Row 1: Dr. Rosa Maria Hernandez, Philip Naimo, Linda Ariyasu (NNPS Key Contact), Richard A. Alonzo (Superintendent), Beatrice LaPisto, Byron Maltez, and Mary Kurzeka. Row 2: Jorge Luna, Rocio Arriaga, Maria Gonzalez, Virginia Lampson, Maureen Diekmann, Jasmin Medel, Angelina Cardenas, Elaine Kinoshita, and Gabino Alvarado.
LAUSD Local District 4 has an Office of School, Family and Community Partnerships with an administrator and four facilitators who assist all schools with their programs of partnership. The administrator reports directly the Local Superintendent, Richard Alonzo – a long-time supporter of improving family and community involvement in every school. The district has won Partnership District Awards from NNPS for six years, showing that it is possible for a large, urban district to assist schools to improve partnership programs that engage diverse parents who speak many different languages to support student learning and success in school.
The administrator for partnerships is part of the superintendent’s leadership team and shares information with all other directors for school improvement. Their collaborative work helps integrate family involvement in all school programs. Sixty-five schools have Parent Community Facilitators who are guided by the Office of School, Family, and Community Partnerships to use NNPS information to help their schools improve their partnership programs.
In 2006, Local District 4 worked to improve communications with families in order to increase enrollment of students eligible for Supplemental Education Services (SES), as required by NCLB. Many actions were taken (presentations, volunteers to increase registration, other dissemination activities) to inform over 500 parents at sessions conducted throughout the district. The outreach is believed to have contributed to increased enrollment in SES programs (enrollments are filed with the Central Office for LAUSD).
All involvement activities are linked in some way to the district plan for school improvement and each school’s Single Plan for Student Achievement. The district’s leaders for partnerships are taking as their responsibility to help schools select practices of family and community involvement that link more directly to specific academic and behavioral goals.
Local District 4 is proud of its mini-grant program that provides support to schools that join NNPS and that work on improving their goal-oriented programs of family and community involvement. This year, the mini-grants went to schools that wanted to conduct a well-planned Math Family Night to introduce problem-solving activities to parents and to help student increase this math skill. $1000 mini-grants were awarded to 2 high schools, 5 middle schools, 30 elementary schools and 5 primary centers to increase involvement of families and students on math. Schools reported from 30%-65% of parents and students attended, and very positive evaluations from parents were offered. As one parent wrote: "…. I discovered a different and more fun way to approach math and study with my daughter." One school was invited to appear on the LAUSD Superintendent’s weekly TV show to talk about its Math Family Night. Many new schools in the reorganized Local District 4 were attracted to work on partnerships because of the mini-grant program.
Local District 4 plans to add more schools to the local Partnership Network and to NNPS. The district leaders continue to use many NNPS tools, checklists, and UPDATE surveys to monitor progress. In the 06-07 school year, as part of partnership program development, many schools in the district will use and evaluate a resource called LA Kids Learn, which helps parents support student learning at home during school vacations and breaks.
Organizing parent involvement to focus on increasing student success in school and creating change throughout the district is a tremendous undertaking. NNPS helps our district accomplish this goal. The NNPS research, resources, technical assistance, and national conferences have helped us learn new things, compare strategies, and network with others nationwide. NNPS challenges us to expand our vision and our work every year.
See Local District 4's history of Partnership District Awards (previously Local District F) from 2001 to 2005 and examples of Promising Partnership Programs on the website, www.partnershipschools.org, in the section Success Stories. To learn more about this district, visit www.lausd.k12.ca.us and click on Local District 4.