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Gen Z entrepreneurs tackle youth mental health crisis with music therapy
As the youth mental health crisis impacts schools nationwide, two Gen Z entrepreneurs created a new way for educators to understand students’ emotional needs — through the power of sound. SoundMind, a music therapy app created by founders Brian Femminella and Travis Chen, reduces students’ stress and anxiety through audio and visual beats tailored to...
By Joshua Bay | July 19, 2023
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LAUSD graduates reflect on challenges in their K-12 education
In a roundtable event hosted by Equity Alliance for LA’s Kids, recent LAUSD graduates reflected on their navigation of an often difficult, educational experience. Graduates from East LA and South LA high schools, identified by the Student Equity Needs Index (SENI) as some of the highest concentrations of high-need schools, shared their challenges from policing...
By LeeAnna Villarreal | July 18, 2023
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Opinion: Why the science of reading is right for my young learner
I’m writing this for all the parents out there: Don’t leave your child’s reading success to chance. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I was one of those parents. Sure, my wife and I read to our son every night, and we had plenty of books, newspapers and magazines around the house. Our local public...
By Chad Aldeman | July 17, 2023
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Q&A: Harvard ruling will put spotlight on college elitism, Georgetown economist says
What now? That’s the question confronting university administrators, faculty, applicants and their families in the wake of the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College. The 6-3 ruling by the Court’s conservative majority struck down race-conscious admissions policies at both Harvard and the University of North Carolina, overturning the decades-old...
By Kevin Mahnken | July 13, 2023
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‘Education’s long COVID’: New data shows recovery stalled for most students
Pandemic recovery has essentially stalled for most of the nation’s students, new data shows, and upper elementary and middle school students actually lost ground this year in reading and math. On average, students need four more months in school to catch up to pre-pandemic levels, according to the results from NWEA, a K-12 assessment provider. This...
By Linda Jacobson | July 12, 2023
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Most-read stories from the school year: A look at LAUSD’s year in flux
The 2022-23 school year continued a time of transition and uncertainty for LAUSD, with district schools continuing to lose students, a three-day workers’ strike and low test scores. Here are the most read stories about the nation’s second largest school system: 1. Leaving Los Angeles: These 10 LAUSD schools lost the most students during COVID...
By LA School Report | July 11, 2023
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Parents View: These LAUSD parents support Carvalho’s plans to revamp literacy program Primary Promise
As engaged LAUSD parents of color, we are focused on our children’s academic success and well-being. As such, we often talk about how the education system is not working for enough of our students. Imagine our delight when superintendent Carvalho announced his plan to expand a highly successful literacy intervention program, Primary Promise, by expanding...
By Parent Warriors | July 10, 2023
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Opinion: To bolster civics knowledge & reading skills, why not do both at the same time?
The recent dismal civics and history results from the Nation’s Report Card put American democracy at risk. Eighth-graders recorded their lowest scores ever in U.S. history and the first decline in civics scores. The decreases were most dramatic for lower-performing students. Just under half of eighth-graders report taking a class primarily focused on civics, and fewer than...
By Ross Wiener | July 6, 2023
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College transfer enrollment plummeted another 7% last year; biggest drops for low-income, female & Asian students
As a Pakistani immigrant and first generation college student, Nabiha Sheikh completed her associate degree from Lone Star College in Texas unaware of how difficult her transfer to a four-year university would be. Sheikh experienced several hurdles, from losing community college credits to inconsistent academic advising, after transferring twice during the pandemic. “When COVID hit,...
By Joshua Bay | July 5, 2023
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After historic declines in math scores, schools look to bolster summer programs to help kids catch up
School districts around the country, reeling from dramatic drops in fourth- and eighth-grade math scores on the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, hope to recoup at least some of what’s been lost through summer programs. Flush with federal dollars, new and robust offerings have been open to a wide swath of students starting in...
By Jo Napolitano | June 29, 2023