LA City Student Advisory Board on Education



First Annual Los Angeles

Youth Action Summit on Education

Student Proposals

July 17-19, 2007

Webster Middle School

Presented by the City of Los Angeles Youth Council and the California Association of Student Councils (CASC) in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Table of Contents

Commendations 2

About the Program 3

Areas of Concern 4

Proposal: Promoting Post Secondary Educational Opportunities 5

Proposal: High-level Learning 7

Proposal: Increasing Awareness of Career Opportunities 10

Proposal: Improving Student Health and Nutrition 13

Commendations

The Los Angeles Youth Action Summit on Education commends the following individuals and organizations for their exemplary support for student leaders and youth voice:

• Superintendent David Brewer and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)

• LAUSD School Board President Mónica García and the members of the school board

• Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

• Deputy Mayor Ray Cortines

• The City of Los Angeles Commission for Children, Youth, and Their Families

• Webster Middle School and its dedicated, friendly staff

• The principals of Los Angeles

• Dr. June Thompson, Executive Director, CASC

• Chipotle Mexican Grill

• Subway Restaurants

• Domino’s Pizza

• Trader Joe’s

• Junior’s Restaurant

• United Melon

About the Program

About the Los Angeles Youth Action Summit on Education

The Los Angeles Youth Council and CASC, in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District, hosted the first annual Los Angeles Youth Action Summit on Education at Webster Middle School from July 17-19, 2007. At this student-organized and student-led conference, students from public high schools across Los Angeles created the recommendations included in this document for improving specific facets of the local education system. The conference is guided by the principle that students should be empowered to bring about change in their schools and communities, connecting with policymakers to transform their concerns into practical solutions.

Follow-up to Proposals

These proposals represent students’ dedication to addressing the complex issues in the Los Angeles education system. You are encouraged to follow-up on these proposals by contacting the participants and working with them to take action on the issues (see below for contact information).

More Information / Contact Details

For more information on the summit, to contact participants, or to work with us to organize a similar program for your school or district, please contact the 2007 conference director:

Aaron Feuer

aaron.feuer@

Cell: 310.916.8282

About the City of Los Angeles Youth Council

The Youth Council was established in 1995 under the Commission for Children, Youth, and Their Family’s ordinance and has been actively representing the interests of the City’s youth since 1996 by promoting existing programs, advocating for new services and activities, and advancing the City’s youth voice through participation in public decision-making.

About the California Association of Student Councils (CASC)

Founded by the state of California in 1947, the California Association of Student Councils is a student-led non-profit organization that represents the students of California through local and statewide legislative advocacy programs. CASC cultivates student leaders and empowers youth to take action, holding dozens of leadership training workshops each year.

Areas of Concern

Before selecting their four final topics, the students attending the summit expressed concern and interest in the following areas:

➢ MTA transportation

➢ Class sizes

➢ School support for clubs

➢ Open-mindedness of administration

➢ More college recruitment on campus

➢ Tardy policy

➢ Violence and drugs at schools

➢ Delaying the school start time

➢ More tasty and nutritious food

➢ More AP/accelerated classes available and taught by qualified teachers

➢ Having both a class and home set of books

➢ Teachers motivation

➢ Better allocation of education funds

➢ Bigger lockers

➢ Stronger arts programs

➢ Better teacher supplies (copies, etc.)

➢ Improved college preparation

➢ Attendance policy

➢ Need for a standard discipline program

➢ Teacher mentoring to cultivate more well-rounded students

➢ Having an actual cafeteria

➢ Counseling for drugs and alcohol

➢ Having own field for sports

➢ Teen pregnancy

➢ Restrooms cleanliness

➢ Availability of sports at school

➢ Parent involvement

➢ Campus size / having an actual campus

➢ More information about careers

➢ Involving students in curriculum creation

➢ Merit-based classes: students deserve to be in their classes rather than just being placed there

➢ Cell phone and other electronics policy

➢ Variety of classes available

➢ Organization of administration

➢ More books for libraries

➢ District purchases of unnecessary textbooks

➢ District partnerships that ultimately negatively affect students

➢ Implementing effective standardized testing preparation

➢ Campus beautification

➢ Having a nutrition break

➢ Overcrowding

➢ Better counseling for reaching graduation

First Annual Los Angeles Youth Action Summit on Education

July 17-19, 2007, Webster Middle School

Presented by the City of Los Angeles Youth Council and the

California Association of Student Councils (CASC)

Promoting Post Secondary Educational Opportunities

GROUP MEMBERS: Andrew Ashcraft, Westchester High School; Adelaida Buenrostro, Middle College High School; Dylan Garcia, Los Angeles School of Global Studies; Diamond Killion, Jordan High School; Jesus Lopez, San Fernando High School; Jesus Magana, Hamilton; Jennifer Ow, Eagle Rock High School; Michael Podell, SOCES; Evelyn Vazquez, Panorama High School

FACILITATOR: Roxy Pirnia, University of California, San Diego

OUR VISION FOR CALIFORNIA EDUCATION:

All students are aware that they are equal and held to high standards with motivation to reach those standards both at school and at home. All students graduate high school and, with the required and effective college counseling available, are encouraged to go on to college. All students are confident in accessing the many forms of financial aid available, trust the equality of the application process, and know the options college provides after graduation. As a result, society is strengthened, with citizens able to take on the challenges of the future.

AREAS OF FOCUS:

College recruitment in under-visited campuses

|Primary Actions Recommended: |Impl. by: |

|Require that high schools collaborate to hold one college night per year in their local districts to present information on |School, parents |

|colleges, financial aid opportunities and options after high school graduation | |

|Hold two college assemblies (one each semester) for all high school students in which college students and high school graduates |Commission, School |

|present information on the benefits of and how best to obtain a college education | |

Disseminating information on post-secondary educational opportunities

|Primary Actions Recommended: |Impl. by: |

|Establish a commission led by college students, college graduates and high school interns who will meet with students from each high |District |

|school at least once a year to encourage post-secondary education. | |

|College students, college graduates and high school interns, or mentors, will keep in contact with students throughout their high | |

|school experience to answer any college-related questions | |

|Mentors will explain the importance of applying to college and receiving post-secondary education. | |

|Low-cost Alternative – Actions Recommended: | |

|Direct the existing mentoring programs to the areas that have the highest student to counselor ratio and the lowest percentage of |City, school, |

|students going on to college |district |

FISCAL ANALYSIS:

Our proposal is cost-effective and beneficial to the education system because students will have more access to post-secondary opportunities. There are some minimal costs to consider, such as payment for the extra hours staff members will require in order to plan and execute college nights and assemblies. However, these costs are insignificant when considering the ultimate economic benefits for the participants who will receive valuable information for their future. Counselors in Los Angeles are already advising an excessive number of students in their school and these initiatives will help alleviate their burden. The eventual benefits for students and communities outweigh the investments into this program as students with college educations earn higher incomes with each additional year of school.

RATIONALE:

Due to the high student-to-counselor ratio and the decline in graduation rates, many students are not getting the effective guidance and/or counseling they deserve. Therefore high school students are not aware of their post-secondary education and financial aid options. Through our proposed commission the students will get the motivation they need to succeed throughout high school and college. By assuming a mentoring role in this commission, such students will inspire youth to pursue higher education and assist them with the college admissions process. This program will ultimately serve to motivate high school students to attend and graduate from four-year universities. By implementing such a program, students will be better prepared for life – strengthening the economy as they transition into the professional workforce.

First Annual Los Angeles Youth Action Summit on Education

July 17-19, 2007, Webster Middle School

Presented by the City of Los Angeles Youth Council and the

California Association of Student Councils (CASC)

High-level Learning

GROUP MEMBERS: Caitlin Funaro, Champs Charter School; Christina Rodriguez, Discovery Charter Prep; Maria Xochicale, Santee Education Complex High School; Sofia Ramirez, New Village Charter High School; Skylar White, New Village Charter High School; Yessenia Escobar, Stern Math and Science School; Zuleima Espinoza, Stern Math and Science School

FACILITATOR: Morgan Michaels, Serrano High School

OUR VISION FOR CALIFORNIA EDUCATION:

All students are more prepared to take challenging classes in high school and in college. Every teacher is prepared to teach an AP and/or honors class in their subject specialty. All AP classes and tests are easily accessible and well prepared for by teachers. All students, no matter what background, are equally motivated to take higher-level courses and/or AP classes. Students pay less for college because they have already received college after taking AP classes during high school. Students obtain a sufficient amount of college credit before attending college. Since students have passed basic undergraduate requirements, they are able to focus on advanced college coursework moving toward graduate studies. There is a substantial population of highly educated individuals with great confidence and motivation to succeed in life. As a result, society as a whole is more advanced culturally, technologically, and economically.

AREAS OF FOCUS:

Creating more challenging classes

|Primary Actions Recommended: |Impl. by: |

|Work to significantly raise their standards for coursework in all classes, so all students are challenged to achieve their greatest |District |

|potential | |

|Low-cost Alternative – Actions Recommended: | |

|Require an honors class for every basic academic class. |District |

Teacher preparation for AP tests and classes

|Primary Actions Recommended: |Impl. by: |

|Require that AP teachers take the AP test for the AP class they will teach in order to better understand what is required on the exam|District |

|Adhere to the College Board’s recommendation for AP teacher qualification standards |District |

|Low-cost Solution – Actions Recommended: | |

|Create a program for well qualifiedwewewewew AP teachers to mentor potential and new AP teachers through observation of the mentor’s |District and |

|classes and through collaboration e.g. on lesson plans |Schools |

|No-cost Solution – Actions Recommended: | |

|Conduct mandatory parent-teacher conferences and assemblies explaining the AP courses the students are taking and recommending useful|Schools |

|tactics for helping the students study | |

Preparing the administration for offering AP classes

|Primary Actions Recommended: |Impl. by: |

|Require AP program workshops for inexperienced teachers and teachers with low-passing rates |Schools |

|Require schools to offer AP courses in basic subjects such as mathematics, science, English, and history at every school |District |

|Low-cost Alternative – Actions Recommended: | |

|Encourage students to request AP courses they would like to take the following year |Schools |

Building student confidence

|Primary Actions Recommended: |Impl. by: |

|Counselors promote AP courses and their benefits at freshmen orientation and make them aware of financing options |Schools |

|Conduct motivational assemblies, led by diverse volunteers to whom the students can relate, promoting AP courses. | |

FISCAL ANALYSIS:

Research conducted by the Education Trust-West reveals that 61% of LAUSD high schools already have teachers qualified to lead high-level classes. In schools where they do not, attending a relatively low cost College Board workshop would prepare educators for teaching these courses, thus eliminating the necessity to find and hire new qualified teachers. Even this cost can be avoided, using experienced AP teachers to mentor co-workers with potential to teach such courses. The district will have to pay the $83 fee for teachers to take their own AP tests, but this low cost would ensure that they know the material they are teaching. The benefits of cultivating an educated workforce by engaging students at school and exposing them to accelerated courses that prepare them for college justify the minimal expenses.

RATIONALE:

According to a 1999 national study by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, only 1 in 50 Latinos and 1 in 100 African Americans could read information from specialized text, such as the science section of the newspaper. In a district where student backgrounds are quite diverse, focus on such an issue is essential for the benefit of the district and its students. It is imperative that the district endorses the creation of higher standards to be adopted consistently among all L.A. schools. All teachers need to be properly equipped to educate all students well through accelerated honors and AP classes. Requiring proper training for these teachers within the district will be the beginning of something great for these schools, as their students become more advanced in their knowledge and ability. According to a study by the National Center for Educational Accountability, “Students who earned a 3 or higher on one or more AP Exams in the areas of English, mathematics, science, or social studies were more likely to graduate from college in five years or less compared to non-AP students.” Classes that foster high-level learning serve as superb preparation for college, and a sound college education serves as a foundation for an individual’s future success.

First Annual Los Angeles Youth Action Summit on Education

July 17-19, 2007, Webster Middle School

Presented by the City of Los Angeles Youth Council and the

California Association of Student Councils (CASC)

Increasing Awareness of Career Opportunities

GROUP MEMBERS: Jasmine Hardy, Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies; Marcy Mejia, New Village Charter High School; Efrain Carcamo, Santee Education Complex; Victoria Anderson, Leap Academy Charter High School; Maribel Juarez, Garfield High School; Sam Woolf, North Hollywood High School

FACILITATORS: Elaine Kim, Palos Verdes Peninsula High School; Andrew Estep, Loyola Marymount University

OUR VISION FOR CALIFORNIA EDUCATION:

All high schools in LAUSD provide career and work experience classes for every student, in which every student is motivated to pursue a specific career. All students in LAUSD undergo career training for their desired profession as well as mandatory field experience programs in high school. Students understand the requirements needed in order to pursue their desired career, and career counselors are well informed enough to share information regarding job opportunities with students. As a result of working in a field compatible with their personalities and interests, students return to increase the quality of life in their own communities.

AREAS OF FOCUS:

Career guidance programs for students

|Primary Actions Recommended: |Impl. by: |

|Implement a one-day program or assembly, in which professionals expose students to various career options in their fields and provide |City, district |

|them with pertinent and helpful information about each occupation | |

|Establish a program that provides students with plentiful career internship opportunities |City, district |

|Low-cost Alternative – Actions Recommended: | |

|Require all students to complete a career aptitude test by their senior year in high school |District |

|No-cost Alternative – Actions Recommended: | |

|Create a student-run program for each campus that informs students about available jobs and connects them with prospective employers. |City, School |

Mentorship

|Primary Actions Recommended: |Impl. by: |

|Create a program, in which college students visit high school campuses to develop mentoring relationships with high school students |City, |

|in order to advise and help students select a career path |School, Universities|

Redefinition of job description for counselors

|Primary Actions Recommended: |Impl. by: |

|Ensure that every school in the district has a career counselor |District, School |

|Ensure that students meet with their counselors at least twice a year to discuss graduation requirements and post high school plan |District, School |

|No-cost Alternative – Actions Recommended: | |

|Career counselors and college counselors collaborate to increase efficiency and keep the students’ best interests in mind |District, School |

FISCAL ANALYSIS:

Our proposal provides a necessary service to students at a minimal cost to the school district, because most or our reforms can be student run or merely require reform legislation at a low cost. The costs incurred as a result of this proposal apply mainly to providing transportation for students to get to field internships, but students will benefit by gaining work experience, high school credit, and vocational skills. There will be no real cost (program) without needing to hire additional salaried staff. An aptitude test would benefit students by informing them of their strengths and will help guide them in choosing a career. Electronic grading programs are the only cost of administering an aptitude test; these costs seem trivial, however, when one compares them to the vast benefits they provide the students.

RATIONALE:

A June 21, 2006 Daily News article states that only 44% of LAUSD high school students will graduate. Students that do not graduate are much less likely to enter a desirable career than a student who graduates. With guidance and sufficient information, students are more likely to remain in high school and graduate informed enough to make educated decisions about their careers. All students should be offered equal opportunities during and after high school. The overall well being and well-roundedness of the student is increasingly important, and if students are more aware of their career options then they are more likely to engage in a career that allows for more success than, for example, a job at a fast food franchise. Education ensures a brighter future for students. It is the duty of LAUSD to ensure that no child is left behind, and by educating them about career opportunities and providing them with ample information, the students are more aware of their options. Student recruitment should not be limited to the military, but should instead encompass a wide variety of engaging career options, allowing students to make wiser decisions regarding their future.

First Annual Los Angeles Youth Action Summit on Education

July 17-19, 2007, Webster Middle School

Presented by the City of Los Angeles Youth Council and the

California Association of Student Councils (CASC)

Improving Student Health and Nutrition

GROUP MEMBERS: Casey Brown, Northridge Academy; Roy Buchanan, Venice High School; Carolyn Bystrom, Eagle Rock High School; Christal Cabanting, Bravo Medical Magnet; Steven Choi, Pilgrim School; Anton Ksendz, Marshall High School; Eric Martinez, Miguel Contreras Learning Complex; Yesica Morales, Los Angeles School of Global Studies; Tomer Ovadia, North Hollywood High School; Lili Roygoza, Venice High School

FACILITATOR: Menelik Tafari, Culver City High School

OUR VISION FOR CALIFORNIA EDUCATION:

All school cafeterias provide a nutritious and delectable variety of food for students. Eating facilities are adequately staffed, sanitary, and provide students with necessary personal space. A menu of cafeteria food options is accessible and attractive to students, who are aware of the benefits of healthy eating habits. Lifestyles on campus are comfortable during breaks, and students can pronounce the prepared foods’ ingredients. Satiated students are focused in class and extracurricular activities. As a result, healthy students live long, fulfilling lives as positive contributors to society.

AREAS OF FOCUS:

Quality of food options on campus

|Primary Actions Recommended: |Impl. by: |

|Consult health professionals, students, and educators to create meals that are nutritious, healthy, fresh and appetizing |City, District |

|Implement Occidental College pilot program for all of LAUSD, which offers salad bars for nearly the same price as hot meals | |

|Offer healthy snacks and beverages with low sugar contents in school vending machines | |

| | |

|Low-cost Solutions – Actions Recommended: | |

|Require cafeteria staff to post nutrition information in cafeterias and publish an accurate, monthly calendar of meal menus with |District |

|nutrition facts | |

|Solicit student feedback about school food and adjust meals according to student preferences |City, District |

|Use environmentally friendly service ware, and require active recycling programs in schools |City, District |

Health education

|Primary Actions Recommended: |Impl. by: |

|Require an annual week-long nutrition education course in PE classes, K-12 |District |

|Create and tailor nutrition curriculum to each grade level | |

|Create a health-week program for citywide use, along the lines of Red Ribbon Week |City, District |

Promoting healthy on-campus meals

|Primary Actions Recommended: |Impl. by: |

|Develop strategies to attractively present on-campus food offerings to encourage student consumption |City, District |

FISCAL ANALYSIS:

Creating an extensive nutrition program from kindergarten through the end of high school will relieve the economic burden that each generation can incur. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in a two-year period the U.S. paid nearly $25 billion in health care costs and lost productivity in 2000 due to the overweight, obese, and physically inactive in the nation. The funds needed to create these programs are miniscule when compared to the net benefits students will experience as a result.

We cannot jeopardize students’ health for the sake of minimizing costs. Only twelve percent of ninth-grade students in the district were considered ‘fit’ in a 2003 study by LAUSD, compared to a 26% fitness rate statewide in 2004. The initial costs to revamp food options on campus are justified by the long-term health benefits for students. Offering healthy foods in cafeterias and enabling students to make informed choices about the foods they eat does not significantly increase the cost of meals the schools provide.

RATIONALE:

Anyone living in California can see that childhood obesity is a grave problem. Although stereotypically Los Angeles is perceived as being single-mindedly focused on beauty and the promotion of healthy living, the city in actuality does not meet such quixotic standards. The School Food Service programs in Los Angeles are significantly flawed, providing unhealthy, unappealing food in an area that is not conducive to an expedient distribution process. This contributes, in turn, to Los Angeles’s overall poor health.

The CDC has declared that obesity is the “fastest growing health threat in the U.S.,” second only to tobacco use. Students who consume healthy food are known to perform better academically and exhibit better behavior than students with poor diets. It is important to develop healthy eating habits that inspire healthy living at an early age and that most students eat at least one meal at school every day. By offering nutritious and delicious food choices, we can begin to challenge all students to reevaluate their lifestyles and ensure that future generations will live healthy lives.

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