RESEARCH AREAS
CAN ETHNIC STUDIES COURSES REDUCE RACIAL INEQUALITY AS THEY SCALE? EVIDENCE FROM THREE RESEARCH-PRACTICE PARTNERSHIPS
This mixed-methods study examines the experiences and effects of taking a high school ethnic studies course on academic and socio-emotional outcomes. The local study is part of a larger collaboration with two other teams, one studying San Francisco Unified School District and another studying Albuquerque Public Schools.
Research Team: Kyo Yamashiro (LMU), Lucrecia Santibañez (UCLA), Leonard Wainstein (Reed)
FORMATIVE EVALUATION OF THE COHERENT INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEMS FOR MATH IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE
This mixed-methods project examines the implementation of curriculum-based professional learning in L.A. Unified. Using qualitative observations and interviews, as well as quasi-experimental analyses of administrative and survey data, this project aims to understand the contexts and conditions under which professional learning efforts produce instructional change and educational improvement.
Research Team: Meredith Phillips (UCLA), Carrie Miller (UCLA), Madison Garcia (UCLA), Derin Bingul (UCLA), Riley Ceperich (UCLA), Nicole Pina (UCLA)
PILOT EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF THE GENERATION XCHANGE PROGRAM
This project examines the impact of the Generation Xchange program on elementary students’ academic and behavioral outcomes. The program recruits and trains adults aged 50+ to provide 10+hrs/week tutoring and mentoring for elementary school students in 9 LAUSD schools.
Research Team: Teresa Seeman (UCLA), Sharon Merkin (UCLA)
UNDERSTANDING & IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIGITAL MATH TOOLS IN L.A. UNIFIED
This mixed-methods project aims to understand how to support teachers’ use of digital math tools in the classroom and the effectiveness of efforts to encourage students’ use of digital math tools during summer vacation. This study involves qualitative observations and focus groups, quantitative longitudinal analyses, and randomized field trials.
Research Team: Meredith Phillips (UCLA), Carrie Miller (UCLA), Derin Bingul (UCLA), Madison Garcia (UCLA), Rebecca Adler (UCLA), Riley Ceperich (UCLA), Nicole Pina (UCLA)
PROMISING PRACTICES OF EFFECTIVE ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOLS
This mixed-methods project identifies schools that consistently improve elementary and middle-school students’ English language arts and math skills compared to schools serving initially similar students and explores the mechanisms that contribute to schools’ effectiveness.
Research Team: Meredith Phillips (UCLA), Carrie Miller (UCLA)
EMERGING PROJECTS
EXAMINING TUTORING IN L.A. UNIFIED
This project aims to describe tutoring services offered in L.A. Unified and evaluate the impact of receiving those services on student outcomes.
Research Team: Susanna Loeb (Stanford), Emily Penner (UC Irvine), Biraj Bisht (UC Irvine)
PAST PROJECTS
MIDDLE SCHOOL ADVANCED MATH COURSETAKING
This project examined students’ middle-school math course-taking patterns and math course placement among students with similar academic skills at the end of elementary school and the impact of taking an accelerated math course in seventh grade on students’ academic achievement, college readiness, and college enrollment.
Authors: Carrie Miller (UCLA), Meredith Phillips (UCLA)
COLLEGE-GOING CLIMATE OF EFFECTIVE HIGH SCHOOLS
This project identifies high schools that consistently improve students’ college readiness, application, and enrollment and persistence compared to schools serving initially similar students and explores mechanisms that might contribute to schools’ effectiveness.
Research Team: Meredith Phillips (UCLA), Carrie Miller (UCLA)
ON-TRACK INDICATORS
This project examines academic and behavioral indicators in elementary and middle school that are especially predictive of college readiness by the end of high school.
Research Team: Meredith Phillips (UCLA), Carrie Miller (UCLA)
PAST PROJECTS
SUMMER MELT
This project described the prevalence and predictors of “summer melt” among district graduates.
Authors: Carrie Miller (UCLA), Meredith Phillips (UCLA), Caitlin Ahearn (Stanford)
NAVIGATING THE COLLEGE ACCESS PROCESS
This project presented school-level information about students’ perceptions of their college access supports & students’ college application and enrollment outcomes. School and district staff can locate schools on a map, alongside characteristics of the schools’ census tracts, and compare magnet and non-magnet schools on the same site and schools that are demographically and academically similar.
Research Team: Carrie Miller (UCLA), Meredith Phillips (UCLA)
COLLEGE ACCESS SUPPORTS AVAILABLE IN DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS
This project explored the availability of college readiness supports in L.A. Unified high schools.
Authors: Meredith Phillips (UCLA), Kyo Yamashiro (LMU), Carrie Miller (UCLA)
COLLEGE APPLICATION PATTERNS
This project examined L.A. Unified graduates’ community and four-year college application patterns.
Authors: Carrie Miller (UCLA), Meredith Phillips (UCLA), Kyo Yamashiro (LMU)
COLLEGE ENROLLMENT AND COMPLETION AMONG DISTRICT GRADUATES
This project examined where L.A. Unified graduated enrolled in college, as well as how college-going outcomes differed across a variety of background characteristics.
Authors: Meredith Phillips (UCLA), Kyo Yamashiro (LMU), Thomas Jacobson (UCLA)
TWELFTH-GRADE MATH COURSE-TAKING AND COLLEGE SUCCESS
This project estimated the effect of taking a twelfth-grade math course on students’ college enrollment and success in college-level STEM coursework.
Authors: Lenny Wainstein (Reed College), Carrie Miller (UCLA), Meredith Phillips (UCLA), Kyo Yamashiro (LMU), Tatiana Melguizo (USC)
A-G COURSE COMPLETION
This project examined middle and high school predictors of A-G course completion.
Authors: Meredith Phillips (UCLA), Kyo Yamashiro (LMU), Adina Furrukh (UCLA), Cynthia Lim (LAUSD), Katherine Hayes (LAUSD), Nicole Wagner (LAUSD), Jefferey White (LAUSD), Hansheng Chen (LAUSD)
EXPLORING THE ROLLOUT OF UNIVERSAL PRE-K IN L.A. UNIFIED
This project explores L.A. Unified’s rollout of UPK, with a focus on understanding equity in access to UPK programs, children’s experiences across UPK programs, and UPK teachers’ and principals’ experiences and needs. We also explore the link between teacher and principal experiences with the goal of supporting professional learning opportunities that can create high-quality developmentally appropriate classrooms.
Research Team: Anna Markowitz (UCLA), Tammy Yabiku (UCLA), Flora Ziprin (UCLA)
SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION
This project examines how L.A. Unified students travel to and from school and the relationship between aspects of students’ commutes (e.g., mode of transportation, distance, duration) and their attendance and academic achievement.
Research Team: Samuel Speroni (UCLA)
SURVEY QUALITY WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
This project uses district survey data to examine the measurement properties of different survey item response scales and question types.
Research Team: Meredith Phillips (UCLA), Carrie Miller (UCLA)