Publications

For the last five years, the California Department of Education (CDE) has reported a steady increase in homeless K-12 students in the state1. In the academic year 2018-2019, over 207,000 California K-12 students were without appropriate, consistent and stable housing2. Unhoused K-12 students are disproportionately LGBTQ+, migrants, students of color, and students with disabilities, exacerbating…

Sacramento City Unified School District’s (SCUSD) college and career readiness initiatives, as cited in the 2016-2021 Strategic Plan, only equip students with half of the skills and requirements necessary for graduates to succeed in their post-secondary options (Conley, 2012). Namely, SCUSD fails to assess critical soft skills, such as perseverance, growth mindsets, goal-setting, collaboration, etc.,…

A PLUS fellow report on teacher retention in OUSD

A PLUS fellow policy brief on teacher wellness and retention in the Oakland Unified School District.

“The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) represents a significant shift in how California funds its schools. Established in 2013, the State of California founded LCFF on a principle of equity. Under this new law, the state uses a weighted pupil formula and allocates more money to school districts for high-need student subgroups as defined by…

“Understanding and lifting up the role that young people play in driving healthy, equitable policies in their schools and cities Assessing how PLUS & Y-PLAN prepare civic leaders to respond to the needs of young people when crafting policy Envisioning how cities and schools collect and utilize data to demonstrate positive outcomes for young people…

A research report on the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) student assignment policy, which was designed to help with school choice to reverse the trend of racial isolation and the concentration of underserved students in the same school, and to provide equitable access to programs offered in the district.

This report aims to provide the Multilingual Pathways Department (MPD) a general overview of the current implementation of Spanish Biliteracy (BL) and Dual-Language Immersion (DLI) pathways at the school site level. It will identify trends that exists within and across school sites as it relates to the key components of bilingual programming. More specifically, it…

This report is intended to help understand strategic ways to empower and strengthen the West Contra Costa Youth Commission. It is broken up into 7 parts:  Background providing context to the district  Framing around the imperative of youth voice and local opportunity in West Contra Costa  A description of methods used for…

Thismemo will specifically analyze SanFrancisco PlanningDepartment’s current Family Friendly City initiative, whichseeks to develop an effective familyandyouth engagement processto meet the needs ofall families in San Francisco. Given theintentional educationalexperience, childrenare natural planners thatunderstandtheirneighborhoods and can providemeaningful feedback for SF Planning. UsingY-PLAN (Youth – Plan, Learn, Act, Now) andBalboa High Schoolasacasestudy,wewillexploreopportunitiestoimprove SFPlanning’sFamilyFriendlyCityinitiative.

Apart from educating, teachers are often in the front lines of dealing with a child’s trauma. This report and policy brief discuss way in which schools can address the vicarious trauma teachers in OUSD go through and recommends ways they can help their teachers cope. Especially since vicarious trauma can lead to teacher burnout and…

This report is a formative evaluation of Oakland Unified School District’s (OUSD) Newcomer Teacher Wellness Mini-Grant. It includes a background of the program’s inception, with a focus on the key role that teacher coordinators played in supporting wellness activities. After illustrating the broad support around wellness activities, it delves into how newcomer teachers feel about…

Oakland Unified School Districts faces increasing teacher attrition and levels of stress among teachers. Principal leadership is necessary to support teachers and ultimately students achievement.

To strategically plan for the implementation of a full-service community schools initiative, this project sought to identify existing programs at school sites in WCCUSD and analyze how the distribution of services aligns with local needs.

OUSD’s career academies and pathways are the foundation of its work-based learning strategy, known as Linked Learning. This instructional approach provides students with the resources and skills necessary to succeed in college, career and life. But according to this report, educators and industry professionals struggle to connect on meaningful collaboration projects

This report examines three factors that pose a risk to student transportation in the SFUSD: school choice, limited transportation resources, and diverse school contexts. It addresses these concerns in order to increase environmental sustainability in transportation among District families. 

In 2010, The California Endowment (TCE) launched a 10-year, $1 billion Building Healthy Communities (BHC) initiative in 14 target communities across the state. South Sacramento was one of these selected target areas. This report looks at what changes have been catalyzed by Sacramento Building Healthy Communities investments in SCUSD on institutional practice and policy at…

These maps and findings address the current transportation infrastructure in place for students with disabilities in the San Francisco Unified School District. 

Using a range of research methods, this report examines broadly the alignment of the full portfolio of BHC grantees and in particular the interface between community-based organizations and schools. It finds that the majority of grantees – two-thirds – share some youth development objective. 

The purpose of this report is to analyze and identify shared visions and goals between ABAG and educators, and develop recommendations for aligning programs and policies to reach such goals.

SFUSD, like many districts, allows use of its classromms, gymnasiums, and other indoor facilities to external groups. But similar to other districts, SFUSD has struggled to apply use fees consistently, fairly and equitably. Building from the recommendations of the 2010 report, San Francisco’s Public School Facilities as Public Assets: A Shared Understanding and Policy Recommendations for…

This project seeks to identify opportunities for Youth UpRising (YU) to support and collaborate with the OUSD in developing a new career academy at Castlemont High School. This paper analyzes potential career academies against the current economic and educational landscape of the East Bay and provides tools for YU and OUSD to work together in…

This report focuses in particular on RHEP as a platform for developing a district-wide

In partnership with the SFUSD, this research project utilizes official documents and key stakeholder interviews ot create landscape analysis that attempts to address the following question: What community development initiatives will support and improve the educational attainment of pre-k to 12th grade youth attending SFUSD schools located in the Bayview neighborhood and what connections between…

After reviewing the policy landscape and placement of SUDA within Oakland’s social network, this report seeks to answer how a career academy can transform a school into a full-service community learning center and simultaneously address community development goals.

In the summer of 2009, Oakland Unified School District (“OUSD”, “the District”) was returned to local governance after six years of State control, with Dr. Tony Smith as its new Superintendent. Despite fiscal challenges, the administration embarked on a year of listening sessions, followed by a yearlong collaborative planning effort that culminated in a shared…

Adrianne Wheeler 2010 PLUS Report

This report explores methods of creating partnerships between schools, non-school supports and community organizers by looking at OUSD’s Complementary Learning Department.

To address the fragmentation of Oakland’s public schools, this report recommends developing a shared vision at the school and district levels and incorporating service partners into the life and culture of school sites.

Through connections with local communities of practice as well as development professionals and other adult actors, HOPE SF can improve the prospects for affiliated youth. 

This report analyzes the potential to integrate school and community services in the redevelopment of HOPE SF at the Hunters View public housing project.