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.
August 8, 2009: IDEA's 'Council of Youth Research' presentation at Los Angeles City Hall covered by La Opinión
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
August 12, 2009: IDEA's 'Council of Youth Research' presentation at Los Angeles City Hall covered by UCLA Magazine
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 18, 2009: IDEA director John Rogers quoted in AP story about the release of the 2009 STAR test results
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 20, 2009: Youth Research Presentation covered by Intersections
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:
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:
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