TCLA's Report Card: Features: 3: Student Leaders
Becoming Leaders in a Bottom-Up Accountability System: Learning Materials

Map of LA County

by Yvonne Ballesteros
TCLA's outreach coordinator, Yvonne Ballesteros, works with student leaders at four Los Angeles schools to develop reports on the conditions in their schools.
In the last issue, high school student leaders from across greater Los Angeles developed their own school reports by describing their schools. For this issue, they worked with students at their school to examine access to learning materials. By conducting surveys on student access to textbooks and technology, they learned what resources are available to the student body at their schools. Drawing on Jean Anyon’s research, they also explored how students view knowledge. The student leaders compared responses from an AP/Honors class with responses from a “regular” class to try to understand if students receive different messages about knowledge depending on their “track.”

Mark Keppel High School

Photo: Denise Ballesteros & Kenny Yee

Checkbox Mark Keppel High School Report
Reports by Denise Ballesteros, Christine Ro,
Joanne Lee, & Kenny Yee

YB: What was most surprising about your results in the textbook survey?

Denise Ballesteros: It was surprising that half of the students don’t have textbooks to take home for all of their classes. I expected more students to have books to take home. It was also surprising that a lot of students do not know what the California curriculum standards are.

 New Roads School

Photo: Diana Flores and Carlos Hernández

Checkbox New Roads High School (Santa Monica) Report
Reports by Diana Flores and Carlos Hernández

YB: As student leaders, what did you learn from conducting the surveys?

Carlos Hernández: Even though we have a lot of the materials, it was interesting to find that students didn’t think that it was so important to have all of those resources. I think it is because they are easily accessible, they don’t think it is too important. However, if you go to other schools that don’t have certain materials, you will see that it is important to have computers in every classroom and books that culturally represent every background.

Roosevelt High School

Photo: Everardo León

Checkbox Roosevelt High School Report

Reports by Everardo León, Aurina Bojorquez, Agustina Valenzuela

YB: Regarding the survey on knowledge, were the answers from the honors and the"regular" students in the class similar?

Everardo León : No. You can see the differences between how students express themselves and who put more thought into their answers. That doesn’t automatically define an honors student, but it does show how students are motivated differently.

YB: What were the differences?

Everardo León: Students in the honors program have higher reading levels and can spell words better. It also has to do with the college bound mentality. The honors students are exposed to more and are expected to think more in depth. They choose the students for the honors program based on their test scores.

YB: Does this matter? And, if so, why?

Everardo León: It really matters. All students should be motivated the same and everyone should be doing well. Whether it is a "regular" class or an honors class, students should pay attention and participate.

Santa Monica High School

Photo: Moises Castillo

Checkbox Santa Monica High School (SMMUSD)

Report by Moises Castillo

YB: What did you find was most surprising about the textbook survey?

Moises Castillo: There were basically similar answers. At the beginning of the school year we get textbooks that we use in our classes. Practically no students said that they have a set of textbooks to take home because we don’t. What was most surprising was that some students didn’t care if we had a library or not.

YB: Regarding the survey on knowledge, were the answers from the honors and the"regular" students in the class similar?

Moises Castillo: Some students in the "regular" class said that knowledge is already in you—that you are either born smart or not. Students in the AP class said that knowledge is there and you learn through studying.

YB: Does this matter? And, if so, why?

Moises Castillo: I think so because if someone thinks that they are not born smart, they are not going to try and succeed to their highest potential. Everyone should know that they can learn anything that they want to.

Yvonne Ballesteros leads TCLA's outreach efforts to high school students across Los Angeles.

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