Los Angelesunifiedschoold Istrict

Los Angelesunifiedschoold Istrict

INTEROFFICECORRESPONDENCE

Los AngelesUnifiedSchoolDistrict

Division ofInstruction

TO:Michelle King, Superintendent DATE: March 7, 2016

FROM: Dr.Frances Gipson

ChiefAcademic Officer

Carol Alexander

Director of A-G Intervention and Support

SUBJECT: A-GCollege and Career Progress

As we prepare our students for graduating college and career ready, we are expanding students’ career awareness and access to work-based learning opportunities. In this update, we highlight the growth in the current number of seniors on track with a “C” or better and showcase some of the accomplishments of our Linked Learning and Career Technical Education programs. It is with the commitment and efforts of our administrators, teachers, counselors, staff, parents and community members that we have provided the following opportunities for LAUSD students this year.

On-Track with a “C” or Better

Currently, LAUSD has 48% of all high school students on track for A-G with a “C” or better.

This shows tremendous growth since the class of 2005, when only 18% graduated meeting the A-G course requirements with a C or better. The following is the percentage break down by local district.

Linked Learning and Career Technical Education

The District couples its rigorous academic instruction with multiple career pathway programs such as Career Technical Education courses and Linked Learning.

  • Currently there are 33 pathways that include: 10 Health Science and Medical Technology, 3 Law and Public Service, 1 Advanced Manufacturing, 3 Engineering, 2 Teaching, 4 Energy, Environment and Engineering, 14 Arts, Media and Entertainment, 4 Business, and 2 Information Technology.
  • An additional 10 pathways are currently being developed through Saturday trainings, and have been conditionally accepted. If they are all accepted and approved in May, there will be 43 pathways with over 20,000 students in Linked Learning pathways in LAUSD.
  • The number of students in Linked Learning pathways being served by work-based learning coaches and organizations will exceed the 17,482 students of last year. These students in Linked Learning pathways had over 33, 685 work-based learning experiences from guest speakers, career days, job shadowing, mentorships and internships.

Examples of Real-world, Relevant and Rigorous Linked Learning Projects

  • In the Linked Learning world, students work side-by-side with their teachers and professionals as they create and develop projects that are real world, relevant and rigorous. One of our engineering pathways at the STEM Academy of Hollywood High School and Bernstein High School this year is with the Friends of Hollywood Central Park, to design a 38-acre park that will sit on top of the 101 freeway and unite communities separated by the Hollywood Freeway. Looking at just some of the projects listed below, you will see the real world relevance and true engagement of students in their work.
  • At the Community Health Advocates School on the Hawkins High School campus, students presented an environmental impact statement. They demonstrated (through data collected) life expectancy rates by neighborhood zip codes and how the environment affects residents’ mental health and obesity rates. These 9th graders created a map pinpointing assets and deficits in their neighborhood, and built a 3D model of an intersection that they reimagined.
  • At Hollywood High School, New Media students developed and produced a short documentary film related to a major theme from their research and analysis that addresses the question of whether a unified American experience is possible.
  • Students at the Academy of Environmental and Social Policy at Lincoln High School, with the help of the National Park Service and Cal State LA, conducted a site visit to the Los Angeles River to understand the surrounding landscape and species. The group researched and created an Environmental Impact Report to determine how the construction of a Gift Shop would affect the wildlife in that particular area.
  • Students at Carson High School on the Environmental Science, Engineering and Technologypathway have attacked global climate change head-on with their aggressive energy efficiency project. After conducting classroom audits, students created an energy campaign that provided teachers with individualized recommendations for “right lighting” and HVAC controls. They learned to program wireless LED high-efficiency lights with support from the engineering firm Towards 50 and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • The Linked Learning office, working with all of their intermediaries - United Way, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, International Trade Education Program, Kaiser Permanente and AltaMed - provided over 30,000 work-based learning experiences to students in Linked Learning pathways last year. We are also working with the mayor’s office to bring additional internships to our students.
  • There are 134 career pathways being served by the Perkins grant. This grant provides industry standard equipment, professional development for career technical education teachers, industry field trips for students, and externships for teachers so that they can update and further develop their skills.
  • LAUSD has over 500 students receiving professional certifications each year in one of the following: Adobe Photoshop, ServeSafe for Culinary Arts, Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS), Internect Core Competency Certification (IC3), Cisco Networking, Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), PrintED for Graphics Printing, Autodesk and AutoCad for drafting, CompTia and A+ Certification for Information Technology careers.
  • Over the summer, 486 of our current seniors had summer paid internships aligned to their industry pathway theme.

Our plan is to continue to expand these initiatives that bring personal relevance to students, and expose them to opportunities for real-world work experiences in preparation for post-secondary education and careers in the 21st century global economy.

All Division of Instruction staff, local district personnel, schools and our community partners remain focused on LAUSD’s shared mission to meet students’ needs and prepare them for college and career. We are excited about the many expanding opportunities for our students to develop their individual passions in learning through real-world, engaging programs. As the semester proceeds, we continue to gather data and feedback to further enhance the opportunity pathways being provided to our students.

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