In this brief, we discuss the value of play, highlight playful learning approaches at the UCLA Community School, and introduce organizations that advocate for play-based learning policies. We also provide suggestions and further reading for teachers and families.
Publication
Mann UCLA Community School 2017-18 Annual Report: Laying the Foundation for Change
Mann UCLA Community School is a university-assisted neighborhood public school within the Los Angeles Unified School District. To share our story and progress during the high school’s inaugural year, this annual report describes how the partnership is laying a foundation for change.
Preparing Leaders of Change: RFK UCLA Community School 2017-18 Annual Report
This annual report focuses on our work to prepare students as leaders of change—self-directed, passionate learners who actively and critically participate in society. Alongside our annual demographics and dashboard indicators, we share a set of core practice narratives that bring to life how the school is enacting this commitment to social justice and democratic education within and beyond the classroom.
A Decade of Innovation
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the movement, longstanding Pilot School partners from the Center for Powerful Public Schools and the UCLA Center for Community Schooling joined with the Pilot School Organization to take stock of the collective experience of 47 schools.
The Promise of Community Schooling
Read the Full ReportThere is a nationwide epidemic of public school closures. Researchers who study school closures in urban communities attribute them to structural racism, divestment in Black communities, deindustrialization,…
Supporting College-going for Undocumented Students
This brief describes the UCLA Community School’s efforts to address and meet the needs of undocumented students. We describe the school context as well as the symbiotic relationship between research and practice. We conclude by providing resources and considerations for practitioners to better support undocumented students on their campus.
The Power of Urban Teacher Residencies: The Impact of IMPACT
Learning in residence is a powerful approach to teacher education that pairs apprentices with mentor teachers, supported by university coursework and urban communities. In this issue of the Center XChange, UCLA faculty, staff, students, and partners share their work over the past five years to create and study an urban teacher residency program called IMPACT: Inspiring Minds through a Professional Alliance of Community Teachers.
Multiple Measures of Good Teaching
In this report, we assemble a diverse set of perspectives to answer how to measure good teaching. We take the stand that there should be multiple measures of good teaching—including evidence about student learning—and that these measures should form the basis for both evaluating teachers and, most importantly, guiding teachers’ professional growth.
