L.A. Compact wins Lumina Talent Hub designation

This story and more in the October issue of the L.A. Compact Connection

FEATURE STORY

L.A. Reverse Transfer project awarded Lumina Talent Hub designation

The Student Success Workgroup won the “Talent Hub” designation for Los Angeles as one of seventeen sites nationwide for its work to develop a reverse transfer partnership in the San Fernando Valley. Talent Hub is an initiative of the Lumina Foundation, a private philanthropic organization dedicated to increasing postsecondary attainment in the U.S. in order to promote informed citizenship and success in a global economy. As a Talent Hub, the L.A. Compact higher education partners will work to streamline transfer pathways between California State University, Northridge and three L.A. Community College District campuses in the San Fernando Valley to enable adults with “some college, no degree” to complete a college credential more efficiently. Read more>>  

WORKGROUP HIGHLIGHTS

FYCAP Fostering Connections to Higher Education Summit

The OYC Foster Youth College Advancement Project (FYCAP) has been working closely with key child welfare stakeholders in L.A. County to improve higher education outcomes for foster youth. On October 3, FYCAP partnered with Court Scholars to host a “Fostering Connections to Higher Education Summit,” a regional convening of 120 DCFS Independent Living Program workers, peer advocates and caseworkers from the Children’s Law Center, and campus support program staff from across L.A. County colleges and universities. The purpose of the Summit was to connect service providers who are working with transition-age foster youth and youth in extended foster care so that they can better collaborate to help youth navigate college. Judge Margaret Henry, presiding judge of the Non-Minor Dependent Court and the Edelman Children’s Courthouse, provided keynote remarks. 


Stewardship Group Collaborates on Adding a “Whole Child” Goal

The L.A. Compact Ad Hoc Goal working group met in August and September to formulate draft language for a new fourth goal related to the success of the whole child. Working group members included representation from LAUSD, Mayor Garcetti’s Office, United Teachers Los Angeles, Associated Administrators of Los Angeles, Cal State Dominguez Hills, and the L.A. Area Chamber. The group reviewed several youth developmental models, including research on social and emotional skills and the Ready by 21 framework. Suggested goal language was reviewed and revised by the Stewardship Group at their Oct 20th meeting. The Stewardship Group has also been working on developing a list of Beliefs and Principles of Collaboration to document what it means to be a collaborative partner through the L.A. Compact in service of continually improving education. When finalized, the Beliefs and Principles of Collaboration will become part of the agreement between the Compact’s 24 signatories.

8 Communities Advancing a Common Kindergarten Readiness Assessment

First 5 LA has entered into 8 Strategic Partnerships with school districts and communities to collect Kindergarten Readiness data using the Early Development Instrument (EDI). School districts and communities include: City of Pasadena Office of the Young Child, Connections for Children (Santa Monica), El Monte City School District, Los Angeles Unified School District Local District South, Mountain View School District, Pomona Unified School District, Rosemead School District, and Valle Lindo School District. Data collection for 6 of these communities will begin in February and continue through March 2018.

Check out what’s happening across all of the L.A. Compact workgroups >> 

PARTNER HIGHLIGHTS

Preliminary Results of L.A. College Promise. The Los Angeles College Promise, announced by Mayor Eric Garcetti in April 2016, achieved several major successes in its first year of implementation.  The Promise enrolled and provided tuition fee waivers to approximately 4,000 Los Angeles Unified School District students across nine Los Angeles Community College District campuses (increasing LAUSD attendance by 14 percent).  In addition, the percentage of LAUSD students attending LACCD full-time increased by 40 percent, making these students more likely to graduate according to a growing body of research. The L.A. College Promise partners are continuing to work together on the second year of implementation and recently celebrated the passage of Assembly Bill 19 (Santiago) which will provide College Promise programs across the state with additional resources.

LAUSD Launches Naviance Portal for College Planning.  Naviance is a comprehensive college and career readiness internet platform that helps students turn their aspirations into achievement.  LAUSD Division of Instruction began a rollout plan for the platform back in June with leadership, teachers, and counselors.  In September, student rollout of the Naviance Portal launched.  Naviance prepares students to be college ready by helping them identify their strengths, discover careers, and match to best-fit higher education institutions.

Willie Hagan (CSUDH President) announces retirement at end of year. Cal State Dominguez Hills President Willie Hagan, who has been recognized for improving graduation rates and support services at one of California’s most diverse campuses, announced that he will retire at the end of the academic year. Hagan has focused on expanding student housing and support outside the classroom, bringing in more tenure-track faculty and building new classrooms and labs. Under Hagan’s leadership, CSUDH made the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, a high-profile federal recognition of universities with notable service to the community.

Cal State LA Ranked #1 for Student Upward Mobility. A recent study by The Equality of Opportunity Project ranks Cal State LA number one in the U.S. in helping students climb the income ladder, beating out many Ivy League schools like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. The study highlights Cal State LA as a leader in moving students from the bottom fifth of income into the top fifth of U.S. earners. 

L.A. County Hires New DCFS Director. The LA County Board of Supervisors selected Bobby Cagle in September to serve as L.A. County’s new child welfare director.  Cagle, a former foster youth himself, is currently the director of the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, where he administers a $1.2 billion budget and oversees the work of more than 7,300 staff in 159 counties.  As L.A. County DCFS Director, Cagle will lead the nation’s largest foster care system with a budget of roughly $2.4 billion, more than 9,300 staff with about 4,800 social workers, and 34,000 youth with nearly 21,000 children placed in out-of-home care. 

 WHAT WE’RE READING