LAAMP Collection. CSLA-16: Series Descriptions

THE THOMAS AND DOROTHY LEAVEY CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF LOS ANGELES RESEARCH COLLECTION

LAAMP COLLECTION (CSLA-16):
Series Descriptions

COLLECTION TITLE AND NUMBER: LAAMP Collection, 1984-2001. CSLA-16
ACCESSION NUMBER: 2001.6
COLLECTION SIZE: 177 archival document boxes

The LAAMP Collection was donated to Loyola Marymount University in 2001 and constitutes collection number "CSLA-16" in the Center for the Study of Los Angeles Research Collection. The majority of the holdings consists of textual materials: subject files, correspondence, minutes and agendas of committee meetings, reports and studies, brochures, and publications on educational reforms. Also, a few photos and disks are included in the collection. The dates of the holdings range from 1984 to 2001, with 1994-2000 constituting the bulk dates. Materials dating before 1994 did not originate with LAAMP, but were utilized by LAAMP as source material.

The collection has been organized into fourteen series: School Families, Evaluation of LAAMP, North Hollywood School Family Archive, LAUSD and LEARN, Annenberg Organizations, Research Reports, DELTA, Partners, Public Engagement and Communication, Board of Directors, Working Files, Matching Funds, Pasadena Unified School District, and School Family Meeting Topics. These fourteen series are based on the filing structure of LAAMP; thus, original order has been preserved in this collection as much as possible. Some material containing confidential information (ie, social security numbers) has been removed from the collection.

A brief description of each series is listed below. Descriptions include links to each series' box and folder list, which is an index to a series' holdings and arrangement in folders and boxes.

Series Description

Series 1. School Families back to top
Series size: 36 boxes

To consult the box and folder lists for the holdings of this series, select from the following titles: Subseries A: Accelerated School - Little Lake/Whittier | Subseries B: Long Beach Poly/Cabrillo - Temple City: Boxes 16-26, Boxes 27-36

LAAMP supported the goal of creating school families to create stability within and among schools. School Families consisted of one high school, one or more feeder middle schools and at least three feeder elementary schools. Each school family was overseen by the School Reform/LEARN office, which coordinated the DELTA, LAAMP and Parents as Learning Partners groups. The LAAMP governing board for each family was composed of a cluster administrator, principals, teachers, classified staff, parents, students, and other groups that might be involved, including DELTA and PLP ("Parents as Learning Partners"). These stakeholders, working together, provided cross-school and grade-level collaboration. Governing board decisions were made by consensus.

The school families are arranged in this series alphabetically. Documentation varies by school family, but each has at least a LAAMP binder that contains a learning plan which testifies to the work of the committees of the school family: professional development, extended learning, health and human services (or resources), technology, communications, budget, and evaluation/writing. Note: Findings in this series are LAAMP's internal reports compiling information about each school family from letters of intent, proposals, interviews and site visits.

Series 2. Evaluation of LAAMP back to top
Series size: 10 boxes

To consult the box and folder lists for the holdings of this series, select the following title: Evaluation of LAAMP

Evaluation determined the changes brought about by LAAMP in school administration and student learning and how well LAAMP money had been spent. The series' materials are primarily evaluation research reports, with supporting meeting agendas, correspondence, proposals, contracts and preparatory materials. The majority of the reports were conducted externally by either the Evaluation and Training Institute or the Los Angeles Compact on Education. Evaluation focused on the overall goal of aiding in the process of continual improvement at the school level by developing strong sets of indicators of student and school performance.

Series 3. North Hollywood School Family Archive back to top
Series size: 7 boxes

To consult the box and folder lists for the holdings of this series, select the following title: North Hollywood School Family Archive

The North Hollywood school family was one of the school families that by 1996 LAAMP had decided merited special attention because of its strong cooperation with LAAMP. In early 1998, an anonymous donor's five million grant allowed North Hollywood to focus more intensely on literacy with tools like literacy coaches, grade transition teams, parental training and results tracking. Thus, the documents in this series record the program of a LAAMP school family that had a high level of involvement with LAAMP, through such special support as additional grants. Materials in this series include proposals, mission statements, by-laws, data reports, articles, correspondence, notes, minutes, grant documents, and contracts.

Series 4. LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) and LEARN (Los Angeles Educational Alliance for Reform Now) back to top
Series size: 11 boxes

To consult the box and folder lists for the holdings of this series, select the following title: LAUSD and LEARN

This series contains documentation on LAAMP's relations with the Los Angeles Unified School District and LEARN (Los Angeles Educational Alliance for Reform Now). Materials include outlines of roles and responsibilities, correspondence, agreements, task force documentation, meeting minutes, budgets, maps and reports. LEARN was the major sponsor for school reform within the Los Angeles Unified School District, and LAAMP focused on a partnership role, assisting implementation of the LEARN plan by professional development and school family development. LAAMP shared results with LEARN, helped with LEARN workshops, and provided an incentive for LEARN schools to participate as a school family in LAAMP funded programs. The alliance with LEARN meant that for a school to receive a Challenge grant, they were obliged also to belong to LEARN and adopt reform practices. As the five-year Challenge grant phase drew to a close, LAAMP and LEARN merged into "L2", to continue reform efforts in Los Angeles. Some material in this series is duplicated in Series 8: Partners, since LAUSD and LEARN were also considered partners.

Series 5. Annenberg Organizations back to top
Series size: 7 boxes

To consult the box and folder lists for the holdings of this series, select the following title: Annenberg Organizations

This series documents the relations with the Annenberg programs and management, including the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, the Annenberg Foundation and other city Challenge Sites. The Annenberg Institute provided direction and guidance to each of the participating Annenberg Challenge cities. Of special interest here is the Annenberg Foundation contract with the Los Angeles County School Reform for fifty-three million dollars in matching fund grants (Box 62, Folder 21). Other internal documents include requests for proposals, learning plans, next steps, newsletters, reports, agendas, proposals, and protocols. While other Annenberg Challenge sites are represented in this series, not every site has the same level of documentation.

Series 6. Research Reports back to top
Series size: 12 boxes

To consult the box and folder lists for the holdings of this series, select the following title: Research Reports

This series is composed entirely of reports and newsletters. The more valuable ones document the impact of LAAMP on the school families. Several reports were commissioned by LAAMP; of these, some were independently conducted. The majority of the research reports are indirectly related to LAAMP, as they detail test results, educational trends and reforms, demographics nationwide, in California or with specific populations.

Series 7. DELTA back to top
Series size: 10 boxes

To consult the box and folder lists for the holdings of this series, select the following title: DELTA

This series concerns DELTA (Design for Excellence: Linking Teaching and Achievement Initiative), which was sponsored by the Weingart Foundation, but administered by the Los Angeles Annenberg Metropolitan Project. In late 1995, the Weingart Foundation gave a grant of $8.9 million (supplemented with $2.5 million from the Ford Foundation) to add depth to LAAMP's broad reform strategy. DELTA's vision is to have teachers accountable for student achievement by training and equipping them appropriately with pre-service, induction, and professional development programs based on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession. The DELTA Collaborative was formed to foster greater cooperation among the California State University system, the various educational reform organizations and the PreK-12 school families within the Los Angeles area.

Materials in this series include reports, folders of correspondence, infrastructure documents, meeting minutes, proposals and agreements.

Series 8. Partners back to top
Series size: 22 boxes

To consult the box and folder lists for the holdings of this series, select from the following titles: Subseries A: Bank of America proposal - LEARN correspondence, Mary Chambers | Subseries B: LEARN Retreat - School Family Leadership binder

Partners included universities, reform organizations, foundations, businesses and other organizations interested in helping achieve LAAMP's goals. Each partner of LAAMP assisted by either raising money, designing professional development programs, or implementing them in the schools throughout the Los Angeles area. Both potential and actual partners are represented in this series. Documents include brochures or promotional materials, newsletters, correspondence, proposals written by the partner or LAAMP, reports authored by partners, and budgets.

Series 9. Public Engagement and Communication back to top
Series size: 16 boxes

To consult the box and folder lists for the holdings of this series, select the following title: Public Engagement and Communication

This series represents the public relations efforts of LAAMP. Most of the public relations materials found in Box 133, folder 12, to Box 139 originated with the office of Mark Slavkin, LAAMP's public relations officer. Boxes 140 to 142 contain information on events, specifically training meetings, forums, and School Family Meetings.

Series 10. Board of Directors back to top
Series size: 6 boxes

To consult the box and folder lists for the holdings of this series, select the following title: Board of Directors

The entire series is composed of binders with minutes and meeting packets of the Board of Directors (or Governors) for the years 1995-2001. The Board played an active role in LAAMP, and many of its members have been actively involved in Los Angeles education and reform issues for many years.

Series 11. Working Files back to top
Series size: 22 boxes

To consult the box and folder lists for the holdings of this series, select from the following titles: Subseries A: California researchers - Work Teams | Subseries B: LAAMP Governing Board - Senate Bill 1570

These folders contain the files used by the office staff. They are classified by subject, but are not grouped together alphabetically or by other means. Of interest is Box 153, folder 20, which has messages and signatures of national and California politicians commending LAAMP.

Series 12. Matching Funds back to top
Series size: 11 boxes

To consult the box and folder lists for the holdings of this series, select the following title: Matching Funds

Ambassador Walter Annenberg, made available $53 million to LAAMP, with the agreement that the community was responsible for raising matching funds. This series gives a glimpse into the process of documenting and managing a large matching fund program. These files are composed mainly of matching funds documentation and memos of understanding. These memos of understanding were contracts of responsibility, a unique element of reform in Los Angeles and provided a measure of accountability for the grants.

Series 13. Pasadena Unified School District back to top
Series size: 2 boxes

To consult the box and folder lists for the holdings of this series, select the following title: Pasadena Unified School District

This series documents another school family that received a DELTA grant and a higher level of support and training from LAAMP than other schools because of its commitment to reform. Materials include reports, correspondence, guidelines, policies, proposals, and budgets. (Cf. also Series 3: North Hollywood School Family Archive).

Series 14. School Family Meeting Topics back to top
Series size: 3 boxes

To consult the box and folder lists for the holdings of this series, select the following title: School Family Meeting Topics

This series contains journal articles, newsletters, newspaper articles, reports and other topical texts used for discussion at School Family Meetings. These topics are all related to LAAMP's mission of professional development and the building of school families within the Los Angeles area.