As the year comes to a close, we are excited to release a new research brief, blog, and visualization on the initial implementation of the California Community Schools Partnership Program. We also share a special issue of UCLA’s Ed&IS magazine on our Center’s work, a new video from Mann UCLA Community School, and other community schools news.
Thanks for reading!
California Community Schools Implementation:
Assessing Initial Growth and Progress
The California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP) was envisioned as a transformational whole-child reform that would help integrate several other multi-billion dollar state initiatives. Based on data from the CCSPP’s first two years, this research brief outlines six key findings about implementation progress to date across more than 2,000 community schools statewide. The brief also links to more detailed data reports as well as a new blog post that offers a closer look at the schools and communities benefiting from these grants. To support public inquiry and learning about this ambitious initiative, the brief also links to a new interactive visualization based on data from schools’ Annual Progress Reports from 2022-24. Overall, the data show that grantees are building their capacity for whole-child education and community-engaged learning.
Community Schooling Highlighted in UCLA Ed&IS Magazine
Community schooling is highlighted in the Fall 2024 issue of the Ed&IS Magazine. Several stories share the work of our center, including an interview with Karen Hunter Quartz, a review of presentations on community school teachers by Marisa Saunders, Tomoko Nakajima, Natalie Fensterstock and Jeffrey Yo from the 2024 meeting of the American Educational Research Association, and a Q&A with UCLA Community School principal Queena Kim.
The Mann UCLA Community School Story
Learn about Mann UCLA Community School from students, educators and families. As Mann approaches its 100th year as a school, the community is celebrating the unique opportunities that the UCLA partnership provides for all Mann students. Click above to watch the English version of the video and here for the Spanish version.
Youth Leadership Presentations at UCEA
Dr. Leyda W. Garcia presented at the annual University Council on Educational Administration convention in Los Angeles. Dr. Garcia and colleagues shared findings from two recent projects on student voice, agency and leadership. Findings from these projects highlight the importance of convening spaces where young people have the opportunity to inform school-based decisions.
Mark Your Calendars
The 2025 Community Schools Empower Summit will occur on June 12-13, 2025 in Fresno County. The Request for Proposals is now open and will close on January 10, 2025.
On March 27, 2025, the UCLA Community School will celebrate its Quinceñera! The 15 year anniversary of the school’s opening will be honored by students, families, faculty, UCLA partners and community members, past and present!
We are excited to co-sponsor Learning Policy Institute’s “Re-Imagining Education: Transforming High School for Powerful Learning” web series. Register now for the series, which will run from November 20, 2024 to May 8, 2025.
