By Joanie Harmon, UCLA School of Ed & IS News
Partnership between UCLA’s Center X, LAUSD, and Compton Unified School District provides a running start for college-bound high schoolers, professional development for teachers and AP educators.
Providing equity and access to high-level instruction in Advanced Placement is the mission of the AP Readiness Program, an initiative of UCLA’s Center X. Designed to give 9th-12th graders the skills needed to be successful in college, the program also focuses on improving the skills of AP teachers as well as encouraging more educators to teach AP courses.
With virtual meetings on Saturdays and one in-person session held at UCLA near the end of each academic quarter, AP Readiness brings together master instructors from across LAUSD and the Compton Unified School District who prepare students for the rigorous curriculum of AP courses. STEM courses include biology, calculus, physics, computer science, and environmental science. Humanities courses include English and Spanish language and literature, psychology, government, U.S. history, and world history. During the sessions teachers have the opportunity to observe and learn from master instructors and to explore a successful framework for conducting AP courses.
On Dec. 13, over 2,450 high school students from LAUSD and Compton USD, along with 40 students from Palisades High School, and 230 of their teachers visited UCLA to take part in an in-person AP Readiness session, which was provided through a partnership with LAUSD and Compton USD, and with bus transportation by the districts.
Lynn Kim-John, executive director of Center X, welcomed the teachers to UCLA with a showcase of educator and leadership development program and projects housed in the center that support teachers throughout their careers, including the Teacher Education Program (TEP); the Principal Leadership Institute (PLI); and the National Board Project. Subject matter projects like the the California Reading & Literature Project, the Mathematics Project, the Writing Project, the California Reading & Literature Project and Coaching Partnerships were present to share resources with teachers.