UCLA Community School (UCS)

700 S. Mariposa Ave - Los Angeles CA - 90005
Type of autonomy arrangement: Pilot Schools
Basic Profile

Opened In

2009

Grades

K-12

Environment

Urban

Type

District - Pilot
Autonomies

Program

Determine learning program
Set school-level policy
Determine professional development
Determine authorizer assessments
Determine state assessments

Personnel

Select colleagues
Evaluate colleagues
Transfer or terminate colleagues
Determine tenure policy
Select leaders

Administrative

Determine school budget
Set staff pattern
Determine compensation
Determine teacher workday
Set schedule
Teacher Authority Is...
De Jure and De Facto

De jure governing boards of Zone of Choice schools have authority via MOUs that each school has with the Los Angeles Unified School District, school board, and teacher union (UTLA). The governing board retains some authority, but de facto teachers make some decisions. UCS is located in the RFK Zone of Choice.

About the Learning Program

UCLA Community School is an innovative K-12 learning environment that prepares all students for college, work, and civic participation. The instructional program is community-based, learner-centered, and university-assisted. Building on the strengths of the local neighborhood, the school is bilingual, bi-literate, and multi-cultural. Parents and community members are integral members of the school and their funds of knowledge help shape the instructional program. UCLA-CS personalizes learning for each student to ensure and document academic, social, and emotional growth over a student’s school career. Students have Personalized Learning Plans that build on their interests and needs, supporting them as active learners in a variety of experiences including projects, rigorous coursework, council, internships, peer tutoring, seminars, experiments, and so on.