The L.A County Office of Child Protection and Chief Information Office identified a series of preliminary countywide metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the countywide prevention plan for reducing child maltreatment. The goal of the prevention plan, which was finalized in June 2017, is for every child to be healthy, to be growing and thriving in a strong family, and to be supported by a safe and nurturing community. To track progress, both county offices, with input from partners, identified impact and actionable indicators to serve as guideposts for strategic and operational improvements. To view a full list of the indicators and their corresponding dashboards, go here. Thoughtful interpretation of the data will help inform policy, prevention programming and data-driven decision-making.

A new community of practice, guided by the L.A. Compact's Student Success Workgroup, is in full swing as it dives deeply into research and institutional practices related to the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT). This community, composed of two-year and four-year postsecondary institutions and K-12 partners, spans the region with equally diverse membership from all areas of campus life. 

On April 19, Mayor Eric Garcetti delivered his annual State of the City address and presented his proposed 2020-21 Fiscal Budget, which the Mayor's office is referring to as the "justice budget." As the name implies, the budget focuses on rebuilding and reimagining a more just and fairer L.A. City. Crucial to our L.A. Compact initiatives, Garcetti has proposed the creation of a new Youth Development Department, $2.1 million to increase access to Wi-Fi in communities, and greater work opportunities for youth in zip codes too often locked out of opportunities. We look forward to working with our L.A. City partners, as well as County partners, to turn these ideas into a reality and a brighter future for all.

The community school model leverages community assets to address the comprehensive needs of students and families and levels the playing field for success. Already into our second year of implementation, the L.A. Unified Community Schools Initiative recently celebrated two significant wins. L.A. Unified was awarded two California Community Schools Partnership Grants, totaling $6 million, and the district's Community Schools Steering Committee selected the second cohort of schools that will begin their Community School transformation process in the fall of 2021.

The L.A. Opportunity Youth Collaborative (OYC) recently released its 2020 Impact Report, demonstrating the power and impact of more than 100 partners from public agencies, community-based organizations, foundations, young adults and educational institutions working together to improve education and employment outcomes for transition-age foster youth.

SoCal Grantmakers invited UNITE-LA to present at its Education Funders Group meeting on the history, accomplishments and current initiatives of the L.A. Compact. The event took place on May 5, 2021, and featured a panel of leaders from UNITE-LA and L.A. Compact member organizations. Panelists shared highlights from three Compact workgroups: L.A. Educator Pathways Partnership, Community Schools and the Student Success Workgroup. Thank you to our partners at USC, CSU Northridge and Dominguez Hills, United Teachers Los Angeles, and California Community Foundation, who provided powerful testimony to the value and impact of the Compact.

The L.A. Educator Pathways Partnership (LAEPP) Policy Advisory Group finalized its 2021 legislation and budget priorities, which include advancing alternatives to subject matter competency tests, reducing financial burdens for teacher trainees and increasing teacher diversity. In March of 2021, the policy advisory group sent letters to California State Senate and Assembly Committees voicing our support for four bills promoting our priorities and a suite of funding initiatives included in the Governor's January Budget.

Since September 2020, the L.A. Compact’s Let’s Go to College L.A. initiative has offered resources and insights to college students navigating virtual education. To support this effort, Let’s Go to College L.A. launched a Student Ambassador program to offer near peer support at institutions across L.A. County. Students from the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), Long Beach City College as well as CSUs Northridge, Los Angeles, and Long Beach are participating in the six month internship program.

Despite the slow reopening of the economy, the unemployment rate in L.A. county is 10.6 percent, which is well-above the national rate (6.3 percent) and California’s rate (9 percent). Black and Latinx Angelenos have been disproportionately impacted as they were more likely to be employed in industries hardest hit by the pandemic, such as hospitality and retail. To address these and other challenges, the L.A. Workforce Systems Collaborative (LAWSC) jointly advocated for federal infrastructure and workforce development investments. They also updated their outreach materials to ensure unemployed L.A. residents have access to the most current information on applying for unemployment insurance benefits.

The L.A. Compact’s work in the San Fernando Valley targeting students with “some college but no degree” was recently featured in a Reverse Transfer Guidebook, produced by the Institute for Higher Education Policy. Students across the country are unknowingly leaving earned postsecondary credentials behind as they accumulate credits at community colleges and transfer to four-year institutions without collecting the associate degrees they’ve earned.