LAUSD



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SMALL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

RESOURCES

UC A-G DOORWAYS

TO A-G REQUIREMENTS

WEBSITES

REPORTS

NEWS ITEMS

UC A-G DOORWAYS

TO A-G REQUIREMENTS

ucop.edu/doorways/

The University of California's new expanded Doorways web site provides easy access to the three UC sites related to the "a-g" subject area requirements:

The Course List Site

Use this search engine to find a California high school or program's UC certified course list. The lists include the courses that have been certified as fulfilling the "a-g" subject requirements for admission to the University of California as a freshman. The lists also indicate courses that are UC certified honors courses.

This web site aims to assist high school educators in designing courses that meet both the University of California subject area requirements and conform to school curricular reform efforts. Specifically, the site provides a wealth of information about the "a-g requirements", including course descriptions of dozens of standard, honors, and innovative courses that have been accepted by UC. It also provides assistance in understanding the UC course approval process and helpful insights as to why courses have not been approved. We hope that you find this site useful, and welcome any recommendations for improvement.

The a-g Guide Site

The ultimate goal of the "a-g Interactive Guide Project" is to clarify the UC course approval process, to provide guidance to schools on how to present their course offerings to UC, and to ensure that UC/CSU subject area requirements encompass the best of high school reform efforts in California

The Online Update Site

This site provides you with a faster, easier way to update your University of California certified "a-g" course list.   You will be guided through all the steps necessary to submit updates to existing courses on your course list as well as be given the opportunity to create new courses.  The questions are laid out in an interview format for your ease of use. Once you have submitted your updates to UC, you may monitor the progress of UC's evaluation of your submission(s).

WEBSITES

Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) []

The Annie E Casey Foundation (AECF) has worked to build better futures for disadvantages children and their families in the United States. The primary mission of the Foundation is to foster public policies, human service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today’s vulnerable children and families. AECF supports Small Schools as an important solution to the failure of jumbo schools in cities including Los Angeles.

Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools (BayCES) []

The BayCES assists urban schools, school districts, and community groups in the work of creating or redesigning their schools. This is an excellent introduction and comprehensive resource for educators, community leaders and families.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Education Program



The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation focuses its education investments in two primary areas both aimed at addressing historically underserved young people: creating more small high schools and reducing financial barriers to higher education. The foundation is helping large, troubled high schools transform themselves into smaller, more personalized learning environments, while at the same time funding the replication of successful small school models.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Education Grantee Newsletter Archive



Each month the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provides all education grantees with a brief on-line newsletter. The newsletter offers research summaries, best practices and profiles, and technical assistance on a specific topic related to school reform and restructuring.

Bob Pearlman [bestpractices/newsmallschools.htm]

Bob Pearlman has been a key leader of educational reform efforts nationally in a unique 30-year career as a Teacher, Co-Director of Computer Education, Teacher Union Leader and Negotiator, Foundation President, and Director of Education and Workforce Development. This site shares best practices and strategies for implementing and personalizing small learning communities.

Education Alliance at Brown University [lab.brown.edu]

All of our projects share in common a clear focus on applied research and technical assistance that reflects equity and diversity issues within schools. The Alliance is a regional service center in a contract with the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory and the Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) Program of the U. S. Department of Education

Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) []

A federally-funded national information system with one of the strongest and broadest research engines on the web. An “Ask ERIC” for Small Learning Communities produces over 1800 responses

Jobs for the Future []

Jobs for the Future seeks to accelerate the educational and economic advancement of youth and adults struggling in our economy. Select “Small Schools” under Educational Opportunities for Youth, and many valuable SLC resources and findings are listed.

Los Angeles Unified School District B



District B has published a Small Learning Communities WebPages that includes a PowerPoint presentation and important websites.

New England Small Schools Network (NESSN)



The mission of the New England Small Schools Network (NESSN), launched through a generous grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is to demonstrate the power of small schools in successfully educating our increasingly diverse student population and preparing them for productive future lives in a democratic world.

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities

[]

The NCEF site hosts an extensive resource list of links, books, and journal articles examining research and changing standards for K-12 school and enrollment size, and class and classroom size, and Small Learning Communities.

NWREL Serving Smaller Learning Communities []

This site is a project of the Smaller Learning Communities Program of the U.S. Department of Education. This program helps large high schools of 1,000 or more students to create smaller, more personalized learning environments. The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) is the agency coordinating assistance to schools and districts around the country that have been awarded Department of Education grants to work toward creating smaller learning communities.

San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) [ then select Initiatives from the lower menu bar]

The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has begun the second year of their Secondary School Redesign Initiative (SSRI), an effort to raise student achievement and to provide San Francisco families throughout the city with high quality secondary school choices. Their site gives insight into the reform dialog and evolving transformation from large to small school designs, including planning and implementation proposals

School Redesign Network []

The School Redesign Network at Stanford University provides an opportunity to Access, Connect, Watch, Link and Discover the transformation from big to small schools. This is an interactive site with regular group discussions moderated by leaders in the field of small learning reform.

Small Schools Project



The Small Schools Project, part of the Center on Reinventing Public

Education at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs provides support to the many new small schools being established in Washington State and throughout the United States.

Small Schools Workshop []

Founded in 1992, the Small Schools Workshop is a group of educators, organizers and researchers collaborating with teachers, principals and parents, in the creation and support of small, innovative public schools. They work with the USDOE to provide information regarding SLC developments and funding opportunities. Site includes extensive Research and “Bookshelf” resources and Listserve.

Small Schools Workshop Northwest at Lewis & Clark College [lclark.edu/~ssw/]

The Small Schools Workshop is a resource for public schools and school districts engaged in restructuring and whole-school improvement. To further the work of the Chicago SSW, the Small Schools Workshop Northwest was founded in October 2000 at Lewis & Clark College to support the growing small schools movement in the Northwest.

Stanford University [stanford.edu]

Stanford’s site includes compelling research regarding conversion from large to small school design. On the home page enter a search for “small learning communities” and several good resources will appear.

US Department of Education OVAE, Smaller Learning Communities Program Homepage []

This “go to” website includes grant opportunities along with a variety of resources including news and updates.

REPORTS

Cotton, K. (2001) New Small Learning Communities: Findings From Recent Literature. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Education Laboratory.

Often cited as “The Cotton Report”, this is a comprehensive and up-to-date summary of research on small schools and small learning communities. It goes into detail about characteristics of effective small learning communities, and it also includes links to multiple resources for those interested in designing small learning communities. Download at [scpd/sirs/nslc.pdf] or as a resource at [].

Fine, M., & Somerville, J.I., Eds. (1998). Small Schools, Big Imaginations: A Creative Look at Urban Public Schools. Chicago: Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform.

This book uses the voices of urban teachers, administrators, parents and students who are finding success in schools that are personalized and rigorous. Through interviews the authors provide information to support people advocating for small schools at all levels. Order from [pubs/].

Almeida, C. & Steinberg, A. (2001). Connected Leraning Communities: A Toolkit for Re-Inventing High Schools. Jobs For the Future.

This extensive resource book provides practical strategies for those engaged in the work of high school redesign. The report can be downloaded at [resources/publications/]

Allen, L. (2001). Wall to Wall: Implementing Small Learning Communities in Five Boston High Schools. Providence, RI: Northeast and Islands Regional Educaiton Laboratory.

This report provides detailed information on how five large high schools created smaller learning communities and important lessons on making the transition. The report may be downloaded at [lab.brown.edu/public/pubs/] entitled LAB Work Paper.

Aiming High: High Schools for the 21st Century. State of California, Department of Education.

This report is built on the legacy of Second to None, California's visionary guideline for high school reform. Aiming High is a how-to document for implementing a standards-based educational system. The document's focus is to guide schools in "doing the right things" and in "doing things right." California public high schools have received copies of Aiming High and an introductory video. For information go to [cde.shsd/aimhigh]

No Dream Denied: A Pledge to America’s Children, National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future []

There has been some recent Teachers’ Union concern about the implementation of small schools in Boston, Oakland, and several other communities. Cris Gutierrez, a commissioner of NCTAF believes SLC’s respond to the teachers’ imperative for decent, dignified and professional working conditions.

Pearlman, B. (2002) Designing, and Making, the New American High School. Technos Quarterly, Spring 2002. []

This is an insightful article that examines high school design from the student perspective.

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities

[]

The NCEF site hosts an extensive resource list of links, books, and journal articles examining research and changing standards for K-12 school and enrollment size, and class and classroom size, and Small Learning Communities.

NEWS ITEMS

Show Students Why They’re Learning:

School-to-Career Teaching Offers Context for Those ‘Boring’ Subjects

Los Angeles Daily News

Thursday, December 5, 2002

By Caprice Young

President of the board of the Los Angeles Unified School District

Romer Suggests LAUSD Think Small

Breaking Up Schools May Help Retention

Los Angeles Daily News

Saturday, May 3, 2003

By Beth Barrett

Staff Writer

The Business Perspective

Los Angeles Business Speaks Out

Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce

“The Business Perspective”

September 13, 2002

By Rusty Hammer

President & Chief Executive Officer

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Thursday, December 5, 2002

Show Students Why They’re Learning

School-to-Career Teaching Offers Context for Those ‘Boring’ Subjects

By Caprice Young

President of the board of the Los Angeles Unified School District

In the United States, there is a debate over whether to prepare high school students for entrance to college vs. direct entrance to the work force that has prohibited educators, parents and even students from thinking about a more expansive set of educational opportunities. It is time to move beyond this limited and generally polarizing discussion to the broader focus of preparing all students for life success, by giving students greater authentic choices so they can make more informed decisions about their academic and professional futures.

In California, this question is often examined in the following extremes: high school students should either be on a college/university track or have a career and technical education option. This is an unnecessary and damaging way to define the question that inevitably leads to a polarized discussion poorly serving youth. In addition, mandating to students that they must take a set of college-preparatory courses is no insurance that they will want to learn, take these courses or go on to further studies. Increasingly, the University of California requirements have been used as the basis for college preparation for all students. However, the current course development and approval process tends to have the unintended impact of suggesting that students cannot or should not take the necessary required academic courses simultaneously with courses in career and technical areas.

Some people voice a legitimate concern that college education proponents often unfairly discount technical careers as being less important and dignified pursuits than white-collar professions. There is a compelling argument to be made that those who become skilled in various crafts and technologies need to have a basic knowledge of the arts, history and oterh liberal arts curricula if they are to understand the world in which they live and work. They must become the educated, informed citizens that America’s representative democracy relies on as voters. It is the voter in whose hands lay the privileges, rights and powers granted by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

High schools need to improve the integration of academic and applied instruction and the rigor of career and technical education. The University of California requirements should acknowledge the value of rigorous career and technical academy courses for credit. Students should be enabled to take courses that encourage learning, broaden their education and satisfy high school and college requirements. This combination would provide additional options to motivate students and drive home the importance, value and application of academic subjects in the real world of work, where all students hope to eventually succeed.

School-to-Career is based on the simple but powerful idea that students are more motivated to learn when they see relevance to what they are asked to learn. Rather than allowing the “tracking” dichotomy to define the way we look at high school education, school-to-career is one strategy that prepares all students for both post-secondary education and a career. School-to-career motivates students to want to learn and become excited about their career dreams and their potential for accomplishment through job shadowing and internship experiences. In fact, a survey of Los Angeles students in the fall following their high school senior year revealed that 75 percent of school-to-career students were enrolled in some form of post-secondary education, compared with 57 percent of their peers.

We have discovered through initiatives such as school-to-career, small learning communities, career academies, integrated academic and vocational education, as well as other similar educational strategies, that all youths can be offered a rich, engaging and rigorous education that maximizes academic preparation, fosters students’ “desire” to seek post-secondary education and ensures that they can successfully transition into a career whenever they exit the education system. We have also learned that an educational experience that nurtures a love of learning increases the likelihood that a student becomes a lifelong learner with greater career and personal success.

Currently, a large number of students are dropping out of inner-city high schools, with most students believing that math and science are boring and useless. To make learning more relevant and exciting to students, the school-to-career instructional strategy uses career context and application of knowledge as tools to teach academic subjects. Many high schools and career academies use fields such as law and justice, heath care and media as themes to teach math, science, literature, history and the arts. By using the context of these careers, students can see an example of why they need to learn these subjects.

Parents, like students, know that it is important to have both knowledge and the skills to apply that knowledge in a variety of contexts. It is often assumed and reported that most parents want their children to go to college and complete a bachelor’s degree, even though Los Angeles County statistics suggest that the majority do not. When parents are asked whether they want the whole K-university educational system to be aimed at academic and career preparation, they always answer, “of course.” A survey of parents throughout California revealed that they overwhelmingly support school-to-career for their own children. For example, 89.3 percent of parents think school-to-career would help students prepare for college and focus their attention on a career goal. Parents and students recognize the potential for school-to-career to ultimately provide lifelong success.

By providing all students with a strong blend of academically rigorous courses that utilize integrated instructional strategies, they become more inspired to learn and achieve a lifetime of success.

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Saturday, May 3, 2003

Romer Suggests LAUSD Think Small

Breaking Up Schools May Help Retention

By Beth Barrett

Staff Writer

Los Angeles Unified has embarked on an ambitious program to provide more personalized instruction to middle and high school students by opening new schools and retooling old ones into small learning communities. But the price tag comes high: up to $4 million per existing campus.

Superintendent Roy Romer said Friday that breaking up large schools into academy-like units of 300 to 500 students – along with other instructional changes – is critical to spurring academic achievement and boosting graduation rates. “The bottom line is to successfully move youngsters through high school,” Romer said. “One of the biggest problems of society is the isolation of not being known. If (students) get someone who believes in (them), then youngsters will really reach much higher.”

During a meeting last week, the district’s chief operating officer, Tim Buresh, provided the School Construction Bond Citizens’ Oversight Committee with rough cost estimates of $2 million to $4 million per high school, with the caveat the program might not encompass all 49 existing high schools. He said middle schools would require fewer physical modifications. Romer said the program would be phased in as the district’s budget and other factors allow. “It can’t be too costly, or we can’t do it.” Romer said.

If retention rates can be boosted from about 50 percent to at least 80 percent, the investment would be returned in more graduates, at a lower cost per graduate.

Romer said he’s been focused on the small learning community concept for a couple of months. He recently went with other district officials to New York City to look at models, a trip underwritten by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We definitely are going to do our version of small schools. I’m very focused on it. We’re gearing up on it,” Romer said. New high schools, he said, should be opened with the small learning communities in place, while existing schools could be modified – painting hallways, moving walls, providing separate dining areas, for instance – to make the transition feasible.

Reaction to the proposal was generally enthusiastic, though concerns were raised about implementation, from costs and time frame, to accountability. “It’s sensational,” said Richard Riordan, who as mayor launched small primary centers. “You can’t manage a school that’s more than about 600 kids. Big schools have layers of bureaucracy, no decisions get made, no one is in charge. It’s a total disaster.”

Riordan questioned how much authority would be vested in the small schools’ leadership. “They better have all the power of a principal, or it won’t work,” he said. “They need some real power – so they can be held accountable.” Romer said the leadership structure has yet to be worked out, but that each small learning community would have at least an “instruction leader.” Romer said some elements, such as class schedules, would need to be negotiated.

“We want to bring teachers and the union along on it,” he said. United Teachers Los Angeles President John Perez said teachers are generally “big supports” of small learning centers, but they fear they will be implemented hurriedly, with insufficient planning, training, and funding. “It’s not the what, it’s the how,” teachers are concerned with, Perez said.

“One of the intricacies of this is you get a group of teachers together and they stay with the kids. It’s like a marriage. If it’s a shotgun marriage, it’s not going to work.” Perez said Romer has talked to the union, and that the superintendent said he understands the program can’t be started all at once, nor imposed uniformly at every school.

“Hopefully, he’ll stick to what he told us,” Perez said. “If you shove something down people’s throats, even if it’s a good thing, people won’t do it.” Perez said the district initially might ask schools to volunteer for pilot programs to show how small learning communities can work. And it will take time, he said, to address all the details, including how administrators and teachers will be assigned. “It’s planning,” Perez said. “You cant’ take something off the top of your head and say, ‘We’re going to do this.’” Romer said the district would move gradually, with some existing schools converted during summer months, while year-round schools might have to be adapted a building, or wing at a time.

David Abel, chairman of New Schools Better Neighborhoods, a nonprofit agency that promotes small neighborhood-centered schools, said he supports LAUSD’s efforts. “At first the district, because of the immense responsibility to find seats, had little time to think beyond the triage of putting roofs over kids heads,” Abel said,. Now, he said LAUSD has a responsibility to do more than house children. “Clearly smaller classrooms and environments where teachers and students can have a focus and engagement of their minds are relevant to outcomes.”

Buresh, the district’s chief operating officer, said students in smaller schools typically fare better. “There is no magic pill, but a key factor (in retention) is the size of the learning community,” Buresh told the bond oversight committee.

Board President Caprice Young – who was on last month’s tour of New York City schools – praised the concept. “The advantage to smallness is that you get a higher level of personalization,” Young said. “All the kids are known to all the adults. It is a much more intimate way of learning.” Young said the learning communities would be akin to existing magnets or academies where students take a core curriculum, but also explore areas of interest. There currently is a 30,000-student waiting list for magnets, she said. “There’s an enormous customer demand for small schools. Personalization treats our kids as the individuals they are. Small learning centers get students excited about learning.”

The district has hired architects HMC for $139,787 to look at a variety of school models, and the small learning communities are anticipated to be part of the scope, district officials said.

In January, a study by district Instructional Support Services personnel said the district’s large, comprehensive high schools need to be divided into the smaller learning communities. “Based on what we know and understand today about youths’ needs and the conditions of high-performance learning organization, the district needs to transform its secondary schools from large industrial-like factories into small communities of learning,” the report said. Jim Delker, LAUSD’s consulting deputy chief facility executive, said many of the details are yet to be fleshed out, including how many schools would be converted. “I’m not to the point where I know what the ripple effect would be,” Delker said.

Bond oversight committee members generally gave the small learning community concept high marks but had some reservations about cost and implementation. “I’m always happy to see LAUSD thinking outside the box,” said committee chairman Robert Garcia. The committee’s consultant Tom Rubin called the concept, “very interesting,” but said as always, “the fiscal impact will be key.”

Committee member Connie Rice said moving to smaller learning communities is the right idea to keep kids from getting lost in high schools of several thousand students. “It’s a good idea. It will take a lot to implement it.”

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September 13, 2002

The Business Perspective

Los Angeles Business Speaks Out

By Rusty Hammer

President & Chief Executive Officer

This week, after hearing from the Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), Gov. Roy Romer, the Chambers Board of Directors voted unanimously to endorse the LAUSD facilities bond (Measure K) scheduled for the Nov. 2002 ballot. The $3.35 billion bond will be used to complete 120 new schools and 80 additions and expansions. Once these projects are completed, LAUSD should have an additional 112,000 classroom seats.

The bond also includes stronger oversight and accountability to avoid the pitfalls of the last bond (Proposition BB). A new charter has been created between LAUS and the oversight committee that includes an independent oversight consultant and legal counsel; enhances legal powers; and allows the oversight committee to review projects before going to the Board for approval.

Recognizing the importance of investing in human capital, coupled with the additional oversight built into this bond, the Board felt it important to endorse Measure K. We know that the workforce of tomorrow is sitting in LAUSD classrooms as I write this message. We know that these classrooms are overcrowded and that the only way to alleviate the overcrowding and get every child back to a 180-day school year is by providing the additional seats this bond issue will fund. We know that unless we continue to improve the quality of education in Los Angeles, our workforce will not be prepared for the 21st Century. We are encouraged by the improving test results. They show that there is a change brewing in LAUSD.

Our message to Gov. Romer, however, is not one of congratulations, but rather one of concern.

The Chamber is concerned that without added steps, this bond will merely become another Prop. BB, or an attempt at throwing money at a problem. As a result, we further recommend the following steps be taken ay the LAUSD Board:

1. Develop and adopt a district-wide policy that embraces the Small Learning Communities strategy for all future school facility projects. The success of the Small Learning Communities strategy has been well documented in research over the last 15 years. The benefits of smaller schools are significant: higher student achievement, greater equity, better preparation for higher education, lower truancy and dropout rates, greater teacher satisfaction, and increased safety. LAUSD has made progress on this issue, but more needs to be done. Several states and school districts have embraced this concept for new school construction, including Florida and Mississippi.

2. Adopt additional policies that address the need for enhanced oversight and accountability:

• Allowable Costs: The Board and Oversight Committee should finalize its policy that states what costs are chargeable to the Prop BB and 2002 bond programs. Additionally, ballot language regarding use of bond money for salaries should be clarified. The Chamber strongly believes that allowable costs must be directly related to the new facilities program and suggests that this language be clarified and communicated to the general public.

• Oversight Committee Structure: For the five new appointments required by state law, the Chamber strongly urges he Board to appoint members to the Oversight Committee who have significant experience with infrastructure projects of this size, scale, and complexity. Oversight committee members should have expertise in critical areas such as construction, finance, engineering, architecture, law and planning.

• Reporting Information: The District should provide the Oversight Committee with useful, easy to understand data and information that is needed to fulfill its oversight responsibilities.

3. Lastly, the Board should create a stronger vehicle for effective local community input and support. In order for this bond to be successful, LAUSD must avoid the pitfalls of the last bond and provide the impacted community with a voice on issues related to fiscal accountability, school structure, site selection, community access, and outreach.

With these additional items in place, the Chamber believes that Measure K will be a worthwhile investment that the community can feel confident will pay off in the long run. We call upon Gov. Romer and the LAUSD Board to adopt these measures that will help to assure voters that taxpayers dollars are used for their intended purposes of improving local schools and relieving classroom overcrowding.

And that’s the Business Perspective.

The Business Perspective is a weekly opinion piece created to provide a thought-provoking analysis on current issues.

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