LAUSD Graduation Rates Surge
L.A.'s College Promise is made to graduating seniors
Opportunity Youth Collaborative's latest "Young Leaders" cohort influences decision makers
These stories and more in the May issue of the L.A. Compact Connection Newsletter
FEATURE STORIES:
LAUSD Graduation Rate Surges to 77%
In 2016, Los Angeles Unified School District achieved its largest one-year increase in its high school graduation rate, jumping five percentage points to reach 77%. This impressive gain occurred even with the district’s adoption of more rigorous requirements in 2016 that all graduates complete the A-G college preparatory curriculum with a D or better. In addition, L.A. Unified is starting to narrow the gap for students of color, who make up the vast majority of the district and whose success will drive the region in coming years. The graduation rate for Black students increased seven percentage points to 73% and Hispanic students increased six percentage points to 77%. The L.A. Compact commends L.A. Unified’s educators, families, and students for their vision, hard work and inspiring progress toward our joint goal of 100% graduation. Check out the latest outcomes for A-G completion, dropout rates and more>>
You’ve Got Mail! Mayor Garcetti, L.A. Unified & LACCD collaborate to send graduating high school seniors joint L.A. College Promise Welcome Letter
As graduation day approaches, L.A. Unified high school seniors are receiving a sweet surprise in their mailboxes this week. Our L.A. Compact partners at Mayor Garcetti’s Office, L.A. Unified, and the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) have teamed up to send 31,663 graduating high school seniors an acceptance letter into one of nine local LACCD colleges. The personalized letter also announces that the student has been awarded an L.A. College Promise scholarship to cover the full cost of tuition for their first year of attendance. In order to qualify, students must complete a financial aid application and attend full-time beginning in fall 2017. They will receive priority registration to enroll in their courses and other support services. The L.A. College Promise, announced by L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti in April 2016, is a comprehensive strategy to ensure students are supported throughout their first year and as they work to complete their degrees, workforce certificates, or transfer pathways. Read more>>
WORKGROUP HIGHLIGHTS:
Compact Higher Ed partners secure grants to advance innovative student success strategies
The Compact congratulates L.A. Valley College, L.A. Mission College, Pierce College and Cal State Northridge for winning $1 million from the Governor’s 2017 Awards for Innovation in Higher Education to develop a regional reverse transfer partnership in the San Fernando Valley. Reverse transfer enables students who have left the higher education system without a bachelor's degree to apply their coursework to a partnering community college in order to receive an associate degree. Additionally, LACCD secured $1.5 million from the California College Promise Innovation Awards program this spring to strengthen programmatic elements of the L.A. College Promise, which is preparing to enroll the first cohort of Promise scholars. Read more>>
Joint Advocacy Group shares legislative priorities with state legislators
The L.A. Compact Joint Advocacy Workgroup has promoted a united advocacy voice in Sacramento on issues impacting young people in the L.A. region since 2009. The group recently finalized its 2017 legislative priorities that include supporting state and federal policies, investments and institutional reforms that improve early learning, K-12 education, higher education, and workforce development systems and create increased opportunities for foster and formerly incarcerated youth. Members representing the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce, L.A. Unified, United Way, First 5 LA, United Teachers Los Angeles, Associated Administrators Los Angeles, and Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’ office recently shared the group’s priorities with Sen. Holly Mitchell, Assemblymember Adrin Nazarain and over 10 legislative staff during a Legislative Lunch on April 7. Attendees engaged in a discussion around opportunities to better partner with the L.A. delegation in the upcoming legislative session to ensure all students succeed.
Opportunity Youth Collaborative recruits foster youth for Young Leaders program
The Opportunity Youth Collaborative (OYC) recently launched the second cohort of the Young Leaders program, a select group of 12 current and former foster youth who bring their lived experience to inform program, policy and system changes through the OYC. Each of the Young Leaders has benefited or been served by OYC partners, and many credit their academic and employment achievements to these services. On April 4, the Young Leaders convened for an orientation where they discussed their role in the OYC and strategized how to effectively influence decision-makers in a meaningful way. In the past month, they participated in a focus group with the National Foster Youth Institute to provide feedback on criteria for L.A. County’s new child welfare director, a focus group with the National Center for Youth Law on a new brochure regarding sexual and reproductive health, and a planning committee for John Burton Advocates for Youth’s annual Blueprint Conference.
PARTNER HIGHLIGHTS:
On March 20, First 5 LA, the L.A. County Child Care Planning Committee and L.A. County Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education unveiled “The State of Early Care and Education in Los Angeles County,” which explores resources and gaps around three essential components of L.A. County’s ECE system: Access, Quality, and the early care and education Workforce. Read more>>
L.A. Unified will host its second Sharing Promising Practices Together forum on June 3, inviting school practitioner teams across a diverse network of school models to share their promising practices with a focus on supporting middle school students for college and career success.
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