spoke at a conference about the Multiple Pathways approach to high school reform, saying it holds great promise for California students. Multiple Pathways schools provide career-based studies along with a college preparatory academic core, and aim to change patterns of racial stratification that result from tracking. Fanelli and Saunders presented IDEA’s research on Multiple Pathways at the California School Boards Association Annual Education Conference in San Diego on Dec. 4. Joined by principal Cheryl Hibbeln of San Diego’s School of Digital Media & Design, a Multiple Pathways high school, the presenters discussed data collected from 10 case study schools and programs. They reported that Multiple Pathways schools face some organizational challenges, but have far fewer drop-outs and more graduates prepared for college than the average California high school. 

Exploring Computer Science video for National CS Week

• 12-04-2009
• 

Exploring Computer Science video for National CS Week

November 20, 2009: IDEA director John Rogers quoted in New America Media in a story about class-size increases

• 11-20-2009
• 

For African-American Students, Class Size Matters

by Gail Berkley

As school districts across the state struggle to meet the challenges of providing a quality education with fewer resources during the economic downturn, state subsidized small class sizes--with 20 students to 1 teacher in grades K-3--are in jeopardy.

According to a survey of the state’s 30 largest school districts released this week “many schools are pushing class sizes to 24 in some or all of the early grades.” Some classes were increasing to as many as 30 students, the survey conducted by California Watch, a nonprofit journalism organization in Berkeley, found.

The increases in the 20-1 ratio in K-3 classes do not bode well for African-American students.

Recent studies have found that small classes in kindergarten through third grade can have a lasting impact on the educational achievement of African-American students. A study completed in 2001 by Princeton University economics professors Alan Krueger and Diane Whitmore found smaller class size can significantly improve the academic performance of African-American students. The study also found that smaller classes in the early years have lasting benefits for students. The study found a decrease in high school drop out rates overall and increased college entrance exam-taking rates for those who were in small classes in K-3.

To read full article, please visit:
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=56ed418d8b2f92befa9edac862fee28f

October 2009: IDEA researchers co-author new research brief for UCLA’s Institute for Research on Labor and Employment

• 10-29-2009
• 

"Unions and Education Justice: The Case of SEIU Local 1877 Janitors and the “Parent University”

The third brief in the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment's (IRLE) series of Research and Policy Briefs highlights the work of the Service Employees International Union Local 1877, the UCLA Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access, UCLA School of Law’s Program in Public Interest Law and Policy, and the UCLA Labor Center in understanding and addressing the educational issues facing union members’ children. SEIU Local 1877 has sponsored “Parent University” workshops which teach members about topics that will help them to support their own children’s academic success and advocate for school improvements. SEIU Local 1877 is also working with a collaborative of unions and community groups to expand upon the Parent University work and stay involved in children’s education.

For more information, visit IRLE's website:
http://irle.ucla.edu

Also, you can download a PDF of the research brief by clicking the link below:
http://irle.ucla.edu/publications/pdf/ResearchBrief3.pdf

October 6, 2009: IDEA director John Rogers quoted in La Opinión in a two-part story about drop out rates

• 10-29-2009
• 

War against the high school dropout rate
Drop out rates have been high for years. A prevention program attempts to try and reduce it.

By Rubén Moreno (text in Spanish)

If drop out rates in Los Angeles would take a human form, they'd likely have brown or black skin and they would live in the poorest areas of the city. Latinos and African American youth make up the great majority of students, who for various reasons, abandon Los Angeles schools and never graduate. In the last few decades, the drop out problem in Los Angeles Unified School District has turned into a crisis that instead of improving, remains unremitting. Latino and African American students add nearly nine of every 10 new cases of school abandonment in a district where for one out of every three students drops out.

To read full article, please visit:
http://www.impre.com/laopinion/noticias/primera-pagina/2009/10/5/guerra-al-abandono-escolar-152558-1.html

The drop out rate is a national ill
Each year 1.3 million students abandon school, putting at risk the country's economic welfare

By Rubén Moreno (text in Spanish)

More than 3.3 million students will be graduating from high school this school year in the United States, according to the National Center on Education Statistics. By the time you finish reading this story, at least six young people will have dropped out. At the end of the day, there will be 7,200; and tomorrow these statistics will repeat again. On average each year 1.3 million students drop out of school, one every 26 seconds, according to statistics provided by the Alliance for Excellent Education (AEE). The dropout rate goes beyond many of the challenges the individual student faces or the district he attends. 

To read full article, please visit:
http://www.impre.com/laopinion/noticias/2009/10/6/la-desercion-es-una-mal-nacion-152693-1.html

Oct. 5: Why state schools chief is important

• 10-06-2010
• 

A recent Associated Press article looking at the two candidates for the state's Superintendent of Public Instruction discussed what the new schools chief will face.

Next month, California voters will chose a replacement for Jack O'Connell. The choices are between Tom Torlakson, a high school teacher and coach-turned-politician, and Larry Aceves, a former superintendent.

Whoever is chosen, the new superintendent will have the unenviable job of leading the state's Department of Education amid deep budget cuts. These have come in various incarnations--as campus closures, increased class sizes, more crowded classrooms, lack of programs and laid off teachers. 

The budget crisis has not helped the state.

California, which once had one of the country's best public school systems, now ranks at or near the bottom on numerous measures of academic achievement and school funding, according to a recent report by the Institute for Democracy, Education and Access at the University of California, Los Angeles.

-From AP story

Read the full article.

October 1, 2009: IDEA Researcher Jane Margolis receives NSF grant to improve Computer Science instruction in LAUSD

• 10-14-2009
• 

Partnership with LAUSD addresses need for high-quality computer science instruction.

August 20, 2009: Youth Research Presentation covered by Intersections

• 08-24-2009
• 

August 20, 2009 - IDEA's 'Council of Youth Research' covered in a two-part series in Intersections

Exploring a community's needs, students vow to "change this place"

by Evelyn Padilla

LOS ANGELES - When Isaac Jimenez, a Wilson High School senior, finished the school year last May, he could have chosen to enjoy his summer break. But instead he opted to spend five weeks learning about and doing research in the communities of Greater Los Angeles.

Jimenez is one of 25 high school students from Los Angeles Unified School District hired to participate in a youth research seminar sponsored by the UCLA Institute for Democracy, Education and Access, an institute that brings together scholars and community representatives to improve the number of students of color in colleges and universities. The seminar teaches students college-level research to motivate them to address social issues in their communities.

"Young people need to be major players in conversations about educational reform," said Ernest Morrell, the institute's associate director.

Morrell has been involved with the project since it was established in 1999 as a way to determine why there was such a high academic failure among students of color. Over the years the project has grown and explored several research topics.

To read full article, please visit:

http://www.intersectionssouthla.org/index.php/story/exploring_a_communitys_needs_students_vow_to_change_this_

LA students to City Council:  Fix our schools, neighborhoods

by Evelyn Padilla

LOS ANGELES - A group of 25 high school students, dressed in their Sunday best, prepared to present the findings from a busy summer of research conducted across the city. Their message was simple to the assembled city leaders, parents and others who gathered recently Los Angeles City Hall: Pay attention to youth and their communities.

The presentations from students from several high schools across greater Los Angeles was the culmination of a weeks-long summer research program during which the students studied ways the economic crisis has affected their communities. In South Los Angeles, students reported on the impact of poverty.

From East Los Angeles, students discovered the economic crisis had helped boost the high school drop out rate. The high school students, presenting their findings to the Los Angeles City Council and other city officials, were sponsored by UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education and Access.

To read full article, please visit:

http://www.intersectionssouthla.org/index.php/story/la_students_to_city_council_fix_our_schools_neighborhoods

August 18, 2009: IDEA director John Rogers quoted in AP story about the release of the 2009 STAR test results

• 08-24-2009
• 

California test results show solid academic gains

By Terence Chea

California students made solid gains on standardized tests for English and math over the past year, but the state showed little progress in narrowing the achievement gap between racial groups, according to data released Tuesday by the state Department of Education.

For the first time, half of students scored at the proficient or advanced level in English-language arts on the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program in 2009, up from 46 percent in 2008. The number of students meeting those levels in math rose to 46 percent, a three-point gain over the previous year.

The 2009 STAR test results show that California students have made steady academic progress since the state's standardized tests were aligned to reflect its academic standards seven years ago. Only 35 percent of students scored at the proficient level or above in both math and English in 2003.

To read the full article, please visit:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/08/18/state/n093330D21.DTL

August 12, 2009: IDEA's 'Council of Youth Research' presentation at Los Angeles City Hall covered by UCLA Magazine

• 08-24-2009
• 

K-12, Underserved and Overburdened

By Melanie Bertrand

California's education funding has been cut by $17 billion in the last two budget deals and schools are suffering. But some students are hurting more than others, according to a group of high school-aged researchers who presented their findings at Los Angeles City Hall earlier this month.

The group - the Council of Youth Research, sponsored by UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access - spent the last five weeks researching educational opportunities in Los Angeles-area schools and neighborhoods and found that the economic crisis is hitting students of color especially hard.

"The economic crisis is biased, which means that it impacts everyone differently," said council member Gabriela Dominguez.

Under the direction of Professors Ernest Morrell and John Rogers, UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access (IDEA) has held research seminars with urban high school students for the past 10 years. The students examine education conditions in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and present their findings to the public.

To see full article, please visit:
http://www.magazine.ucla.edu/exclusives/k-12-underserved-youth-study

August 8, 2009: IDEA's 'Council of Youth Research' presentation at Los Angeles City Hall covered by La Opinión

• 08-24-2009
• 

The crisis distracts students
Many wonder if they should leave school to help out their families

By Rubén Moreno (text in Spanish)

One of every two LAUSD high school students wonders whether they should stay in school or drop out to look for work and help their family pay their bills. This is one of the findings of an investigation undertaken by 25 students from LAUSD in a joint project with UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education and Access about how the economic crisis is affecting students. It's common students for students who are distracted to be worried about their family's situation. "Just as you can see with the economy as it is, we can't be 100% focused, knowing that jobs are not safe and things are getting more and more expensive all the time," said Gabriela Dominguez, daughter of a single mother, who attends Manual Arts High.

To see full article in Spanish, please visit:
http://www.impre.com/noticias/nacionales/2009/8/8/la-crisis-distrae-a-los-estudi-140335-1.html

Files

• 06-16-2010
•