History of IDEA
Jeannie Oakes, Founder and Former Director
Youth Voice in School Finance
NEW REPORT: Los Angeles' road to A-G for all
Without Dollars and Sense Powerpoint
Past Educational Opportunity Reports
The Latest from IDEA
A newsfeed on the most current research, news, and events at IDEA.
May 19: IDEA data used in superintendent race article
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
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
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.”
For entire KPCC discussion, listen here.
May 10: "Schools are more than just what happens in classrooms."
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
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.
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