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Los Angeles County Middle Schools Failing Our Students

Posted on: Thursday, 29 May 2008, 09:00 CDT

LOS ANGELES, May 29 /PRNewswire/ -- United Way of Greater Los Angeles today released the first report of its kind, "Seizing the Middle Ground; Why Middle School Creates the Pathway to College and the Workforce." The report provides business, community and education leaders with a tool for measuring how Los Angeles County is faring within the area of middle school education, and outlines steps that stakeholders must take to help children succeed. While middle school grades have been largely ignored in local and national education reform debates, the report findings underscore the critical role that middle school education plays in preparing students for college and the 21st century workforce.

Seizing the Middle Ground identified the following significant risk areas: -- Low graduation rates: for every 100 9th grade students enrolled in Los Angeles County schools in 2002, only 57 graduated four years later. -- Over 70% of middle schools serving low-income African American and Latino populations are failing federal education standards. -- Nearly half of students don't feel safe at school; 48 percent of 7th graders report being harassed, pushed, shoved or hit by peers at school and 13 percent have carried a weapon onto school property at least once. -- Half of the middle schools in L.A. County are overcrowded, with the average size of 2,100 students; these schools provide one counselor for every 609 students, compared to the national recommendation of 1 for every 250. -- Lack of necessary classes: 45 percent of high schools provide too few college preparatory courses (A-G) to accommodate all students, leaving them unprepared for higher education -- Students who fail even one middle school class are much more likely to drop out of high school: Less than 50% of students who failed at least one class in grades 6-8 graduated from high school within four years compared to over 66% of students who never failed a class. -- Middle school students are not forming relationships with their teachers or adults at school, with 71 percent of 7th graders having no high level or caring relationship with any adults in the school, allowing for them to fall through the cracks

In Los Angeles County, there are approximately 400,000 public school students enrolled in grades 6-8, with the majority of the students coming from minority families that tend to be underrepresented in higher education. Due to factors such as low-levels of qualified teachers, overcrowded classrooms and low per-pupil spending, the report finds that over half of the middle schools are failing federal education standards, and the situation is even worse for schools serving large populations of low-income African American and Latino students. 100 percent of LA County's middle schools spend well below the national average per pupil, netting out at an average of $6,765 compared to a national average of $8,041. It is now more critical than ever to help these students succeed, as nearly all jobs require high school math and science.

"Education in Los Angeles County is at a critical crossroads," said Elise Buik, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles. "The demand for an educated workforce is growing, while at the same time middle school education is being neglected, and we're not preparing our children, or our city, for the future. Unless we work together to prioritize middle school education, we will not have the necessary infrastructure for a thriving community and sustainable economy in the future."

The study also finds that minority and low-income students are less likely to graduate and face more challenges. In L.A. County, 73 percent of middle grades students are Latino or African American and two-thirds of students are on the free and reduced meal program for low-income families. 70 percent of middle schools serving primarily low-income students are on "program improvement," meaning that they are not making adequate progress in improving their students' academic outcomes for two consecutive years. Schools that primarily serve communities of color are four times more likely to have a shortage of qualified teachers and 20 percent of the teachers lack proper credentials.

"The issues illuminated within the report are about under-funding and more," said Jeannie Oakes, presidential professor and director, UCLA Department of Education, a United Way research partner. "Poverty, segregation and the lack of a social safety net all impact education for Los Angeles students. What's more, the breakdown in our educational system will impact the strength of our workforce and overall economy. The whole community must work together to better prepare middle school students for the rigors of high school and the real world."

Examples of progress from the report include: -- In 2007, Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) unanimously approved policy recommendations to boost successful completion of A-G courses for every Long Beach student by aligning classes, counseling and supports beginning in the 6th grade; the program starts in September 2008 -- Project GRAD Los Angeles hosted a Middle School Algebra and Robotic Summer Institute for four weeks in 2007 to help 165 students from LAUSD who were at risk of not enrolling in Algebra classes; students enrolled with the same teachers in school, with a 99 percent passing rate -- Torch Middle School implemented a Professional Learning Community (PLC) and worked with an after school program to raise its Academic Performance Index 290 points, earning them state designation as a "School to Watch Model Middle School"

"Successes in schools such as Torch Middle School prove that we can remedy the education system in Los Angeles County by strategically implementing programs that work," said Elise Buik. "By providing rigorous academic preparation and early academic intervention in supportive personalized learning environments, we can move closer to ensuring that Los Angeles County becomes a thriving, competitive home to a skilled workforce and flourishing businesses."

The Middle School Report incorporates goals and recommendations made within United Way's 10-year Action Plan, launched in 2007, which addresses issues facing Los Angeles County and provides the tools necessary to move more people out of poverty. In addition to United Way of Greater Los Angeles, a panel of experts contributed to the report, including UCLA Institute for Democracy, Education and Access; UCLA Department of Psychology and the University of California-Irvine Department of Education. For the full report, visit http://www.unitedwayla.org/.

About United Way of Greater Los Angeles

United Way of Greater Los Angeles is a nonprofit organization that creates pathways out of poverty by focusing on meeting basic needs, improving educational achievement and increasing financial stability for the most vulnerable in our community. Through its research work, United Way identifies the issues and works in partnership with community leaders and supporters to solve them by funding targeted programs and advocating for change. For more information, visit http://www.unitedwayla.org/.

United Way of Greater Los Angeles

CONTACT: Taulene Ayoub of United Way of Greater Los Angeles,+1-213-808-6436, tayoub@unitedwayla.org

Web site: http://www.unitedwayla.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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