Promising Practice: The system that the Abram Friedman Occupation Center at LAUSD has put into place for student registration and assessment has led to a systematic increase in paired test scores and proper student placement. The use of student contracts means that students are invested in their own success, and held accountable for their own performance.

Agency Awarded: Los Angeles USD: Abram Friedman Occupation Center, 2010

Summary Description of Project:

In order to manage a large student population and improve performance, LAUSD adopted an integrated student contract and test management system. The agency has standardized testing procedures, which has greatly increased the percentage of paired scores and proper student placement. The agency is able to keep track of testing history and use data to improve program management. They are able to ensure that students are tested in the correct modality and at the proper time.

One important facet of this program is the integrated student contract. All students in the ABE and ASE independent student labs at Abram Friedman have a contract by which they work toward their individual goals. Testing is integrated into the student contract. When students reach a certain point in the instructional process, the contract indicates that the student should be tested. When students earn a benchmark, they receive a certificate. This practice has motivated students to do well, and has greatly improved program management. Another facet of this program is that teachers receive reports about their class performance every two weeks. They are able to identify the correct posttests for students, and communicate testing in a clearer way to their classes. Overall, this organized and efficient system provides a great example of how to best use resources to serve a large number of students.

Evaluation Process/Results:

The Abram Friedman Occupational Center exceeds the 2008-09 California state performance averages in almost all instructional levels, and in student persistence. In addition, the level of paired scores at Abram Friedman has increased 13% over the past year, indicating that there may also be a higher number of benchmarks earned since the implementation of this new system.

For additional information contact:

http://afoc.edu